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).
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.