The costs of inmate health care are enormous. The state estimates that it costs over $500 a day to keep a prisoner in the hospital and the prison hospital at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston recently announced they will run out of money in a matter of months. County jails face these same skyrocketing health care costs.
Health Care
Pain Has a Price: The Hidden Costs of Insurer-Controlled Care
“You can’t come in for your steroid injections without scheduling an extra appointment because your insurance isn’t paying us enough.” That’s what I was told at my most recent visit to an orthopedic surgeon I’ve seen for years. I expected relief from my pain, not a surprise medical bill—or as I learned later, “cost-shifting.” My...
July 21, 2025