Quote of the day:
Everyone is as God has made him, and oftentimes a great deal worse. - Miguel de Cervantes
Today on California Healthline, the following information:
Prison Health Receiver Moves Ahead on Plans for Three New Facilities
On Thursday, the court-appointed receiver for California's prison health care system signed construction design documents to commit the state to spending $2.5 billion on three new health care facilities for inmates with chronic medical and mental health conditions, the Ventura County Star reports.
J. Clark Kelso was appointed by Federal District Court Judge Thelton Henderson to bring the state's prison health care system up to constitutional standards after a class action lawsuit found that state officials failed to improve conditions at the facilities.
Kelso said he filed notices under the California Environmental Quality Act to evaluate the construction projects at two planned facilities in San Diego and Stockton. He said he has not yet filed notices for a third site, potentially in Camarillo.
Each of the three health care facilities will contain 1,500 inmates.
Now I am not against adequate health care for incarcerated patients, and adequate facilities for prisoners. I imagine these prisoners might qualify as part of the 'underinsured' It is interesting that the state may be willing to spend 2.5 billion dollars in capital alone to build the new hospitals. Factor in cost overuns and the eventual operating expenses, new salaries and it will probably run into more billions of dollars for tax payors.
This comes at a time when our Governor terminator is attempting to cut billions of dollars of insurance coverage for poor or uninsured citizens of the state. We live in a egalitarian society...where health care for prisoners overides healthcare for children, and people who cannot afford health insurance for one reason or another. I think I will go out and rob a bank.......three squares a day, health insurance and a nice bed....I may even get some tatoos. And besides I can dance!