ObamaCare, Medicaid & Cost Shifting of Medical Expenses

Some people look forward to the expanded Medicaid available through ObamaCare.  More prisoners will obtain mental healthcare under ObamaCare.  Ultimately, this will shift costs from state and county prisons and jails to the federal government.  The total cost of incarceration will rise, but be spread across all the states through the federal government.  Even citizens in states that opt out of the new Medicaid expansion will pay more.

In government shut-downs, pubic funds still fully support the incarcerated.  This inelastic expense requirement, supporting prisoners, demonstrates why cutting the incarcerated population in half would save the federal, state, county and city governments untold amounts of money.  How much money should we spend to make an inefficient punishment better?      

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