Republicans have offered up a health care plan to replace Obamacare (see here and here). It also cuts addition treatment which Michael Botticelli, former director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy, says will eventually be more costly than treating addicts.
Just a reminder of the consequences of Ronald Reagan's decision to deinstitutionalize the mentally ill had a very high cultural and financial cost. Rates of homelessness and the number of mentally ill criminal in prison increased massively. The cost of crime to the victims alone likely exceeded the 'savings' of deinstitutionalization. The cost of prison and criminal recidivism further adds to the bill.
The economics of healthcare is more than the initial outlay to treat immediate ills. There are long term consequences to personal and social wellbeing. Because people live in communities, their actions can have repercussions throughout the larger community.
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