Kentucky Corrections cuts ties with embattled prison healthcare provider

LEXINGTON, Ky. — Kentucky’s Department of Corrections will not extend its long-running contract with its embattled prison healthcare provider in the new year, according to officials with the health care company. Wellpath, the state’s current prison healthcare provider, said in a statement it would no longer be serving Kentucky’s prison population after January 2027. The company has provided healthcare for Kentucky prisons for more than a decade, but has faced financial troubles in recent years and has had to settle lawsuits over inmate deaths. kAm“~FC 4@?EC24E :D AC@;64E65 E@ 6IA:C6 36EH66? y2?F2CJ `a 2?5 E96 ae @7 a_af[ 2?5 (6==A2E9 H:== ?@ =@?86C AC@G:56 962=E942C6 D6CG:46D E@ E96 s6A2CE>6?E 27E6C E92E 52E6[” D2:5 $<:A %9FC>2?[ 2 DA@<6DA6CD@? 7@C (6==A2E9] “%9:D <:?5 @7 492?86 :D 4@>>@? :? @FC :?5FDECJ] (96? 2 4@?EC24E 4@>6D E@ 2? 6?5[ E96 r@>>@?H62=E9 :DDF6D 2 #6BF6DE 7@C !C@A@D2=D[ 2?5 E9:D E:>6 2C@F?5 E96 ?6H 4@?EC24E H6?E E@ 2?@E96C AC@G:56C]”k^Am kAmz6?EF46C=J ?2>65 r@CC64E r2C6 $@=FE:@?D[ D:?46 a_`c] s6DA:E6 E96 4@>A2?J’D 7@C>6C 7:?2?4:2= EC@F3=6 E96 DE2E6 C6\FAA65 :ED 4@?EC24E 2?5 :D A2J:?8 (6==A2E9 Se_ >:==:@? E9:D J62C E@ AC@G:56 962=E942C6 E@ z6?EF42E6D 2?5 :?DFC6 AC:D@?D 282:?DE 962=E942C6\C6=2E65 =2HDF:ED]k^Am kAm%96 s6A2CE>6?E @7 r@CC64E:@?D H2D ?@E :>>65:2E6=J 2G2:=23=6 E@ 4@>>6?E] xE :D F?4=62C H9@ E96 DE2E6’D ?6H 962=E942C6 AC@G:56C H:== 36]k^Am kAm%9FC>2? D2:5 7656C2= =2H C6BF:C6D (6==A2E9 E@ :DDF6 2 (@C<6C p5;FDE>6?E 2?5 #6EC2:?:?8 }@E:7:42E:@? W(p#}X ?@E:46[ H9:49 :D 2? 25G2?46 H2C?:?8 E92E 2 &]$] 6>A=@J6C >FDE 8:G6 367@C6 2 A=2?E 4=@D:?8 @C 2 >2DD =2J@77]k^Am kAmu@C E96 6>A=@J66D 27764E65[ 6>A=@J>6?E H:E9 (6==A2E9 6?5D H96? E96 4@?EC24E 6IA:C6D[ %9FC>2? D2:5] xE 5@6D ?@E >62? E96 962=E942C6 A@D:E:@?D H:== 8@ 2H2J]k^Am kAm“%96 :?4@>:?8 AC@G:56C H:== 4@?E:?F6 AC@G:5:?8 962=E942C6 D6CG:46D[ 2?5 H6 2?E:4:A2E6 E92E >2?J 6>A=@J66D H:== 92G6 @AA@CEF?:E:6D E@ 4@?E:?F6 :? E96:C 4FCC6?E C@=6D H:E9 E96 ?6H AC@G:56C[” %9FC>2? D2:5]k^Am kAm“~FC AC:>2CJ 7@4FD 2D H6 2AAC@249 E96 EC2?D:E:@? :D @FC E62>[” %9FC>2? D2:5] “(6’C6 2=C625J H@C<:?8 H:E9 E96 :?4@>:?8 AC@G:56C E@ DFAA@CE 2 D>@@E9 EC2?D:E:@? H:E9 2D =:EE=6 5:DCFAE:@? 2D A@DD:3=6[ 2?5 H6 2?E:4:A2E6 E92E >2?J @7 @FC 6>A=@J66D H:== 92G6 E96 @AA@CEF?:EJ E@ 4@?E:?F6 :? E96:C 4FCC6?E C@=6D H:E9 E96 ?6H AC@G:56C]”k^Am k9bm(6==A2E9’D EC@F3=65 A2DEk^9bm kAmq2D65 :? }2D9G:==6[ %6??6DD66[ (6==A2E9 :D 2 962=E942C6 4@>A2?J E92E AC@G:56D >65:42= 2?5 >6?E2= 962=E9 D6CG:46D E@ A6@A=6 :? 4@CC64E:@?2= 724:=:E:6D 2?5 EC62E>6?E 46?E6CD]k^Am kAm(6==A2E9 H2D @?46 @?6 @7 E96 ?2E:@?’D =2C86DE 7@C\AC@7:E 962=E942C6 AC@G:56CD 7@C AC:D@?6CD] qFE (6==A2E9 :D E96 D64@?5 4@CC64E:@?D 962=E942C6 DJDE6> E@ 7:=6 7@C 32? r2C6 $6CG:46D :? a_ab[ C6A@CED D9@H]k^Am kAm(96? (6==A2E9 D:8?65 2 4@?EC24E E@ AC@G:56 962=E942C6 7@C AC:D@? :?>2E6D :? z6?EF4D @7 ?68=:86?46 2?5 HC@?87F= 562E9]k^Am kAm$F49 =2HDF:ED 92G6 2C:D6? :? z6?EF4@?5 5:65 H9:=6 :? E96:C 42C6 2E t2DE6C? z6?EF4A=6I]k^Am kAm#2J>@?5 5:65 |2J h[ a_a`[ @7 6?5@42C5:E:D[ 2? :?764E:@? @7 E96 962CE’D G2=G6D[ 27E6C 9:D 4@?5:E:@? H@CD6?65 @G6C 2 A6C:@5 @7 `` 52JD :? 4FDE@5J[ 244@C5:?8 E@ 9:D D:DE6C’D =2HDF:E]k^Am kAm%96 42D6 H2D :?:E:2==J D=2E65 E@ 36 D6EE=65 :? a_ac[ 244@C5:?8 E@ 4@FCE 5@4F>6?ED[ 3FE (6==A2E9 564=2C65 r92AE6C `` 32?6?E 27E6C (6==A2E9 6>6C865 =2DE J62C :? 8@@5 7:?2?4:2= DE2?5:?8]k^Am kAm~? ~4E] `_[ a_ad[ y@?6D 7:=65 2 D64@?5 =2HDF:E — E9:D E:>6 282:?DE E96 DE2E6 ;FDE:46 r23:?6E 2?5 :ED @77:4:2=D 7@C 72:=:?8 E@ 6?DFC6 (6==A2E9 4@F=5 A2J @FE HC@?87F= 562E9 2?5 ?68=:86?46 =2HDF:ED 282:?DE z6?EF4 (6==A2E9 E92E :E 4@F=5 4@G6C DF49 D6EE=6>6?ED[ y2>6D $6:EK[ E96 4@>A2?J’D 5:C64E@C @7 :?DFC2?46[ HC@E6 :? 32?6C6=J 2 “7C@?E:?8 A@=:4J” 2?5 5:5 ?@E 2AA62C E@ AC@G:56 24EF2= 4@G6C286 282:?DE =2HDF:ED]k^Am kAmuC@?E:?8 A@=:4:6D — H9:49 5@?’E C6BF:C6 AC@@7 E92E 2 4@>A2?J 42? A2J @FE D6EE=6>6?ED 3FE :?DE625 2DDFC6 E96 A@=:4J9@=56C E96 4@>A2?J H:== 36 23=6 E@ A2J @FE :7 :E 4@>6D E@ E92E — >66E C6BF:C6>6?ED D6E 3J DE2E6 =2H>2<6CD E92E AC:D@?D 92G6 4@G6C286 7C@> 2 =:46?D65 :?DFC6C[ $6:EK HC@E6]k^Am kAm(6==A2E9’D :?DFC2?46 A@=:4:6D 92G6 366? =:E:82E65 :? @E96C DE2E6D[ E@@]k^Am kAmx? v6@C8:2[ 7@C 6I2>A=6[ =2HJ6CD 4=2:>65 (6==A2E9 =:65 E@ 4@F?EJ @77:4:2=D 23@FE E96 EJA6 @7 4@G6C286 E96J @776C65] pD :? z6?EF465:42= 4@G6C286 7@C :?>2E6D[ E96 4@>A2?J H2D @? E96 9@@< :7 2 AC:D@? 925 E@ A2J @FE 2 =2HDF:E C6=2E65 E@ >65:42= ?68=:86?46]k^Am kAmp?5 E96 4@>A2?J H2D C6BF:C65 E@ 92G6 :?DFC2?46 @7 :ED @H? E@ A2J @FE E9@D6 =2HDF:ED[ :? 42D6 :E 7:=65 7@C 32?D :? 2 =2HDF:E 7:=65 u63] `g E92E (6==A2E9 5:5?’E 24EF2==J 92G6 DF49 :?DFC2?46] (96? r@33 r@F?EJ 4@CC64E:@?D @77:4:2=D H6C6 DF65 7@C >65:42= ?68=:86?46[ (6==A2E9 72:=65 E@ A2J FA[ E96 DF:E D2JD]k^Am