Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour, as noted earlier today, suspended the sentences of Jamie and Gladys Scott. Barbour made this decision, presumably, for the sake of Jamie Scott's health. But Barbour may actually be putting Jamie Scott at greater risk by releasing her.
The governor did the right thing by freeing them, but he made Jamie's kidney transplant significantly more difficult for the Scott family. Had she received the transplant while in prison, Mississippi would have covered the full cost of the transplant. Now Scott faces the gauntlet of Social Security Disability, Medicare, and Medicaid applications to maybe get coverage.
The Times reports:
The Mississippi Corrections Department will not be responsible for the cost of Jamie Scott’s kidney transplant operation, though the sisters are probably eligible for Medicaid, officials said.
This is a dangerous assumption with such critical care required. Following is what the Scott's face trying to get coverage.
Update [2010-12-31 11:3:37 by D Wreck]: NAACP has responded to my inquiry and is seeking to verify for what insurance Jamie Scott is eligible
Because Scott has End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD), she is generally eligible for Medicare coverage. Her renal failure began in January 2010, when she was 37 years old. In order for her to qualify for Part A coverage, Jamie Scott most likely needs 20 work credits (which equates to 5 years of employment earnings). Considering she entered prison at age 22, there is a chance she does not have enough credits to qualify for Part A. And it is Part A that pays the full cost of care for the kidney donor - in this case her sister Gladys. Jamie could qualify if she has a spouse who has earned the required number of work credits, but the New York Times article implies that she is not married.
Even though Jamie may not qualify for Part A coverage, she does qualify for Part B coverage. This will cost her $110.50 per month - a cost I'm not certain she can afford considering she isn't employed and certainly qualifies as disabled. This would be where Medicaid steps in.
Mississippi requires Medicaid applicants under age 65 to meet SSI disability requirements. ESRD is generally a qualifying condition for disability. But first there is a recent work requirement to qualify. At Jamie's age, she would have needed to work 5 years out of the last 10. So there is a chance she won't qualify for SSI and, therefore, not qualify for Medicaid.
However, if Jamie can meet the recent work requirement, the initial application for Social Security Disability typically takes 30-90 days processing time before receiving a decision. Current approval rates for disability applications are about 40%. If you are lucky enough to be in the 40% (which Scott should be with documented ESRD), receipt of the disability award letter can take up to an additional 90 days after the decision. With the SSI disability award letter in hand, Jamie can then start the Mississippi Medicaid application process. The state is allowed 45-90 days to process the application.
So Jamie may not qualify for Medicare Part A, probably can't afford Medicare Part B without assistance from Medicaid, might not qualify for Social Security Disability, which would disqualify her from receiving coverage under Mississippi's Medicaid program. And if she somehow makes it through all of the paperwork favorably, it will take 9 months at a minimum to get her the full coverage she needs.
The AP reported that in light of Barbour's recent flap over the segregationist role of Citizens Councils, the Scott sisters' lawyer viewed this as a political ploy:
The Scott sisters' attorney, Chokwe Lumumba, said people have asked if Barbour, who is mentioned as a potential presidential contender in 2012, suspended their sentences for political reasons.
"My guess is he did," Lumumba said, but he still said the governor did the right thing.
That Barbour would potentially risk the life of a human being because the politics of it look like he's helping her just shows how contemptible a man he is.
Mr. Send-Back-The-Stimulus-Money has no qualms about shedding this cost and dumping it on the Federal coffers. Mr. No-Government-Takeover-of- Health-Care is all too quickly to pass responsibility to Medicare.
This wasn't about politics, it was about money. And he said it plain as day in his statement announcing the suspension of the Scott sisters' sentences.
The Mississippi Department of Corrections believes the sisters no longer pose a threat to society. Their incarceration is no longer necessary for public safety or rehabilitation, and Jamie Scott’s medical condition creates a substantial cost to the state of Mississippi.
- Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour
With the Scott sisters' punishment being so disproportionate to their crime, the least the state of Mississippi could do is release them AND pay for kidney transplant. Instead Barbour just might make Jamie Scott even worse off than being in prison.