Increase in Emergency Room Visits: Are Hospitalizations Due to Medicaid Expansion?
Since the expansion of Medicaid programs throughout the nation, which covers adults under the age of 65 with income up to 133 percent of the federal poverty level, there has been an increase in emergency room (ER) use and hospitalizations for those who were previously uninsured.
The care provided in the ER to Medicaid recipients will treat medical problems that have previously experienced delayed diagnosis and treatment. Much of these visits by Medicaid patients are for urgent or serious symptoms. A recent report from the Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission (MACPAC) found Medicaid enrollees generally have more complex health needs than their privately insured counterparts, and those needs can only be addressed in the ER since they have remained untreated for such a long time.
The care provided in the ER to Medicaid recipients will treat medical problems that have previously experienced delayed diagnosis and treatment. Much of these visits by Medicaid patients are for urgent or serious symptoms. A recent report from the Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission (MACPAC) found Medicaid enrollees generally have more complex health needs than their privately insured counterparts, and those needs can only be addressed in the ER since they have remained untreated for such a long time.
