An increasing number of Medicaid enrollees, many of whom gained coverage under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, are seeking treatment in emergency departments, according to a national study from the Colorado Hospital Association.
The study, which analyzed data from 450 hospitals in 25 states, 13 of which expanded Medicaid programs under the PPACA, found:
- Expansion states saw 5.6 percent more ED visits on average in the second quarter of 2014 than the second quarter of 2013.
- In states forgoing Medicaid expansions, ED visits increased 1.8 percent between Q2 2013 and Q2 2014.
- Medicaid volumes in expansion states were up 24 percent in Q1 2014 and up 9 percent in Q2 2014.
- Non-expansion states saw an increase in Medicaid patients and a decline in self-pay patients, likely due to the "woodwork effect," where patients discovered they were eligible for Medicaid.
According to the researchers, the volume increase indicates a need for healthcare that has not previously been met, as the volume trends are consistent across the nation among states that have expanded Medicaid and among states that have not.
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