Sick Ohio Inmates May be Moved to Nursing Homes

July 9, 2009

An Ohio State Senate bill offers a proposal to send the sickest and most disabled prison inmates from their jail cells to rooms in nursing homes to save the state some money. This plan, as one might imagine, has drawn a massive community outrage from citizens who do not want their parents and grandparents to have to share living facilities with criminals.

However, a state lawmaker, who is helping to push the plan said that separate facilities will be used for the prisoners. They will have nursing homes specifically for their use. However, many still wonder if Medicaid money will be used to pay for the care of these inmates.

Many believe that such allocation is unfair to the law-abiding, tax-paying citizens who rely on Medicare or Medicaid to help pay for their medical expenses. Only those who were expected to live six months or less could be sent to the designated nursing home, and the state promised that no inmates would be “snuck into” regular nursing homes.