Hospital emergency departments in Illinois saw a 5.7 percent increase in visits since the Affordable Care Act's enactment, The Chicago Tribune reported.
A study, published in Annals of Emergency Medicine, found when comparing the number of pre-ACA (2011 to 2013) ED visits to post-ACA (2014 to 2015) visits, the number of average monthly ED visits increased by 14,080. The study's authors said the data contradicts the ACA's goal of cutting the use of expensive services like EDs, according to the report. However, it is unclear if the increase will continue, or if it reflects more newly insured individuals under the ACA visiting EDs.
While the study found the number of uninsured visiting Illinois EDs decreased since the ACA took effect, the decrease did not counterbalance an increase in Medicaid and privately insured individuals visiting EDs.
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