Published: December 19, 2007 10:57 am      

Court rules counties must pay

EDMOND — The Oklahoma Supreme Court’s ruling that counties must pay for jail inmates’ health-care costs may plague Oklahoma taxpayers.

Justices voted 8-0 on Tuesday in favor of HCA Health Services of Oklahoma, the owner of OU Medical Center and Edmond Medical Center.

OU Medical Center sued Oklahoma County Sheriff John Whetsel and Oklahoma County commissioners for $2.2 million in medical bills incurred by jailed inmates from February 2003 through September 2006.

Oklahoma County District 3 Commissioner Ray Vaughn said this morning that the state Supreme Court’s ruling will have a negative impact on every county in Oklahoma.

“Just one inmate could destroy a county’s budget,” Vaughn said.

Vaughn said 90 percent of people arrested in Oklahoma County have a medical or substance abuse problem affecting them. “Most do not seek medical care so this will place the burden squarely on the back of Oklahoma taxpayers,” Vaughn said.

He said Oklahoma County taxpayers will need to provide nearly $3 million that is not currently figured in the budget. “We’re going to have to go to the Legislature and ask for relief,” Vaughn said. “This places a great burden on taxpayers and encourages people with medical conditions to break the law.”

More than 44,000 prisoners are ill each year in Oklahoma County.

Vaughn is concerned that some people will be tempted to break the law so they can receive free health-care benefits while incarcerated.

Oklahoma County Assessor Leonard Sullivan agrees. “Some bum downtown needing a heart transplant can be arrested and go file a claim,” he said.

Sullivan suggested the ruling may need to be appealed to a higher court, he said. “On the same token, can’t have people die for lack of medical care,” he said.

Oklahoma County Treasurer Butch Freeman said it’s unfair for Oklahoma taxpayers to be burdened paying the cost of inmates’ pre-existing conditions.

“When you go to work for Oklahoma County you are covered by our medical program,” he said. “However, you are not covered for pre-existing conditions and I don’t know any business that’s not like that. ... I’m not covered for pre-existing so why should a prisoner be covered for pre-existing?”

In addition, many of the Oklahoma County jailed inmates already are state prisoners when they are incarcerated in the county, he said.

“You and I still get the pleasure of paying for their pre-existing medical,” Freeman said.



jcoburn@edmondsun.com | 341-2121, ext. 114