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Number of ER Visits Contradict Affordable Care Act Prediction
Volume in ERs is increasing, despite the prediction that the Affordable Care Act would lead to a reduction in traffic as more people gained better access to healthcare providers.
Despite their coverage under the health law, Medicaid recipients struggle to find physicians who accept their coverage or physicians within their plan who offer reasonable wait times, thus leading them to the ER when they cannot make primary care appointments. In previous observations, crowded ERs are linked to higher mortality rates due to long wait times.
Ryan Stanton, PhD, is an emergency room physician at Baptist Health Lexington in Kentucky. He said that ER volume increased 10% between 2013 and 2014. He also added that in the first months of 2015, this percentage increased to nearly 20%.
Truven Health Analytics condtuced a survey in 2013 that examined insurance claims of commercially insured patients. After reviewing 6.5 million ER visits, the researchers determined that 29% of patients required immediate attention, 24% did not require immediate attention, 41% received care that should have been provided by a primary care physician, and 6% received care that could have been avoided if they had received proper primary care.
The Supreme Court is expected to rule in June on whether or not subsidies provided to beneficiaries who obtained insurance on the federal exchange are valid. If the court rules that subsidies are invalid, >40% of ER physicians predict ER visits will continue to increase.
It has been said that some nurses have resigned, due to the extreme pressure and stress larger caseloads are bringing on. In an attempt to reduce unnecessary ER visits, some states are making copayments mandatory for visits considered non-urgent.–Alessia D’Anna
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