AUSTIN, Texas (AP) _ Private companies are lining up to grab a piece of the action of the nearly $1 billion health care system for Texas prison inmates.
The Austin American-Statesman reports leading lawmakers say the idea of privatizing the system has still not been fully studied. Rather, they say outside companies are pushing the idea even though the Legislature has yet to embrace it.
Last week, the chairman of the Texas House Corrections Committee rejected wording that would encourage farming inmate health care out to private vendors. The proposal rejected by state Rep. Jerry Madden, R-Richardson, would have given Gov. Rick Perry control of the prison system’s Correctional Managed Health Care Committee.
But privatization backers inserted the same wording into legislation not assigned to Madden’s committee. No action’s been taken on that bill.