Iowa Department of Corrections Considers Privatizing Prison Health Care

The Iowa Department of Corrections (DOC) is exploring the privatization of health care services in state prisons by issuing a request for proposal (RFP) to potentially contract with a private company. This move aims to address staffing shortages, rising costs, and to improve long-term financial sustainability while upgrading the electronic health record system. If implemented, nurses, psychiatrists, and other health care workers currently employed by the DOC would become employees of the private contractor, raising concerns from union leaders about job security, reduced wages, and the quality of care. DOC officials emphasize that no final decisions have been made and no immediate changes are planned, describing the RFP as an exploratory step to ensure high-quality care and expanded health services, including mental health and substance abuse treatment. Critics, including state Democratic lawmakers and the union representing correctional health workers, argue that privatization would be a costly mistake that undermines existing frontline workers and reflects poor budgeting decisions by Republican leadership. The debate highlights tensions between fiscal pressures and the commitment to maintaining quality health care for incarcerated individuals in Iowa.