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The costs of the opiate epidemic aren't limited to deaths. E.g. when people get HIV or Hep C through needle sharing, that costs millions of dollars per person t
by Alex3917 9y ago
The costs of the opiate epidemic aren't limited to deaths. E.g. when people get HIV or Hep C through needle sharing, that costs millions of dollars per person to treat.
- maxerickson 9y agoThe new drugs for Hep C have a pretty high cure rate and cost less than $100,000. So that's changed in the last few years.
- Alex3917 9y ago> The new drugs for Hep C have a pretty high cure rate and cost less than $100,000. And yet what percentage of the prison population has it? Last time I checked, treating everyone would be so expensive that it isn’t even on the table.
- maxerickson 9y agoGood question. This article has some numbers: https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/prisoners-with-hep-c-get-cured-in-some-states-but-not-others/ https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/prisoners-with-hep-c-ge... A lot of states are providing treatment to those with liver damage (which in the context of the thread means that they are likely reducing costs vs treating the chronic disease). I guess $33 billion is too expensive to get popular support, but it really isn't that much money, especially if the reduction in future infections is taken into account.
- Alex3917 9y ago> I guess $33 billion is too expensive to get popular support, but it really isn't that much money Especially when even a small bridge costs a billion dollars these days, e.g.: https://ctviewpoints.org/2016/11/08/the-billion-dollar-bridge-really/ https://ctviewpoints.org/2016/11/08/the-billion-dollar-bridg...