LANSING, Mich. (Michigan News Source) — Michigan prisoners currently pay $5 for most non-emergency medical visits, a fee set to be debated in the Legislature as part of budget talks and new legislation that could scrap it altogether.

The co-pay applies when prisoners request their own medical, dental, or vision appointments, with exceptions for emergencies, routine screenings, and communicable disease testing, according to Michigan Legislature (.gov).

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In 2024, inmates paid just $202,580 in co-pays, Bridge Michigan reported—a drop in the bucket compared to the $374 million in taxpayer dollars the state’s 2024–25 budget allocates for inmate health care, roughly 17% of the Department of Corrections’ $2.1 billion budget.

Currently, Michigan is one of 16 states where the co-pay is higher than the average weekly prison wage, according to the Prison Policy Initiative.

The bill, sponsored by seven Democrats and one Republican, would end co-pays except in cases involving self-inflicted injuries. The Senate’s Democrat-controlled budget plan includes $500,000 to lower the fees, while Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s proposal leaves them in place.

The proposal has yet to receive a hearing, and a stalled budget process between the Senate and Republican-led House could complicate passage. Lawmakers missed the July 1 deadline and have until Oct. 1 to pass a budget and avoid a shutdown.