Kentucky Corrections cuts ties with embattled prison healthcare provider
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. “Our contract is projected to expire between January 12 and the 26 of 2027, and Wellpath will no longer provide healthcare services to the Department after that date,” said Skip Thurman, a spokesperson for Wellpath. “This kind of change is common in our industry. When a contract comes to an end, the Commonwealth issues a Request for Proposals, and this time around the new contract went to another provider.” Kentucky has contracted with Wellpath , formerly named Correct Care Solutions, since 2014. Despite the company’s former financial trouble the state re-upped its contract and is paying Wellpath $60 million this year to provide healthcare to Kentucky inmates and insure prisons against healthcare-related lawsuits. The Department of Corrections told the
