Health Care Is a Right in America: If You Are In Prison

[Egalia]

The ultimate irony: the only place where health care is truly a right in America is in our prisons.

I'm certain this does not make the sick, disabled, elderly and poor people who are victims of Governor Bredesen's Health Care Axe feel any better.

For the many who are about to lose TennCare, surely this is the ultimate slap in the face.

But if all else fails, they might consider getting arrested, eh Governor?

Pictures here - Warning: Scary deathly-ill senior citizen criminals

{snippets}

The shrunken 82-year-old changes from her pajamas and pink house coat into jeans and a denim shirt labeled California Prisoner and begins her drill: breakfast at 6, sack lunch pickup at 6:30, infirmary at 7, where she acquires an ankle chain, belly chains and handcuffs.

She then hobbles to a van for the 40-minute ride to Riverside Hospital for dialysis beginning at 8. Helen Loheac suffers from chronic renal failure, a condition that she figures costs the state $436,000 a year, not counting the two $24.75-an-hour armed corrections officers who guard her, all 5 feet and 90 pounds, for up to eight hours a day three times a week.

The financial toll of incarcerating senior citizens nationwide is staggering. Eyeglasses, hearing aids, medications and therapies, often for chronic or terminal conditions, compound the $30,929 annual average tab for housing a young, robust prisoner.

Now 72, Parker is serving . . .

http://guerillawomentn.blogspot.com/2005/06/health-care-is-right-in-america-if-you.html

[Sgent]

1. Here

they are paroling elderly clients with high medical needs who cost the prison sentance a lot.