Lewdog
Gold Member
Correct. The hospital will treat you. But the bill either goes to the inmate or the hospital writes it off as a loss. The government doesn't pay for it.They will treat you at the hospital. Then they will either charge you for it OR submit the charges to see if they qualify for an Indigent fund adjustment. In rare cases the local county ( if they have funds) will pick up charges and then collect from the inmate later.Nonsense ^
From Novitas website...
If you submit a claim for items or services furnished to a Medicare bene ciary who is in custody (or incarcerated) on the DOS, the claim will be denied. You or your billing agent will receive a Remittance Advice (RA) that explains the denial. An RA Remittance Advice Remark Code (RARC) further explains an adjustment or relays informational messages that cannot be expressed with a claim adjustment reason code.
When denying claims for services furnished to Medicare bene ciaries under penal custody, the RA will include RARC N103 (in addition to RA language already in use):
“Records indicate this patient was a prisoner or in custody of a Federal, State, or local authority when the service was rendered. This payer does not cover items and services furnished to an individual while he or she is in custody under a penal statute or rule, unless under State or local law, the individual is personally liable for the cost of his or her health care while in custody and the State or local government pursues the collection of such debt in the same way and with the same vigor as the collection of its other debts. The provider can collect from the Federal/State/Local Authority as appropriate.”
Okay, but forgetting about Medicare and Medicaid or other subsidized insurance - Your claim was that "the government doesn't cover medical for incarcerated people".
Simply not true - if you are injured, have a heart attack, or get cancer - whether it be the state or the feds who pays for it .. they are not allowed to just let you die.
They don't always treat people at the hospital. Where I worked there was an inmate that had HIV that received treatment. They regularly did TB tests... nothing major there, but by law they are required to provide medical care. If they don't it is a violation of the 8th Amendment.
Inmates get treatment on many things that don't require them to go to the hospital and they are not charged for it.