Fee-For-Service Programs: A Literature Review and Results of a National Survey

Abstract

The first national comprehensive study on the impact of co-payment for health services on the general population was conducted in 1984 by the Rand Corporation. I conducted a literature review of all studies written since then in an attempt to determine to what extent the research conducted in the "free world" applied to the correctional environment. Additional information regarding fee-for-service programs in jails was gathered from a national study conducted by the National Commission on Correctional Health Care. The survey was mailed out to facilities participating in the accreditation program with a response rate of 62 percent. Results indicated that fee-for-service programs are increasing in number and vary in design and implementation in jails, but were still limited in prisons at the time of the survey.