The rising health-care costs for Jackson County Jail inmates is blamed on the valley’s most widely used illegal drug.

Local taxpayers this year will pay more than $1 million — the highest cost to date — for inmate health care, said Hank Collins, director of Jackson County Health and Human Services. While officials can’t trace every bill back to methamphetamine use, higher medical costs come along with the continued rise in meth’s popularity, Collins said.

"Because the number of people that are in jail and using methamphetamine has increased, the cost for health care in the jail has increased, Collins said.

The county has so far paid $797,104 in jail medical expenses through May of this fiscal year. But one inmate’s extended hospital stay and several other major expenses will throw the county several thousand dollars over its projected budget of $868,150.

The county has yet to pay Rogue Valley Medical Center about $125,000 for a meth-addled inmate’s three-week hospitalization, Collins said. The man, whose name was not released for reasons of medical privacy, arrived at the jail in February high on meth, officials said.

Advertisement

Battling deputies attempting to restrain him, the inmate was so physically active for such a prolonged period that he damaged muscles, releasing proteins into his bloodstream, said Dr. Jim Shames, jail physician. The errant proteins clogged the man’s kidneys, which started to fail, Shames said. When the inmate started slapping himself and stripping off his clothes for no apparent reason, deputies took him to RVMC, said Lt. Dan Penland, of the Jackson County Sheriff’s Department.

The inmate spent five days in coronary care, and the county was billed for numerous procedures, which included CAT scans and MRIs, Collins said. The man also had a systemic staph infection, Shames said.

"... He had some real serious health problems," Collins said.

Meth-addicted inmates also typically complain of chest pains, which earns them an emergency room trip, Collins said. Other inmates coming off meth may receive psychotropic medications, which cost up to $400 a month Shames said. Inmates pay $5 for each prescription or if they request a clinic visit.

Treating the effects of "meth mouth," or massive tooth decay in meth users, will cost the county about $20,000 this year. Most inmates’ dental care simply involves pulling teeth and clearing up infections, Collins said.

To provide better, more cost-effective care, the county health department started paying jail medical services in 2002 instead of the sheriff’s department, Collins said. Costs increased by less than 1 percent between fiscal years 2002-03 and 2003-04. This year’s budget saw a 7 percent increase.

Higher costs come in part by contracting with a physician instead of a nurse practitioner for inmate care and providing more nursing staff, Collins said.

Reach reporter Sarah Lemon at 776-4487, or e-mail slemon@mailtribune.com.

What is meth?

Derived from ephedrine and pseudoephedrine found in cold capsules, meth combines household chemicals such as red phosphorous, hydrochloric acid, drain cleaner, battery acid, lye, lantern fuel, and antifreeze. Toxic by-products result from the manufacturing process, and chemical burns are not uncommon among meth "cooks."

Meth interacts with the brain’s pleasure center where the neurotransmitter dopamine is produced. Taking the drug releases a massive amount of the hormone, inducing euphoria. Meth users continue taking the drug until the brain’s supply of dopamine is exhausted, resulting in a crash, during which the user sleeps but can also become irritable and violent.

Meth can be injected, smoked or snorted. It has gained appeal because it is inexpensive and the high lasts longer than other drugs.