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The Jackson County, Mich., Board of
Commissioners soon will likely make a decision on whether the county should
start charging a fee at the health department’s STD walk-in clinic for both
non-residents and residents. The proposed fee would begin in late May or early
June. The health department is currently $100,000 over budget. Board members
will vote on the issue at 7:00 p.m. Tuesday, April 16, at the Jackson County
Tower Building on the fifth floor in commission chambers.
The county’s human services
committee is recommending a $10 charge for county residents and the actual cost
of services for non-residents for walk-in services. This is the second
recommendation, as the first vote was delayed one month. Jackson County is one
of the few counties in Michigan that does not charge at its health department
for STD testing, resulting in an increase in out-of-state and non-county
residents. Mary Ricciardello, county director for personal and preventative
health services, said Jackson County has not charged clinic users since the
Family Planning Clinic closed in 2003. She stated, “We are averaging
approximately 10 clients per month from surrounding counties and three per
month from out-of-state.”
Some county board members are not
pleased. Commissioner Dave Elwell declared, “I have a problem using our county
taxpayer dollars for out-of-county and out-of-state residents.” Ricciardello is
in the process of ascertaining what the cost for non-residents would be.
Currently, the average laboratory cost for STD testing is $36 for males and $56
for females; however, Ricciardello is aiming for the health department to
charge both males and females the same cost. Most of the costs cover the time
nurses spend filling out paperwork, counseling, preparing specimens, and
informing a client and his or her partner if the results are positive.
The Friends of AIDS Foundation is
dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for HIV positive individuals and
empowering people to make healthy choices to prevent the spread of the HIV
virus. To learn more about The Friends of AIDS Foundation, please visit: http://www.friendsofaids.org.
TOGETHER WE REMAIN STRONG!
