Illinois has awarded a more than $4 billion prison medical care contract to the same company it’s used for three decades, despite multimillion-dollar lawsuits against the firm and statewide complaints alleging substandard care.
Pittsburgh-based Wexford Health Sources was one of two companies responding to a request for proposals from the Illinois Department of Corrections, but it was not the low bidder. Wexford’s offer came in $673 million higher than one from VitalCore Health Strategies of Topeka, Kansas, according to a procurement announcement reviewed Friday by The Associated Press.
The initial term of Wexford’s contract is five years for $1.956 billion, with a five-year renewal worth $2.201 billion.
State officials’ decisions on contract awards are not based on cost alone. But Wexford has also been roundly criticized for its performance, facing numerous multimillion-dollar lawsuits that accuse the company of delayed or shoddy health care and backlash for relying on off-site doctors to determine whether and what treatment is necessary. Positions for medical professionals continue to suffer high vacancy rates.
It’s kind of a viscous cycle. Politicians have convinced themselves, and lots of voters, that private industry is cheaper than “government run.” They forget that the only time that might be true when there’s sufficient competition in the market to drive costs down - which there usually isn’t. They also forget that private companies’ motive is profit, not rehabilitation. In fact, rehabilitation is the last thing they want. You’ll find that private correctional companies often lobby pretty hard for stricter laws, and tougher sentencing guidelines. Now, why do you think these companies would want MORE people in prisons!?
That private prisons have contracts stipulating a minimum number of prisoners with long-term guarantees is dystopian on its own. Every bit past that is a shit cherry on top. The incestuous relationship between government and private industry exists because regulatory capture is ridiculously difficult to frugally undo once contracts are in place. How no one has tracked down the ceos of Corrections Corp of America et al., I honestly don’t know. There’s a very small, specific, actionable set of people making the world worse.
Even non-private prisons suck.
Here in WI, the state owns the prisons, but contracts out a lot of stuff such as commissary, phones, and healthcare. The issue with these contracts is that they create a monopoly inside. Want a ramen? It’s going to cost. Want to call relatives? It’s going to cost. Want healthcare? Well, that one they’re not supposed to deny you, but they charge a $15 copay, which is an arm and a leg when you make .15 an hour. And if the healthcare sucks, you’re shit out of luck.
That’s just privatisation with extra steps.
I guess they didn’t watch John Oliver episode about it.
Yay! Capitalism!
