Government Costs Research Articles

INFLUENCE OF FLUORIDE ON PUBLIC HEALTH AND WORKER’S HEALTH – LITERATURE REVIEW

Dental caries is a multifactorial disease that affects a large part of the world's population. Can be prevented by various means and methods, including the use of fluoridated mouthwashes, topical fluoride, fluoridated toothpaste and fluoridation of public water supplies for human consumption. Fluoride has been shown to be a therapeutic agent that modulates dental caries. Frequent contact between patients and small concentrations of fluoride hinders demineralization and activates remineralization, in addition to inhibiting cariogenic microorganisms. The oral health of workers is directly related to the health of the population, since they are part of this context and suffer from the same problems that occur in the environment in which they live. Since workers are the agents who convert work activity into profits for the employer, a detailed and complete vision addressing prevention is extremely important, as this is a way to reduce absenteeism and keep workers in their jobs, achieving better performance of their activities. This bibliographic review aims to analyze fluoride in its various forms and evaluate its anti-cariogenic power for workers, with the aim of preventing cavities and providing well-being, quality of life and greater productivity to them. Based on the data analyzed, it is concluded that fluoride is an effective and inexpensive measure to prevent the appearance of cavities and that due to the large size of Brazil and its socioeconomic difficulties, fluoridated toothpaste associated with assisted brushing, with topical fluoride applications, prove to be the best measures to prevent cavities and absenteeism, consequently improving public health indices. This is one of the most relevant public policies, which is in fact underestimated and which can change the reality of Brazil, reducing high government costs and promoting the quality of life of the population, which suffers from oral problems, which can affect the entire organism, causing a series of other ailments, which should be avoided by adopting preventive measures on a permanent basis.

EKSPLORASI FAKTOR PENGHAMBAT DALAM MENGADOPSI GREEN MARKETING PRACTICES PADA IKM RENDANG DI KOTA PADANG

The purpose of this study is to explore the inhibiting factors in the implementation of green marketing practices in rendang SMEs in Padang City. This study uses a qualitative method that aims to obtain a clear picture of a problem, which will be focused on collecting data or information on the object. The results of the research findings and the results of the NVivo 12 plus Project Map analysis, various obstacles felt by SMEs actors to implement green marketing practices, namely government regulations, resources, organizational management, costs and awareness. This is due to the lack of involvement in long-term environmental concerns when producing products. In general, SMEs in rendang businesses focus more on the taste of food, product durability and good quality to reach consumers. In this case, there is no involvement in environmental aspects to minimize environmental impacts ranging from products, production sites, and price to product promotions.

Modelling the potential impact of a tax on fruit juice in South Africa: implications for the primary prevention of type 2 diabetes and health financing

BackgroundSouth Africa is experiencing a persistent growth in non-communicable diseases. Diabetes is among the top ten causes of mortality, especially among women, which is partly driven by high levels of added sugar consumption and obesity. To reduce obesity rates and the incidence of diabetes, South Africa introduced a tax on sugar sweetened beverages (also known as the Health Promotion Levy (HPL)) in 2018. The tax is applicable to sugar-sweetened beverages but excludes 100% fruit juice. The government is currently considering extending the tax to include fruit juices. This study models the potential health and economic impact of taxing fruit juices at 20% of the retail price of one liter.MethodsTo analyze the distributional impact of the tax, this study uses extended cost-effectiveness analysis methodology. Data on price elasticities, healthcare cost, income, fruit juice consumption were sourced from the literature and representative national surveys. The potential impact of the tax on diabetes incidence, prevalence, mortality, and financial benefits were estimated for each income group (lowest, quintile 1 to highest, quintile 5).FindingsWe estimate that a 20% tax on fruit juice would avert 156,640 incident cases of type 2 diabetes mellitus over 20 years, with most disease averted occurring among the first- and fifth-income groups. Averted deaths from diabetes would average 2,000 deaths per quintile (for quintiles 1 to 4) and about 2,800 in quintile 5. The improved health resulting from averted incidence and deaths will reduce overall healthcare expenditure by R7.5 billion over 20 years, of which R2.3 billion will occur in the fifth quintile. The South African government will also save about R300 million in subsidizing diabetes-related healthcare cost as a result of prevention; and would raise R8.6 billion in tax revenues per annum. Out-of-pocket expenditure savings will be R303 million and a financial risk protection (money-metric value of insurance) of R4.6 billion over the 20-year period.ConclusionWe conclude that an HPL that significantly raises the retail price of fruit juices would reduce consumption and diabetes-related morbidity and mortality. The tax will also provide significant financial benefits in the form of reduced healthcare costs for both government and households as well as providing financial risk protection to individuals. Health taxes are win-win policies that improve population health and generate revenue for governments to fund public health services delivery and thus improve overall health financing activities of the government. Therefore, population level disease prevention measures such as health taxes are important for achieving universal health coverage.

The costs and the potential allocation of costs of bouillon fortification: The cases of Nigeria, Senegal, and Burkina Faso.

Food and condiment fortification programs are needed to address micronutrient deficiencies and their health, developmental, and mortality consequences; but these programs are never free. Knowing program costs and their allocation across stakeholders is essential to design and manage effective, efficient, and sustainable programs. We developed 10-year hypothetical bouillon fortification program cost models for Nigeria, Senegal, and Burkina Faso that included start-up and operational costs for government and industry, as well as premix costs generated by an embedded premix cost calculator to allow for alternative premix formulas in cost calculations. The main drivers of total costs were total bouillon consumption and the types and amounts of fortificants in the micronutrient premix. For a premix that meets 30% of Codex Nutrient Reference Values in 2.5g of bouillon for vitamin A, folate, vitamin B12, zinc, and iron, the cost per metric ton of fortified bouillon was ∼$325 for all countries (∼$0.01 per 2.5g serving). Annual start-up costs ranged from ∼$324k (Burkina Faso) to ∼$455k (Nigeria); nonpremix annual operating costs ranged from ∼$108k (Burkina Faso) to ∼$3.9m (Nigeria); and annual premix costs varied from ∼$2.4m (Burkina Faso) to ∼$76m (Nigeria). In policy discussions, program costs should be set alongside nutritional benefits.

The cost of obesity and related NCDs in Brazil: An analysis of hospital admissions, disability retirement benefits, and statutory sick pay

ObjectivesThis study analyses the prevalence of overweight/obesity in Brazil, and its costs regarding hospital admissions (HA), disability retirement benefits (DRB), and statutory sick pay (SSP) associated with obesity-related non-communicable diseases (NCDs). Study designTime-series study. MethodsThis study analyses data from the VIGITEL system (2010–2019) to calculate the body-mass index (BMI) of adult residents in Brazil's state capitals. Data on HA, DRB, and SSP were obtained from Brazil's SIH/SUS and AEPS Infologo systems. Pearson's correlation and linear regression models were applied. The study selected 23 diseases of the International Classification of Disease (ICDs) belonging to chapters C; E; I; and K. Cost values in BRL were deflated using IPCA. ResultsThe results showed a significant increase in overweight and obesity rates in Brazil, with BMI rising by 0.09 kg/m2 annually. Regression analysis revealed that each 1-point increase in the average BMI of the population is associated with an increase of 81,772 (BRL 237.51 million/year) new HA per year, 5541 (BRL 18.8 million/year) new DRB granted per year, and 42,360 (BRL 131 million/year) new SSP per year. Also, every 1 % increase in the share of the Brazilian population with obesity is associated with an increase of 16,973 (BRL 48.8 million/year) new HA per year, 1202 (BRL 3.97 million/year) new DRB granted per year, and 8686 (BRL 26.8 million/year) new SSP per year. Regressions for deflated values showed lower significance, suggesting a strong impact of inflation on health costs in Brazil. ConclusionsObesity prevalence in Brazil implies high direct and indirect costs for the Brazilian government, especially considering circulatory system diseases.

Evolution strategies for collaborative governance of marine microplastic pollution from the industry-research integration perspective

IntroductionMarine microplastics, are widely distributed in the global marine environment, posing a challenging issue that requires the joint efforts of global stakeholders.MethodsTo effectively address the issue of marine microplastic pollution (MMP) governance and analyze the dynamic changes in governance willingness of various participants under different scenarios, this paper meticulously constructs a game theory framework encompassing polluting enterprises, research institutions, and environmental organizations. Results(1) On the political level, the implementation of continuous and strong economic penalty mechanisms is an effective means to deter enterprises from evading MMP governance responsibilities. However, the effective execution of this strategy highly depends on the participation and supervision of environmental organizations. Therefore, it is essential to assign more roles and responsibilities to environmental organizations to ensure the thorough execution of governance measures. (2) On the technical level, the effectiveness of research directly determines the functional status of enterprises and research institutions in the MMP governance decision-making system. Weaker entities tend to make decisions following the behavioral preferences of dominant entities. Thus, deepening the integration of industry and research and fully unleashing the effectiveness of research outcomes in MMP governance is a key path to enhancing overall governance efficiency and effectiveness. (3) On the economic level, high governance costs often become a significant factor limiting the enthusiasm of all parties to participate. However, when innovative cooperation models achieve cost sharing and benefit sharing, the governance willingness of participants significantly increases. It is evident that optimizing resource allocation, improving the efficiency of fund utilization, and establishing a diversified and sustainable funding guarantee mechanism are crucial for advancing the in-depth progress of MMP governance. DiscussionIn summary, this study not only provides profound theoretical insights into the interaction relationships and behavioral choices of multiple stakeholders in MMP governance but also offers practical strategic recommendations for constructing an efficient and collaborative governance system.

Evolutionary game analysis of multi-agent cooperation strategy analysis in agricultural water conservancy PPP project under digitization background

This study constructed a system dynamics (SD) evolutionary game model, from which we analyzed the conditions that need to be met by multi-agents to achieve cooperation in agricultural water conservancy (AWC) Public-Private Partnership (PPP) projects. Simultaneously, this study used numerical simulation to depict the impact of initial participation willingness, reward, punishment, income, and other parameters of local governments, project enterprises, and farmers on the evolution strategy. The results firstly showed that the basic conditions for tripartite cooperation are to strengthen the rewards and punishments for project enterprises and improve the participation benefits of farmers. Secondly, it showed that increasing the rewards for farmers and improving the project dividend benefits can effectively motivate farmers to participate. Thirdly, it showed that enhancing the incentive subsidies and reputation benefits for project enterprise’s participation, as well as strengthening the supervision of local government, boosts the motivation of project enterprises significantly. However, it is vital to ensure that the reward amounts are not too high to allow local government to play its guiding role efficiently. Lastly, the results indicated that digital technology can help reduce the participation cost of local government, project enterprises and farmers, and improve the external reputation benefits of each participant, thus forming a win-win situation for all three participants. Analyzing the cooperation strategies of the three parties in AWC PPP projects provides theoretical support and a decision-making basis for the efficient operation of AWC PPP projects under the digital background, and also provides practical policy recommendations for the high-quality development of AWC.

What factors are associated with children being taken into care by the state after initial contact with services? A survival analysis of Children’s Social Care data in Liverpool

BackgroundIncreasing numbers of children in the UK are being taken into care, with adverse consequences for children and unsustainable costs for local government. It is crucial that local authorities better...

Does environmental regulation affect corporate environmental awareness? A quasi-natural experiment based on low-carbon city pilot policy

The low-carbon city pilot (LCCP) policy, as an important measure for China to achieve its "dual carbon" goals, has attracted widespread attention regarding its implementation effects. However, no studies have yet focused on the impact of the LCCP policy on corporate environmental awareness. This study, based on data from Chinese A-share listed companies from 2007 to 2020, employs a triple difference model to evaluate the impact of the LCCP policy on corporate environmental awareness, filling the aforementioned gap in the literature. The results indicate that the LCCP policy can significantly enhance corporate environmental awareness, particularly in non-state-owned enterprises, enterprises in the growth stage, and those located in the eastern regions. The LCCP policy will compel corporations to enhance their environmental awareness by increasing the costs of environmental penalty and environmental governance. However, the analysis of economic consequences reveals that although corporate environmental awareness has improved, it has not directly translated into significant economic benefits or substantial environmental benefits. This may be indicative of a scenario where, in the short term, the cost effect of the LCCP policy outweighs the compensation effect. Nevertheless, the improvement in the quality of information disclosure can significantly mitigate these adverse economic consequences. This research not only enriches the academic outcomes related to environmental regulatory policies but also contributes to ensuring the effective achievement of green, low-carbon objective and the sustainable development of the economy and society.

The municipal government channel of monetary policy

Abstract Monetary policy in the USA affects borrowing costs for state and local governments, incentivizing municipal borrowing and spending, which in turn affects economic outcomes. Using municipal bond indices and transaction-level data, I find that responses to monetary policy are dampened relative to treasuries and heterogeneous across location and bond characteristics. In my baseline estimate, muni yields move 26 bp after a 100 bp monetary shock. To study implications for local fiscal policy, I model US localities as small open economies in a monetary union with independent fiscal agents. In a calibrated model, monetary transmission is significantly affected by municipal borrowing costs.

Will a government subsidy increase couples' further fertility intentions? A real-world study from a large-scale online survey in Eastern China.

How many couples with at least one child under 3 years would like to have another one or more child(ren) in Eastern China and will an in-cash subsidy be conducive to couple's fertility intentions? In sum, only 15.1% of respondents had further fertility intentions (FFI) before learning about the subsidy, and the planned in-cash subsidy policy increased respondents' overall FFI by 8.5%. Fertility has been declining globally and has reached a new low in China. The reasons why the Chinese three-child policy was under-realized, and how couples will react to a planned monthly ¥1000 (€141.2) subsidy policy, are not fully understood. During January and February 2022, a cross-sectional online survey aiming to understand families' expenses of raising a child under 3 years old, and couples' FFI, was conducted. During the survey period, 272510 respondents scanned the QR code. This study reports the findings pertaining to questions on respondents' sociodemographic characteristics, household factors, FFI, and changes in intention from negative to positive after learning about the planned in-cash subsidy. After exclusion, 144893 eligible responses were included. Respondents' FFI, the effect of a planned ¥1000/month*36 months' in-cash subsidy (€5083.2 in total) on people with a negative FFI before the subsidy, and potential reasons for persistent negative FFI after learning about the subsidy were collected through an anonymous online survey. Stepwise binary logistic regression models were used to select associated factors. The potential fertility rate change and government costs were estimated. A stratified analysis by current child number and sensitivity analysis were also conducted. In sum, 15.7% (22804/144893) of respondents were male, 15.1% of respondents reported a positive FFI, and 10.0% (12288/123051) without an FFI at first changed their intention after learning about the planned in-cash subsidy policy. For those who still said 'no FFI', 46.5%, 20.6%, and 14.7% chose pressure on housing status, expenses on children's education, and lack of time or energy for caring for another child as their first reasons. FFI was strongest in participants receiving the most financial support from their parents, i.e. grandparents (OR = 1.73, 95% CI = 1.63-1.84 for the >¥100000/year group), and weakest in those already having two children (OR = 0.23, 95% CI = 0.22-0.24). For those with no FFI before learning about the subsidy policy, respondents with the highest house loan/rent (>¥120000/year, OR = 1.27, 95% CI = 1.18-1.36) were more likely to change their FFI from 'No' to 'Yes', and those with the highest household income (>¥300000/year, OR = 0.65, 95% CI = 0.60-0.71) were least susceptible to the policy. In our study population, about 1843 more births every year and an additional 0.3 children per woman were projected under a conservative estimation. Annual estimated cost at the provincial scale would be ¥817.7 (€115.5) million, about 1.02‰ of the total General Public Budget Revenue in 2022. The findings were generally robust in the stratified analysis and sensitivity analysis. Selection bias and information errors may exist in the online survey responses. The large sample size and detailed further analysis were used to minimize such biases. Fertility intentions in Eastern China are rather low. Policymakers should focus more on financial and childcare burdens for a better realization of the three-child policy, including housing, education and childcare services. An in-cash subsidy, which has never been used in China previously, shows promising potential for increasing FFI. However, the application of such policy should be in line with local conditions for better cost-effectiveness regarding fertility-boosting and fiscal sustainability for the government in the long run. This work was supported by the National Key Research and Development Plan of China (2019YFC0840702). The authors declare no conflict of interests. N/A.

Leveraging Digital Transformation for Performance Management: A Case Study on E-Sakip Implementation in Government Institutions

The integration of digital transformation into government agencies' performance management has become essential in enhancing public service delivery, efficiency, and accountability. This study focuses on implementing the Electronic System for Government Agency Performance Accountability (E-SAKIP) in Indonesia as a case study of digital transformation. The research employs a qualitative approach with a case study design to explore the effectiveness, challenges, and impact of E-SAKIP on performance management. The findings indicate that E-SAKIP has significantly improved transparency and efficiency in government operations, reducing time and costs associated with performance reporting by up to 70%. However, challenges such as inadequate infrastructure, resistance to change, and insufficient training for government employees have hindered its full potential. The study underscores the need for ongoing support, including enhanced infrastructure, continuous training, and stronger leadership to ensure successful digital transformation. These insights offer valuable recommendations for further development of E-SAKIP and similar systems in other government contexts.

Investigating the Influence of Social Media on Youth Engagement in the August 2024 #EndBadGovernance Protests in Nigeria

Social media has emerged as a significant platform for political, economic, and social dialogue worldwide, acting as a vehicle for self-expression and a means to hold political leaders accountable. In Nigeria, platforms such as Facebook, X, WhatsApp, and Instagram have played a crucial role in the organisation and mobilisation of protests. This study explores the impact of social media on youth participation in the August 2024 #EndBadGovernance protests in Nigeria. Using the public sphere theory, the research adopted a quantitative survey approach, collecting data from 300 respondents across the six Area Councils of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The results reveal that social media was instrumental in mobilising and engaging young people during the protests. Prominent themes discussed on social media included the high cost of living, reversal of the fuel subsidy removal, investigation of the fuel subsidy regime, reduction in electricity tariffs, high cost of governance, corruption, deficiencies in educational and healthcare systems, unemployment, insecurity, and widespread poverty. This study highlights social media's dual function as both a catalyst for mobilisation and a tool for organisational coordination. It is recommended that public training on the responsible use of social media be implemented to maximise its effectiveness in civic engagement.

Air pollution and issuance credit spread of municipal investment bond

This paper explores the impact of city-level air pollution on the financing costs of local and regional governments (LRGs) in China. The empirical results demonstrate that cities with poor air quality face higher credit spreads on bonds issued by local financing platforms (LFPs), underscoring the critical role of air quality in determining LRGs financing costs. Air pollution negatively affects the credit rating of municipal investment bonds and increases fiscal pressure on LRGs. However, when LRGs invest more in environmental protection, reduce reliance on tax revenue, enforce stricter environmental regulations, and implement auditing policy for natural resources management, the adverse effect of air pollution on bond credit spreads are mitigated. This study enriches the research on whether and how air pollution affects bond issuance pricing and provides insights into strategies for reducing LFPs financing costs and addressing LRGs debt crises.

Subsidizing Inclusive Insurance to Reduce Poverty

In this article, we assess the benefits of coordination and partnerships between governments and private insurers and provide further evidence for microinsurance products as powerful and cost-effective tools for achieving poverty reduction. To explore these ideas, we model the capital of a household from a ruin-theoretic perspective to measure the impact of microinsurance on poverty dynamics and the governmental cost of social protection. We analyze the model under four frameworks: uninsured, insured (without subsidies), insured with subsidized constant premiums, and insured with subsidized flexible premiums. Although insurance alone (without subsidies) may not be sufficient to reduce the likelihood of falling into the area of poverty for specific groups of households, because premium payments constrain their capital growth, our analysis suggests that subsidized schemes can provide maximum social benefits while reducing governmental costs.

Massive Governance, Miserable Populace: Cost Of Governance As Economic Growth Decelerator In Nigeria

This study looks at massive governance, miserable populace: cost of governance as economic growth decelerator in Nigeria. This study used surveys to collect a total of 310 respondent. Looking back, we see how cost of governance become a negative impact on Nigeria's economic growth; We see that revenue from many sectors is used to finance massive governance which slows down the growth of Nigeria, massive governance weakens the Nigerian economy and slows down the growth of Nigeria economy. The heavy debt service economy has become the basis of Nigeria's economic growth, leading to excessive and ineffective spending of Nigerian funds by the political class. The study concluded that Nigerians will experience sustainable economic growth that will lead to development if she promotes and accepts a part-time unicameral legislature which will reduce the size of the political class and the salary structure, her economy will continue to slow down, thereby causing population poverty and course diseases in the country. The study also makes some recommendations to Nigerians and policy makers. Implication of this research is that by adopting a part-time unicameral legislature to minimize governance costs.

Cost-effectiveness analysis and return on investment of SunSmart Western Australia to prevent skin cancer.

Each year, malignant melanoma accounts for 57 000 deaths globally. If current rates continue, there will be an estimated 510 000 new cases annually and 96 000 deaths by 2040. Melanoma and keratinocyte cancers (KCs) incur a large societal burden. Using a mathematical population model, we performed an economic evaluation of the SunSmart program in the state of Western Australia (WA), a primary prevention program to reduce the incidence of skin cancer, versus no program. A societal perspective was taken combining costs to the health system, patients and lost productivity. The model combined data from pragmatic trial evidence of sun protection, epidemiological studies and national cost reports. The main outcomes modelled were societal and government costs, skin cancer counts, melanoma deaths, life years and quality-adjusted life years. Over the next 20 years, the model predicted that implementing the WA SunSmart program would prevent 13 728 KCs, 636 melanomas and 46 melanoma deaths per 100 000 population. Furthermore, 251 life years would be saved, 358 quality-adjusted life years gained and AU$2.95 million in cost savings to society per 100 000 population would be achieved. Key drivers of the model were the rate reduction of benign lesions from sunscreen use, the costs of purchasing sunscreen and the effectiveness of reducing KCs in sunscreen users. The likelihood of WA SunSmart being cost-effective was 90.1%. For the WA Government, the estimated return on investment was $8.70 gained for every $1 invested. Primary prevention of skin cancer is a cost-effective strategy for preventing skin cancers.

The impact of sustainable development policy for resource-based cities on green technology innovation: Firm-level evidence from China

The sustainable development policy targeting resource-based cities (RBC) is a critical measure initiated by China's government to transform these cities. Green technology innovation (GTI) has surfaced as a pivotal route in achieving sustainable development in RBCs. However, whether implementing this policy can induce GTI remains underexplored. To fill this gap, exploiting the National Plan for Sustainable Development of Resource-based Cities (2013–2020) (NPSDRC) as a quasi-natural experiment, we employ the difference-in-differences (DID) method to examine the influence of NPSDRC on corporate GTI and potential mechanisms. We observe that NPSDRC significantly reduces the GTI of RBC enterprises. Mechanism analysis reveals that NPSDRC escalates environmental governance costs and decreases R&D investment, impeding corporate GTI. Meanwhile, our findings suggest that providing more bank loans and tax incentives could weaken this adverse effect on corporate GTI. Heterogeneity results indicate that non-SOEs, enterprises with weak financing capabilities, enterprises with long-sighted vision, and high energy consumption enterprises are more susceptible to the influence of NPSDRC. This study offers empirical evidence for countries seeking to employ policies to drive the transformation of RBCs.

Green signalling under environmental pressure: Does local government environmental regulatory pressure promote corporate environmental information disclosure?

Corporate environmental information disclosure (EID) is an important green signal. While prior literature well documents that the leading officials’ accountability audit of natural resources assets (AANRA) can effectively enhance the environmental regulatory pressure of local governments, little is known about whether this pressure can promote corporate EID. Utilizing panel data of 2,073 Chinese industrial listed enterprises from 2008–2021, we employ a staggered difference-in-difference-in-differences approach and identify the causal effect of AANRA on corporate EID. The results show that the EID quality of heavily polluting enterprises in AANRA cities increases by 3.28 % after the implementation of AANRA, and this effect persists. Meanwhile, AANRA does not trigger selective disclosure of enterprises, and its improvement of negative EID is more effective. Our mechanism analysis suggests that AANRA improves corporate EID through environmental incentive effect, environmental, social and governance (ESG) engagement effect and cost constraint effect. Moreover, the effect of AANRA varies with firms, industries, and regions, and it is more pronounced in non-state-owned firms, small firms, growing and mature firms, highly competitive firms, high-tech firms, and firms located in the eastern region, high audit intensity region and better institutional region. Our findings highlight the role of government environmental regulatory pressure in corporate EID, providing new insights into green transformation for enterprises in developing countries like China.

A welfare analysis of Medicaid and recidivism.

We present conservative estimates for the marginal value of public funds (MVPF) associated with providing Medicaid to inmates exiting prison. The MVPF measures the ratio between a policy's social benefits and its governmental costs. Our MVPF estimates suggest that every additional $1 the government spends on providing inmates exiting prison with Medicaid coverage can result in social benefits ranging between $3.45 and $10.62. A large proportion of the benefits we consider stems from the reduced future criminal involvement among former inmates who receive Medicaid. Employing a difference-in-differences approach, we find that Medicaid expansions reduce the average number of times a released inmate is reimprisoned within 1year by approximately 11.5%. By combining this estimate with key values reported elsewhere (e.g., victimization costs, data on victimization and incarceration), we quantify specific benefits arising from the policy. These encompass diminished criminal harm due to lower reoffense rates, direct benefits to former inmates through Medicaid coverage, increased employment opportunities, and reduced loss of liberty resulting from fewer future reimprisonments. Net-costs consist of the cost of providing Medicaid net of changes in the governmental cost of imprisonment, changes in the tax revenue due to increased employment, and changes in spending on other public assistance programs. We interpret our estimates as conservative since we deliberately err on the side of under-estimating benefits and over-estimating costs when data on specific items are imprecise or incomplete. Our findings align closely with others in the sparse literature investigating the crime-related welfare impacts of Medicaid access, underscoring the substantial indirect benefits public health insurance programs can offer through crime reduction, in addition to their direct health-related advantages.