The important point here is not that they compared to other programs, they did that from the start, but that the trajectory of the future benefit looked very different. It was much more beneficial in the short term, but less beneficial overall in the long term. The initial study period was just not far enough out from the beginning of the program to see this.
It's a catch-22 really, you either wait long enough to correctly identify what may be some long term detrimental effects, and if it's actually a better option many people are kept from these benefits during that period, or you move more quickly to help the people you currently have and risk a situation like this, where the eventual outcome is worse.
It's a catch-22 really, you either wait long enough to correctly identify what may be some long term detrimental effects, and if it's actually a better option many people are kept from these benefits during that period, or you move more quickly to help the people you currently have and risk a situation like this, where the eventual outcome is worse.