Emergency Room Usage is Way Up in Medicaid Expansion States

[Dont Taz Me Bro]

Remember how getting government more involved in health care was going to decrease emergency room usage? Not so much.

Thanks to the Supreme Court, which ruled that states could choose whether or not to expand Medicaid under the law without fear of losing their existing federal funding, we now have something of a natural experiment. Some states have expanded the health program. Others haven’t.

And the results are clear: Emergency room visits are up significantly more in expansion states than in non-expansion states, according to a new study by the Colorado Hospital Association which examined 450 hospitals in 25 states. Medicaid expansion states saw a 5.6 percent increase in emergency department visits in the second quarter of this year compared with the same period last year. Emergency department usage in non-expansion states saw a 1.8 percent increase, possibly because of people who were previously eligible for Medicaid getting covered and using emergency rooms more.

The increased utilization in the expansion states is not only significantly higher than in states that didn’t expand, it’s more than what might have been expected based on data from the previous two years.

Emergency Room Usage is Way Up in Medicaid Expansion States - Hit Run Reason.com

 

[koshergrl]

Gosh, what a bummer nobody saw this coming!

Oh..wait!

 

[Rikurzhen]

Remember how getting government more involved in health care was going to decrease emergency room usage? Not so much.

Thanks to the Supreme Court, which ruled that states could choose whether or not to expand Medicaid under the law without fear of losing their existing federal funding, we now have something of a natural experiment. Some states have expanded the health program. Others haven’t.

And the results are clear: Emergency room visits are up significantly more in expansion states than in non-expansion states, according to a new study by the Colorado Hospital Association which examined 450 hospitals in 25 states. Medicaid expansion states saw a 5.6 percent increase in emergency department visits in the second quarter of this year compared with the same period last year. Emergency department usage in non-expansion states saw a 1.8 percent increase, possibly because of people who were previously eligible for Medicaid getting covered and using emergency rooms more.

The increased utilization in the expansion states is not only significantly higher than in states that didn’t expand, it’s more than what might have been expected based on data from the previous two years.

Emergency Room Usage is Way Up in Medicaid Expansion States - Hit Run Reason.com

No, you're interpreting this all wrong. Obviously they needed to pass the legislation in order to find out what was in the legislation, so there's probably some small section where this is plainly spelled out.

Or if you believe in the parsimonious explanation, anytime a Democrat opens his yap he's lying.

 

[idb]

“Hospitals located in expansion states are serving greater numbers of Medicaid patients, many
needing care for advanced chronic health conditions that were previously left untreated,” said
Steven J. Summer, CHA president and CEO. “These findings confirm that individuals who previously
had no insurance coverage are now seeking and receiving health care services—and their needs are
great.”
The Medicaid volume increases at hospitals demonstrate a considerable existing—and previously
unmet—demand for health care services in communities.

 

[Derideo_Te]

Why is anyone surprised that there was a backlog of people needing medical care prior to the enactment of the ACA that is now finally receiving the treatment that they need to survive?

This was predicted given that there were millions who were uninsured. Needless to say this will probably decline as the backlog is eventually cleared.

 

[koshergrl]

And because of that, the quality of healthcare for ALL goes down.

 

[Rikurzhen]

Why is anyone surprised that there was a backlog of people needing medical care prior to the enactment of the ACA that is now finally receiving the treatment that they need to survive?

This was predicted given that there were millions who were uninsured. Needless to say this will probably decline as the backlog is eventually cleared.

You and your constant invocations of faith.

 

[koshergrl]

I know, you can't do anything with that degree of brainwashing.

 

[Tom Sweetnam]

Does the insurance racket know about this?

 

[koshergrl]

Aren't they responsible for it?

 

[Luddly Neddite]

And because of that, the quality of healthcare for ALL goes down.

Uh, no. it does not.

That's a ridiculous thing to say ... Even for you.

 

[Luddly Neddite]

Why is anyone surprised that there was a backlog of people needing medical care prior to the enactment of the ACA that is now finally receiving the treatment that they need to survive?

This was predicted given that there were millions who were uninsured. Needless to say this will probably decline as the backlog is eventually cleared.

In the past, those people went without or, if they were very lucky, got some degree of care from the volunteer clinics.

Bottom line here is that America should be taking care of Americans. Sadly, in the states where Rs are in power, the people are still doing without.

 

[Luddly Neddite]

Aren't they responsible for it?

Are you saying insurance companies are responsible for a backlog of Americans who have no health care? Or that they are to blame for people going to ERs for health care? Or - just what are you saying? Or do you even know?




(This should be good.)


.

 

[pismoe]

sure the quality of healthcare is going down !!

 

[pismoe]

and quality of healthcare is going to continue to go down .

 

[Rikurzhen]

Why is anyone surprised that there was a backlog of people needing medical care prior to the enactment of the ACA that is now finally receiving the treatment that they need to survive?

This was predicted given that there were millions who were uninsured. Needless to say this will probably decline as the backlog is eventually cleared.

In the past, those people went without or, if they were very lucky, got some degree of care from the volunteer clinics.

Bottom line here is that America should be taking care of Americans. Sadly, in the states where Rs are in power, the people are still doing without.

Bullshit. If some person arrives here legally from Botswana he may be an American in the legal sense but he's nothing to me. On Monday he's in Botswana and on Tuesday he's in New York. My duty to this person hasn't changed.

I have a form of duty to my community where we all share the same values, where we all cover each other's back, where we all say "but for the grace of god, there go I." There has to be something backing that duty other than the Feds saying "This here guy is now an American and you all owe him a duty."

Secondly, it would help your argument immensely if we didn't see Democrats showing more duty to illegal infiltrators than to American citizens. Deport those 20 million illegal infiltrators because we don't owe a duty to them. They cost us money. Take that saved money and spend in on Americans who you say we owe a duty to. Do that and you make me believe a little bit more that you actually mean what you say about duty.

 

[william the wie]

Let the migrations begin. D states going belly-up is a goodness thing.

 

[Luddly Neddite]

and quality of healthcare is going to continue to go down .

Piffle. There's no reason why it should.

 

[Luddly Neddite]

Let the migrations begin. D states going belly-up is a goodness thing.

You better hope not cuz it the blue states that are paying your welfare in the red states.

 

[Luddly Neddite]

Why is anyone surprised that there was a backlog of people needing medical care prior to the enactment of the ACA that is now finally receiving the treatment that they need to survive?

This was predicted given that there were millions who were uninsured. Needless to say this will probably decline as the backlog is eventually cleared.

In the past, those people went without or, if they were very lucky, got some degree of care from the volunteer clinics.

Bottom line here is that America should be taking care of Americans. Sadly, in the states where Rs are in power, the people are still doing without.

Bullshit. If some person arrives here legally from Botswana he may be an American in the legal sense but he's nothing to me. On Monday he's in Botswana and on Tuesday he's in New York. My duty to this person hasn't changed.

I have a form of duty to my community where we all share the same values, where we all cover each other's back, where we all say "but for the grace of god, there go I." There has to be something backing that duty other than the Feds saying "This here guy is now an American and you all owe him a duty."

Secondly, it would help your argument immensely if we didn't see Democrats showing more duty to illegal infiltrators than to American citizens. Deport those 20 million illegal infiltrators because we don't owe a duty to them. They cost us money. Take that saved money and spend in on Americans who you say we owe a duty to. Do that and you make me believe a little bit more that you actually mean what you say about duty.

Bet yer a christian.

And I KNOW you're an