Vermont Faces Criticism Over Prison Health Care Provider’s Bankruptcy
In a recent commentary published by VTDigger, Emma Curchin, a domestic outreach and research assistant at the Center for Economic and Policy Research, raised concerns regarding Vermont’s decision to contract its prison health care services to Wellpath, a for-profit provider owned by private equity firm H.I.G Capital. The commentary highlights the ethical implications of utilizing a company that prioritizes profit over the well-being of incarcerated individuals and touches on the recent bankruptcy filing by Wellpath, which cast doubt on the sustainability of health care services for inmates.
Curchin argues that private equity firms like H.I.G Capital often engage in detrimental practices, such as acquiring companies, loading them with debt, and subsequently stripping away essential services. This model, she asserts, leaves the companies financially hollowed out and results in poor service outcomes. With Wellpath’s financial instability and a history of providing substandard care—previously reported by CNN as leading to avoidable deaths—Vermont’s incarcerated population may face significant risks if alternative health care options are not promptly secured.
The commentary emphasizes that every Vermonter, including those in prison, deserves access to high-quality health care. Curchin’s appeal to reconsider the role of private equity in health care is a call to action for lawmakers to establish a system that prioritizes the health and safety of the incarcerated.
As Vermont grapples with these serious issues, stakeholders advocate for a return to more humane and accountable models of care, urging the state to immediately address the implications of Wellpath’s bankruptcy on the health services provided within correctional facilities.
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Photo credit vtdigger.org
