Requires inmates in state and county-owned or operated correctional facilities to make medical co-payments of seven dollars upon receipt of medical treatment; provides that an inmate shall not be refused treatment for lack of ability to pay co-payment charges; directs all moneys collected to be made available for the operation of such correctional facility.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
2939
2023-2024 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
January 25, 2023
___________
Introduced by Sen. HELMING -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
printed to be committed to the Committee on Crime Victims, Crime and
Correction
AN ACT to amend the correction law, in relation to requiring inmates to
make medical co-payments
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. The correction law is amended by adding a new section 608
2 to read as follows:
3 § 608. Medical treatment co-payment. 1. An inmate of an institution of
4 the department or any county-owned or operated local correctional facil-
5 ity shall make a medical co-payment in the amount of seven dollars upon
6 receipt of medical treatment.
7 2. Each inmate shall be required to sign a log documenting the sched-
8 uled time of visit, inmate name and ID number and description of
9 complaint.
10 3. Each medical co-payment shall be posted to the inmates' accounts
11 either as medical or dental charges to facilitate response to inmate
12 queries.
13 4. Each inmate shall be sent an account statement at the end of each
14 month showing all credits and debits against the account and accompany-
15 ing explanations.
16 5. Should an inmate not have sufficient funds in his or her account to
17 cover the charges, then his or her account shall be frozen pending
18 receipt of funds sufficient to satisfy his or her obligation.
19 6. An inmate shall not be refused treatment for lack of ability to pay
20 co-payment charges. The charge is assessed after completion of the visit
21 when the visit log is processed.
22 7. Inmates are not assessed co-payment charges for psychiatric visits.
23 8. Federal inmates will be billed directly to the jurisdiction which
24 was agreed to by the federal agency. Subsequently federal boarders will
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD04975-01-3
S. 2939 2
1 not be assessed co-payment if that jurisdiction is paying the department
2 a specific per diem to house each inmate.
3 9. All moneys collected pursuant to this section will be made avail-
4 able for the operation of the correctional facility.
5 10. The commissioner shall promulgate rules and regulations necessary
6 for the implementation of the provisions of this section.
7 § 2. This act shall take effect on the one hundred twentieth day after
8 it shall have become a law. Effective immediately, the addition, amend-
9 ment and/or repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the implemen-
10 tation of this act on its effective date are authorized to be made and
11 completed on or before such effective date.
