Senators raise alarm about nation’s largest prison health care provider

Originally Published: 19 DEC 23 12:50 ET By Blake Ellis and Melanie Hicken, CNN

(CNN) — The nation’s largest prison health care provider has come under fire from a group of Democratic senators who say they are alarmed the government contractor’s chronic understaffing and cost-cutting measures may have put inmates’ lives in danger.

In a letter sent Monday, the group of lawmakers, spearheaded by Sen. Elizabeth Warren, wrote that their “deep concern” stems from growing reports the company – Wellpath – has provided delayed and negligent care, at times inappropriately using restraints on inmates and denying them life-saving treatments.

A spokesperson for Warren said this letter marks the beginning of an investigation launched by her and the other senators.

A CNN investigation in 2019 exposed how amid a focus on cost containment, the company provided substandard care that led to deaths and other serious outcomes that could have been avoided. CNN highlighted deaths and near-death experiences of a number of inmates from around the country, showing how doctors and nurses failed to diagnose and monitor life-threatening illnesses, denied urgent emergency room transfers and allowed common infections and conditions to become fatal.

Wellpath, formerly known as Correct Care Solutions, is hired by jails, prisons, immigrant and juvenile detention centers, and psychiatric facilities across the country. It contracts with small towns, large cities, state agencies and even the federal government — responsible for the health and safety of hundreds of thousands of people in custody every day.

CNN obtained thousands of pages of records documenting the company’s treatment of inmates. Officials in one county terminated its contract after less than two years, calling the company’s performance “morally reprehensible.” Another county complained that the company’s failures had turned its jail into a sinking submarine.

“While Wellpath asserts that its cost-cutting measures do not compromise the quality of services, extensive evidence suggests otherwise,” senators wrote in the letter to Wellpath and its private equity owner H.I.G. Capital, referencing CNN’s investigation.

Wellpath did not directly address the senators concerns, saying in a statement that the company “is proud of the work it does … to provide high-quality care to hundreds of thousands of patients every year.” H.I.G., which didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment, previously told CNN the firm is committed to “socially responsible investing” and “believes strongly that its investment in Wellpath is consistent with these high standards.”

Senators specifically cited CNN’s reporting that workers from multiple facilities shredded medical requests or hid them in boxes because of a lack of staff and resources.

The letter noted that lawmakers have become increasingly worried about Wellpath’s practices as scrutiny from government agencies and the media has intensified in recent years, and repeated pleas from inmates themselves have revealed a need for change.

The senators asked for detailed information about the company’s many contracts, deaths in custody and complaints about care, as well as policies and procedures covering everything from treating drug and alcohol withdrawal, responding to suicide attempts and caring for pregnant inmates.

What should we investigate next? Email us at watchdog@cnn.com.

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