Most Americans pay at least some out-of-pocket expense for health care services like emergency room visits, dental appointments and doctor calls. Even those with private health insurance usually face a co-pay amount that can sometimes reach $50 or $100 for an ER visit. Those who are uninsured can pay a significant sum for getting sick.

So why should people who are incarcerated and being housed, fed and cared for at the public’s expense be any different?

Trumbull County Sheriff Paul Monroe’s proposal to start charging inmates who can afford it $5 to $10 each time he or she uses the jail’s doctor, optometrist, dentist or nurse seems to make sense, but we wonder how successful the collection process will be.

Doctor visits for emergency or pre-natal care and medication, diagnosis or treatment of infectious disease or for mental health care and medication would not require a co-pay.

Monroe wasn’t prepared to make a prediction on the success of collections, but he tells us he expects to be able to access funds inmates maintain in their commissary accounts to spend on personal items that the jail does not provide free of charge. He noted that the fee can be waived for indigent inmates, including those with no commissary funds.

Monroe assures us inmates who are indigent will not be denied medical care, but if they have money in their commissary accounts, they will be required to pay. Some inmates, Monroe said, have money that is continuously brought in to their commissary accounts. That money can be used to purchase things like snacks, personal hygiene items and writing supplies. Now it also can be used to fund visits to the doctor’s office.

We suspect inmates will cry foul at that decision, but we know many law-abiding local residents often are forced with the choice of purchasing snacks or necessary medicine in their households.

Trumbull County pays $304,125 a year to provide medical services to inmates in the Trumbull County Jail, according to the county’s professional services contract with Phillip P. Malvasi, D.O.

Until now, that has been paid by no one but the taxpayers.

In addition to recouping some of what the jail pays for that medical services contract or for jail staffing that routes inmates around the multi-story facility from their housing pod to the jail infirmary, Monroe is hoping to deter frivolous medical complaints.

The resolution allowing these charges was passed by Trumbull County commissioners March 15. Along with it was a decision to also allow Monroe to begin charging a $40 fee “reception fee” for every inmate sentenced to serve time in the Trumbull County Jail. Inmates being held prior to sentencing or awaiting transfer to state or federal prison would not be assessed the fee, and again, the fee can be waived for indigent inmates.

The fee is allowed under Ohio law, and larger county jails in Ohio have been taking advantage of the option while Trumbull County has not.

If collected, these fees could equate to significant revenue, considering the county jail processed more than 6,000 prisoners last year. Monroe, again, was not prepared to predict figures, but told commissioners last month it could generate enough funds to cover inmate processing costs.

Despite discussions held years ago about the possibility of assessing housing fees for inmates, Monroe said there has never been a “reception fee” charged in Trumbull County.

We like the ideas and we will watch with great interest to see if they do, indeed, result in generation of funds and where this newfound revenue is being allocated.

editorial@tribtoday.com