Jailhouse Doc

Unicoi County is contracting with a company to review medical claims and provide catastrophic health coverage for jail inmates for whom it is financially responsible.

Prisoner insurance.

Sounds like a captive market.

County Mayor Greg Lynch said Wednesday that Sheriff Kent Harris has worked with Unicoi County Memorial Hospital on its prices so his department can handle the costs. But he said the sheriff’s department does not get rates as good at other hospitals.

Perhaps the other hospitals would be interested in cheap contract labor in exchange for discounts.

“People today are thinking up ways to commit a crime to get into jail to get free health insurance. Inmates in your jail are thinking up ways to get out of jail by committing injuries to themselves. And the bottom line is that it’s costing the county money.”

This one got me.

Get sick or injured. No insurance. Commit a crime. Free health insurance.

Never saw that one coming.