Associated Press
PROVIDENCE, R.I. — Rhode Island Department of Corrections officials say that new drugs are effective at treating hepatitis C. But their steep price has made it difficult to decide when to treat inmates and how to pay for their care.
The Providence Journal reports a new study conducted by Brown University found that treating all chronically ill inmates would double the state’s $19.3 million prison health budget.
Dr. Fred Vohr, medical director for the Department of Corrections and a member of the study’s research team, says the cost of the drugs is about $1,400 per day.
Inmates aren’t covered by private insurance or Medicaid after they enter the corrections system. Federal law requires prisons to provide care “consistent with community standards.”