Expanding Medicaid coverage significantly increased emergency department use among previously uninsured adults in
In 2008,
They found gaining Medicaid coverage significantly increased overall ED use during the 18-month study period by 0.41 visits per person, or 41 percent, relative to the average of 1.02 visits per person among lottery participants who did not receive Medicaid coverage.
The increase in ED use occurred even though those newly covered by Medicaid also displayed an increase in self-reported primary care use, including prescriptions, preventive care and outpatient physician visits, according to the study.
The researchers wrote these findings could prove useful in evaluating the costs and benefits of Medicaid expansion, which has become a controversial issue in many states since the passage of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.
The healthcare reform law gives states the option of expanding their Medicaid programs starting this year to cover adults earning up to 138 percent of the federal poverty level. As of last month, 25 states (including
More Articles on Medicaid Expansion:
5 Recent Stories on Medicaid Expansion
Virginia Legislative Committee Still Undecided on Medicaid Expansion
4 Key Findings on the Impact of the PPACA Coverage Gap by Race, Ethnicity