BlogWood: MT Archives

Norman tries to look tough

Hillsborough County Commissioner Jim Norman has come up with a brilliantly shortsighted plan to deny healthcare to felons who have paid their debt to society.

Leaving aside the fact that healthcare is increasingly turning into a privilege that only the wealthy and those who are lucky enough to work for a company that provides decent benefits can enjoy, Norman’s idea will end up saving nothing, since the folks who are denied care through Hillsborough’s indigent health plan will not stop getting sick. The costs are not going to go away, and the taxpayers will end up paying.

As officials look to trim costs for the county's indigent health care program, a Hillsborough County commissioner wants to kick people off the plan if they are convicted of three or more felonies.

``They're continuing to break the law, and they're on our plan,'' Commission Chairman Jim Norman said. ``You're knocking granny in the head. She's paying your health care.''

If his idea is adopted, everyone on the plan would start with a clean slate, meaning prior convictions would not count toward the three strikes. But once someone racked up three felonies, the county would consider the person ineligible.

Norman also would consider counting first-degree misdemeanors as strikes.

Norman has not made a formal proposal but is working with auditor Kathleen Mathews to determine how much the change could save and how it could be implemented. Early estimates show about 9 percent of people on the plan have a combination of three or more felonies and first-degree misdemeanors.

The plan served more than 27,000 people in 2003.

Some county commissioners and county health care advisory board members don't think it's a good idea.

``Whether you're a convicted felon or a priest, you should get health care,'' said John Weiss, a health care advisory board member and occupational therapist. ``I would not discriminate against someone with a criminal record.''

The Hillsborough County HealthCare program, widely referred to as the indigent health care plan, began in 1992. It is paid for through a half-cent sales tax, and provides health care for low-income residents who do not have private insurance, Medicaid or Medicare.
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Critics fear Norman's idea could be more costly in the long run.

``Even if someone commits three crimes, someone is going to have to pay for [their health care],'' Commissioner Thomas Scott said. ``If they go to Tampa General, taxpayers are still going to pick it up. It might be a wash.''

Commissioner Kathy Castor said she was willing to consider Norman's idea. Still, she has reservations.

``I'd like to know the indirect costs,'' Castor said. ``If they're not being seen in our clinic system, are they coming to our emergency rooms and being treated there at a greater cost to taxpayers?''

Norman contends that giving people health care throughout the year costs more than a visit to an emergency room.

Sadly, No!
Jim, the truth is but a quick Google search away: it is always cheaper to send folks to the doctor regularly than to rely on emergency rooms as the primary source of care.

Castor also is concerned about the potential administrative cost associated with determining who is a repeat felon.

Figuring out who is a felon can be tricky, as the state found out during the 2004 election cycle. The state eventually determined its list of felons was flawed and tossed it.

``We have to err on never getting anybody off the plan,'' Norman said. ``We have to validate, validate, validate.''

Triple validation... I’m sure that wont cost much to administrate...