NaphCare’s Alabama Deal Sparks Nationwide Scrutiny

NaphCare, a Birmingham‑based health firm, landed a $500 million Alabama prison contract after the state cut ties with YesCare over financial woes. The new deal follows a series of complaints in other states. New York banned the company for five years, citing unpaid wages and fatal incidents at a prison it ran. In Ohio, a jail inmate with sickle cell disease died after staff left him in restraints for hours. Arizona’s Department of Corrections sued NaphCare, blaming it for many preventable deaths and poor staffing.Alabama’s contract pays NaphCare in three phases, totaling about $500 million by 2028. It also offers bonuses if the prison population rises, and penalties if it drops. Critics say the lump‑sum structure creates a profit motive that could lead to cutting care. Employees who worked for YesCare report unpaid wages and uncertainty during the transition. Legislators urge tighter oversight of contracts and better vetting of providers, warning that few firms can replace a failing one without major disruption.