Often, people who are incarcerated are required to pay a co-pay for medical care that they initiate. While the cost of this co-pay may appear low, it can have high human costs, especially if it means that individuals ultimately delay seeking care. In a recent piece for Prism Reports, I talk about prison co-pays and the impact that they can have on people who are incarcerated, particularly for women and people of color:
These risks become even higher for marginalized people in carceral facilities, who tend to be Black, Latinx, and other people of color, often in poorer health than the general population, and part of a rapidly aging population that needs more specialized care. For many advocates, the removal of medical copays in prison is about more than affected individuals—it’s also about moving toward equity and justice within the carceral system.
Read the full piece, here!
Research for this piece was supported by Arnold Ventures.
