With 3 Strikes, 55 Indigents Out Of Health Program

By ANTHONY McCARTNEY The Tampa Tribune

Published: May 11, 2007

TAMPA - Fifty-five people have been booted from the county's indigent health care program because they've been convicted of committing three or more felonies in the past two years.

The number surprised County Commission Chairman Jim Norman, who proposed the "three-strikes" policy in 2005 for recipients of the health program.

"I was blown away," Norman said. He said he expected 10 people at most.

Removing the 55 people over the past year has saved the county an estimated $140,000.

The indigent health care program serves about 23,000 people a year, 15,000 of whom are enrolled at any given time, Health and Social Services Director David Rogoff said. The program is paid for by a half-cent sales tax and costs about $85 million a year, he said.

Started in 1991, the program provides preventative and specialized medical care and inpatient and outpatient hospital services to low-income residents with no other form of health insurance.

Norman said it was galling that so many people would seek public help while at the same time committing crimes. He said he had hoped the policy would deter recipients from committing crime.

"We just don't want them here," Norman said. "Maybe they'll go somewhere else to get their health care."

They probably are. When the policy was enacted, critics said the felons would end up getting costlier emergency care.

But Norman said the policy reflects an important principle - that people getting free treatment shouldn't be committing crimes against taxpayers who pay for their health care.

Reporter Anthony McCartney can be reached at (813) 259-7616 or amccartney@ tampatrib.com.