A guard stands behind bars at the Adjustment Center during a media tour of California's Death Row at San Quentin State Prison in San Quentin, California December 29, 2015. America's most populous state, which has not carried out an execution in a decade, begins 2016 at a pivotal juncture, as legal developments hasten the march toward resuming executions, while opponents seek to end the death penalty at the ballot box. Photo by Stephen Lam/Reuters
Federal prison system spends too much on medical care, report says
WASHINGTON — The Justice Department's watchdog says the federal prison system is spending too much on medical care by overly relying on outside doctors and hospitals.
An inspector general report says the Bureau of Prisons spent at least $100 million more than the Medicare rate on outside medical care in the 2014 budget year. All of the facilities that were reviewed for the report paid a premium above Medicare rates.
The report says that unlike other federal agencies, the Bureau of Prisons negotiates its own rates for medical services with providers.
The inspector general recommends that the prison system explore ways for cutting its medical spending.
By — Associated Press
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