HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 2345        FILED ON: 1/14/2009

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 1487

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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In the Year Two Thousand Nine

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An Act relative to health services in Massachusetts correctional institutions, houses of correction and jails..

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:
 

SECTION 1.  Chapter 127 of the General Laws is hereby amended by inserting after section 17 the following sections: 

Section 17A Notwithstanding any general or special law to contrary, in order to provide for improved medical treatment for those incarcerated in Massachusetts’ prisons and jails by creating guidelines for health services, accessing cost containment measures, integrating healthcare during incarceration into the existing continuum of care in our state, health services shall provide inmates with drug treatment and rehabilitation and any other medical treatments to successfully complete said drug treatment and rehabilitation.  Further, the commissioner of correction and the directors of the county facilities shall review the training of prison personnel and, where necessary, shall improve said training to include training on the ability to recognize an inmate’s potential need for medical care and facilitate such services. 

Section 17B.  All health services for inmates shall include high quality health care while leveraging cost containment measures to the extent that the Commonwealth authorizes them as part of any other state healthcare program including but not limited to bulk purchasing of prescription medication, uniform billing, contracting with non-profit providers, prevention services and leveraging of better service prices through joint negotiation and pooling of consumers.