By Ivana Hrynkiw
al.com
MONTGOMERY, Ala. — The company that provides health care for Alabama prisoners has lost a billion-dollar contract with the state, just days after failing to pay their employees on time.
YesCare, which spun off from the troubled company Corizon, had provided health, mental, and dental care for Alabama prisoners since 2023.
The $1.06 billion contract was set to cover four and a half years, extending through September 2027.
When approving that contract in 2023, some Alabama lawmakers questioned why the state should continue working with a company being sued over inadequate medical care.
But on Friday, YesCare employees at the prisons said they were informed that a new company, NaphCare, was taking over. NaphCare, which is based in Birmingham, posted on its website and Instagram about the shakeup.
And on Wednesday morning, officials confirmed that a new, emergency contract was signed with NaphCare. The new contract follows similar terms as the one with YesCare and goes into effect on May 4.
“We are excited to bring our mission to the State of Alabama,” read a post on the company website.
“For over 35 years, NaphCare has been committed to making a positive impact in the communities we serve, motivated by our mission – to improve and save lives in corrections through innovation and excellence.”
The company posted that it was “committed to ensuring this transition is not disruptive” and touted benefits like a retention bonus and immediate health insurance coverage for employees.
Employees who work in the prison and are paid by YesCare were set to receive their regular biweekly checks on Friday, April 10 .
But they weren’t paid on time, and several medical workers didn’t show up to work in the prisons throughout the weekend or on the following Monday.
Three licensed practical nurses who work in two different prisons across the state confirmed their paychecks were late last week. The nurses spoke to AL.com on the condition that their names not be published for fear of retribution.
Two of those three nurses chose to go into work anyway, saying they had a responsibility for patient care and that they worried inmates would have a lack of services without them. One said she would not return to work until being paid.
But paychecks hit late last Monday night, and the nurse returned to work as scheduled.
All three said that at the start of 2026, paychecks started arriving late. What previously came at midnight on Thursday soon came Friday morning, and then Friday afternoon.
A prison spokesperson confirmed the recent pay delay. “The ADOC continues to work with YesCare to ensure health care services are uninterrupted for the inmate population,” the spokesperson said in an email to AL.com.
“The ADOC is also in discussions with YesCare to prevent any future payroll delays.”
Although YesCare paid their Alabama workers, prison officials apparently had enough.
On Friday, those employees were told the prison entered into a new agreement with NaphCare, ending their work with YesCare. And over the weekend, NaphCare posted the announcements online.
The nurses told AL.com that they expected to continue to be employed in their same roles.
YesCare, a Tennessee -based company, had been under fire for years, as it had previously provided health care in the state’s prisons under the name Corizon.
The company has been sued both in Alabama and nationwide for deaths and worsening illnesses. And part of the former Corizon company filed for bankruptcy.
In 2023, some Alabama lawmakers questioned why the company, now operating under a new name, once again was contracted by the state to provide care, and put a temporary hold on the deal.
The prison system selected YesCare over four other companies that put up bids for the job.
NaphCare was not one of the four other companies that responded to the request for proposals from the Alabama prison system when they were seeking bids in 2022.
The other companies that sent proposals were Centurion, Vital Core, Wellpath, and Wexford, the then-provider.
According to its website, NaphCare i was founded in 1989 by the former chief pharmacist at Cooper Green Mercy Hospital. Now, the company works across the country and remains a family-owned business.
The company said a team will travel to each prison to speak to employees.
On Instagram, the company said it was “proud” to partner with the prison system.
“As an Alabama -based company, we look forward to bringing our mission — to improve and save lives in corrections — to our neighbors and communities across the state.”
©2026 Advance Local Media LLC. Visit al.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
