scholarly journals Impacts of Private Prison Contracting on Inmate Time Served and Recidivism

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 408-438
Author(s):  
Anita Mukherjee

This paper examines the impact of private prison contracting by exploiting staggered prison capacity shocks in Mississippi. Motivated by a model based on the typical private prison contract that pays a per diem for each occupied bed, the empirical analysis shows that private prison inmates serve 90 additional days. This is alternatively estimated as 4.8 percent of the average sentence. The delayed release erodes half of the cost savings offered by private contracting and is linked to the greater likelihood of conduct violations in private prisons. The additional days served do not lead to apparent changes in inmate recidivism. (JEL H76, K42)

2011 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas G Koch

Current estimates of obesity costs ignore the impact of future weight loss and gain, and may either over or underestimate economic consequences of weight loss. In light of this, I construct static and dynamic measures of medical costs associated with body mass index (BMI), to be balanced against the cost of one-time interventions. This study finds that ignoring the implications of weight loss and gain over time overstates the medical-cost savings of such interventions by an order of magnitude. When the relationship between spending and age is allowed to vary, weight-loss attempts appear to be cost-effective starting and ending with middle age. Some interventions recently proven to decrease weight may also be cost-effective.


Blood ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 132 (Supplement 1) ◽  
pp. 2265-2265
Author(s):  
Elias J. Jabbour ◽  
Martin F Mendiola ◽  
Melissa Lingohr-Smith ◽  
Brandy Menges ◽  
Jay Lin ◽  
...  

Abstract Introduction: In an Oncology Care Model (OCM) setting, practices may earn a Performance-Based Payment (PBP) for a reduction in the costs of treating participating Medicare patients during a 6-month episode of care. An Excel-based decision analytics model was developed to evaluate the cost-savings associated with implementing changes in the usage of tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) among patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) within a typical OCM practice and the impact it could have on a practice potentially receiving a PBP. Methods: The default scenario is based on an OCM practice that treats 1,000 cancer patients during a 6-month episode of care. The types of cancers treated and the proportions of patients treated in the OCM practice were estimated from an OCM baseline report; all-cause healthcare costs for each cancer type were obtained from published literature. CML patients were stratified into newly-diagnosed and established TKI-treated patients. The percentages of CML patients on each of the TKIs (branded and generic imatinib [1st-gen TKIs], as well as dasatinib and nilotinib [2nd-gen TKIs]) within each stratum were estimated using market share data from April 2018. The 2018 Wholesales Acquisition Costs for the TKIs were obtained from RedBook. It was assumed that, if a practice implements the policy of restricting utilization of branded TKIs as a cost-cutting measure, 80% of the current market share of branded imatinib would shift to the generic and 50% of the current market shares of 2nd-gen TKIs would shift to generic imatinib. Among established TKI-treated patients, it was assumed that 80% of the current market share of branded imatinib would shift to the generic, whereas no patients treated with 2nd-gen TKIs would be switched to generic imatinib due to the lack of supporting evidence, physician and patient apprehension, some patients already having used imatinib, among other reasons. The relationship between the savings achieved from restricting utilization of 2nd-gen TKIs and the savings required for the OCM practice to receive a PBP using either a one-sided or two-sided risk model was evaluated. Results: The total healthcare costs of an OCM practice that treats 1,000 cancer patients for 6 months were estimated at $51,345,812. It was estimated that there would only be 4 CML patients in a 1,000-patient OCM practice, 1 newly-diagnosed and 3 established TKI-treated patients. Implementing the policy of restricting utilization of 2nd-gen TKIs for patients with CML would save a practice $12,970 during the 6-month episode of care, while $25,250 would be saved through a branded to generic imatinib shift (Table). For a 1,000-patient OCM practice participating in a one-sided risk model, a total cost-savings of $3,013,832 is required for it to be eligible for a PBP. In this scenario, the cost reduction associated with a shift from 2nd-gen TKIs to generic imatinib amounts to only 0.4% of the required total cost-savings threshold before the practice is eligible for a PBP. For a 1,000-patient OCM practice participating in a two-sided risk model, a total cost-savings of $2,372,010 is required for it to be eligible for a PBP. In this case, the cost reduction associated with a shift from 2nd-gen TKIs to generic imatinib amounts to only 0.5% of the required total cost-savings threshold before the practice is eligible for a PBP. Conclusions: This economic model indicates that the cost-savings associated with restricting branded TKI utilization among CML patients in an OCM setting will represent only a very small portion of the cost-savings required before an OCM practice is eligible for a PBP. Of the reduction in TKI costs, approximately two-thirds was attributed to the shift from branded to generic imatinib. Restricting utilization of the 2nd-gen TKIs contributed a negligible amount of savings required for a PBP. The cost-savings opportunities in CML in the OCM setting are limited by how few CML patients would be affected by restrictions. Disclosures Jabbour: Pfizer: Consultancy, Research Funding; Novartis: Research Funding; Takeda: Consultancy, Research Funding; Bristol-Myers Squibb: Consultancy, Research Funding; Abbvie: Research Funding. Mendiola:Bristol-Myers Squibb: Employment. Lingohr-Smith:Novosys Health: Employment. Menges:Novosys Health: Employment. Lin:Bristol-Myers Squibb: Consultancy; Novosys Health: Employment. Makenbaeva:Bristol-Myers Squibb: Employment.


2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Francesca D’Ambrosio ◽  
Gianfranco De Feo ◽  
Gerardo Botti ◽  
Arturo Capasso ◽  
Sandro Pignata ◽  
...  

Abstract Background The cost of anticancer drugs is constantly growing. The aim of this study was determine the impact in terms of cost reduction for anticancer drug in the Italian Health Service due to patient participation in clinical trials. Methods We evaluated the cost of drugs administered to patients treated in clinical trials at the National Cancer Institute of Naples in a four-week time period. Patients with a diagnosis of different cancers were considered, including adjuvant therapy and treatment for advanced disease, pharma sponsored and investigator initiated phase I, II and III clinical studies. We defined the expected standard treatment for each patient and we calculated the cost of the standard antineoplastic drugs that should be administered in clinical practice outside clinical trials. We used the market price of drugs to determine the cost savings value. Costs other than drugs were not included in the cost saving calculation. Results From 23.10.2017 to 17.11.2017, 126 patients were treated in 34 pharma sponsored and investigator initiated clinical trials, using experimental drugs provided free of charge by the sponsors, for an overall number of 152 cycles of therapy. If these patients were treated with conventional therapies in clinical practice the cost of antineoplastic drugs would account for 517,658 Euros, with an average of 5487 Euros saved per patients for a period of 4 weeks. Conclusions Clinical trials with investigational antineoplastic drugs provided free of charge by Sponsors render considerable cost savings, with a tangible benefit in clinical and administrative strategies to reduce drug expenditures.


Author(s):  
Musbah Abdulgader ◽  
Cheng Yang ◽  
Devinder Kaur

In this paper, two intelligent strategies for energy management unit for a home integrated with smart grid are proposed. The strategies are based on classical Boolean and genetic algorithm (GA). The objective is to optimize the cost saving for the end consumer. The price of energy varies by the hour depending on the load on the grid. The two strategies predict when and by how much the storage unit installed in the house should charge and release for 24 h of the day, satisfying the constraint that the load demand of the house at any particular hour should always be met. The strategies were tested by real time data collected by the Department of Energy for a typical house in the Chicago, Illinois region for the year 2013. Both the strategies achieve cost savings; however, it has been found that GA-based strategy results in higher cost saving. The impact of the capacity of the energy storage unit (ESU) on the cost saving has been analyzed for a GA strategy and cost saving obtained when the capacity of ESU is 1.5 times and 2 times the house hold load at any given hour is presented.


Healthcare ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (7) ◽  
pp. 806
Author(s):  
Na-Eun Cho

Despite substantial progress in the adoption of health information technology (IT), researchers remain uncertain as to whether IT investments benefit hospitals. This study evaluates the effect of health information sharing on the cost of care, and whether the effect varies with context. Our results suggest that information sharing using health IT, specifically the extent (breadth) and level of detail (depth) of information sharing, helps to reduce the cost of care at the hospital level. The results also show that the effects of depth of information sharing on cost savings are salient in poor and less-concentrated regions, but not in wealthier, more-concentrated areas, whereas the the effects of breadth of information sharing on cost savings are equivalent across wealth and concentration. To realize the benefits of using health IT more effectively, policy makers’ strategies for encouraging active use of health IT should be informed by market characteristics.


2008 ◽  
Vol 22 (2) ◽  
pp. 138-142 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nassir Alhayaf ◽  
Eoin Lalor ◽  
Vincent Bain ◽  
John McKaigney ◽  
Gurpal Singh Sandha

BACKGROUND: Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) is a safe alternative to endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) for diagnostic biliary imaging in choledocholithiasis. Evidence linking a decline in diagnostic ERCP with the introduction of EUS in clinical practice is limited.OBJECTIVE: To assess the clinical impact and cost implications of a new EUS program on diagnostic ERCP at a tertiary referral centre.PATIENTS AND METHODS: A retrospective review was performed of data collected during the first year of EUS at the University of Alberta Hospital (Edmonton, Alberta). Patients were referred for ERCP because of suspicion of choledocholithiasis based on clinical, biochemical and/or radiological parameters. If they were assessed to have an intermediate probability of choledocholithiasis, EUS was performed first. ERCP was performed if EUS suggested choledocholithiasis, whereas patients were clinically followed for six months if their EUS was normal. Cost data were assessed from a third-party payer perspective, and cost savings were expressed in terms of ERCP procedures avoided.RESULTS: Over 12 months, 90 patients (63 female, mean age 58 years) underwent EUS for suspected biliary tract abnormalities. EUS suggested choledocholithiasis in 20 patients (22%), and this was confirmed by ERCP in 17 of the 20 patients. EUS was normal in 69 patients, and none underwent a subsequent ERCP during a six-month follow-up period. One patient had pancreatic cancer and did not undergo ERCP. The sensitivity and specificity of EUS for choledocholithiasis were 100% and 96%, respectively. A total of 440 ERCP procedures were performed over the same 12-month period, suggesting that EUS resulted in a 14% reduction in ERCP procedures (70 of 510). There were no complications of EUS. The cost of 90 EUS procedures was $42,840, compared with $108,854 for 70 ERCP procedures. The cost savings for the first year were $66,014.CONCLUSION: EUS appears to be accurate, safe and cost effective in diagnostic biliary imaging for suspected choledocholithiasis. The impact of EUS is the avoidance of ERCP in selected cases, thereby preventing the risk of complications. Diagnostic ERCP should not be performed in centres and regions with physicians trained in EUS.


2019 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
pp. 205435811987154 ◽  
Author(s):  
Drew Hager ◽  
Thomas William Ferguson ◽  
Paul Komenda

Purpose of review: Kidney Failure is highly prevalent and uses a disproportionate amount of health care funding. In Canada (excluding Quebec), 37 647 people were living with kidney failure in 2016. The single-payer Canadian health care system spends approximately 1.2% of their annual budget on kidney failure. In 2016, 58.4% of patients with kidney failure in Canada (excluding Quebec) were on dialysis as opposed to living with a functioning kidney transplant. Home dialysis modalities including peritoneal dialysis (PD) and home hemodialysis (HD) were used by 18.9% and 4.7% of these patients, respectively. In-center HD and home dialysis (PD and home HD) are often considered equally efficacious and have similar impacts on quality of life. Despite cost minimization analyses suggesting that home dialysis offers cost savings over in-center HD, there has been a slow uptake of home dialysis in developed nations over time, suggesting that controversies and barriers to implementation currently exist. The primary objective of this health policy briefing article is to introduce and address some of the major controversies surrounding the cost effectiveness in supporting advocacy for a “Home Dialysis First” policy with a primary focus on single-payer systems in a developed nation such as Canada. Sources of information: Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health (CADTH), Canadian and US epidemiologic databases, national/international conference presentations, primary literature review, and discussion with experts within the field of home dialysis. Methods: We have conducted a focused primary literature review alongside individuals with expertise in the field of home dialysis to discuss the cost controversies surrounding the implementation of a “Home Dialysis First” policy. Key findings: First, the primary literature is limited to mostly observational studies which are highly variable in study design and content. Local economic assessments, however, have provided convincing data for home dialysis cost savings in Canada. Second, the cost of delivering dialysis differs significantly throughout the world, explained by differing costs of labor and supplies in developing nations. Third, the indirect patient costs of water, energy, and home modifications are often barriers to implementation and may be overcome by introducing cost reimbursement programs. Fourth, home dialysis requires upfront training costs. We explore the impact of premature switches from home dialysis to in-center HD or a functioning kidney transplant on overall cost savings. Fifth, we discuss the effect of physician financial incentives and program funding on the uptake of home dialysis. Finally, we introduce the controversial topic of comparing the societal value of freedom of modality choice against the societal cost savings of a “Home Dialysis First” policy. Limitations: Narrative reviews, due to their inherently reduced methodological quality in comparison with systematic reviews, may expose our collected literature to selection bias. We have attempted to compose a diverse collection of available literature alongside consensus expertise to provide a fair and concise review of home dialysis cost controversies. Implications: Implementation of a “Home Dialysis First” policy would be a disruptive change to kidney failure care in Canada. To make informed policy decisions, we should recognize the cost savings associated with home dialysis in developed nations, the significance of patient-borne costs as a barrier to implementation, the impact of training costs and early modality switching in home dialysis, the lack of evidence regarding physician financial incentives, and the importance of program funding. Ultimately, we must consider the societal value of freedom of patient modality choice in comparison with the potential cost savings of a “Home Dialysis First” policy.


Water ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (11) ◽  
pp. 1556 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kimberly Burnett ◽  
Christopher Wada ◽  
Makoto Taniguchi ◽  
Ryo Sugimoto ◽  
Daisuke Tahara

Groundwater is used in Obama City, Japan, to melt snow (~13% of total groundwater use) during the winter, the remainder being used for mostly domestic purposes, such as drinking water. Due to concern about the impacts of this snow-melting practice on nearshore marine resources, we estimate the benefits and costs of increasing the volume of the groundwater used for snow-melting by 50%. Assuming that the outcome is the same for all possible snow-melting techniques—snow effectively removed from roads—the primary benefit of the use of groundwater for snow-melting is the avoided cost of, or cost savings relative to, alternative technologies. The costs include losses to nearshore fishery productivity, due to a decline in submarine groundwater discharge (SGD), and increased energy expenditures on groundwater pumping, used to supply the snow-melting system. Our results suggest that the net benefit of increasing the use of groundwater to melt snow by 1.5 times its current rate in Obama is positive, and that the annual net benefit ranges from 10.9 million JPY/year to 547.7 million JPY/year. Because the cost of operating the groundwater system is relatively low, the net benefit of continuing to use groundwater for snow-melting becomes negative only if the impact on fishery productivity is substantial.


2018 ◽  
Vol 84 (2) ◽  
pp. 254-261
Author(s):  
Alexander Rosemurgy ◽  
Jacqueline Whitaker ◽  
Kenneth Luberice ◽  
Christian Rodriguez ◽  
Darrell Downs ◽  
...  

Surgical Site Infections (SSI) represent an onerous burden on our health-care system. This study was undertaken to determine the impact of a protocol aimed at reducing SSIs on the frequency and cost of SSIs after abdominal surgery. Beginning in 2013, 811 patients undergoing gastrointestinal operations were prospectively followed. In 2014, we initiated a protocol to reduce SSIs. SSIs were monitored before and after protocol implementation, and differences in SSI incidence and associated costs were determined. Before protocol initiation, standardized operative preparation cost was $40.85 to $126.94 per patient depending on the results of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus screen; after protocol initiation, the cost was $43.85 per patient, saving up to $83.09 per patient. With the protocol in place, SSI rate was reduced from 4.9 to 3.4 per cent (13 of 379) representing a potential prevention of eight infections that would have cost payers $166,280 ($20,785 per infection). Notably, the SSI rate after pancreatectomy was reduced by 63 per cent ( P = 0.04). With preparation and diligence, SSI rate can be meaningfully reduced and potential cost savings can be achieved. In particular, SSI rate reduction for major abdominal operations and especially pancreatic resections can be achieved. A protocol to reduce SSI is a “win-win” for all stakeholders and should be encouraged with thoughtful and active participation from all hospital disciplines.


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