1 of 1- Common Sense
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Contrary to goals, ER visits rise under Obamacare
Contrary to goals, ER visits rise under Obamacare
Three-quarters of emergency physicians say they've seen ER patient visits surge since Obamacare took effect — just the opposite of what many Americans expected would happen.A poll released today by the American College of Emergency Physicians shows that 28% of 2,099 doctors surveyed nationally saw large increases in volume, while 47% saw slight increases.
By contrast, fewer than half of doctors reported any increases last year in the early days of the Affordable Care Act.Such hikes run counter to one of the goals of the health care overhaul, which is to reduce pressure on emergency rooms by getting more people insured through Medicaid or subsidized private coverage and providing better access to primary care.A major reason that hasn't happened is there simply aren't enough primary care physicians to handle all the newly insured patients, says ACEP President Mike Gerardi, an emergency physician in New Jersey."They don't have anywhere to go but the emergency room," he says. "This is what we predicted. We know people come because they have to."
Last edited by Common Sense (5/04/2015 10:12 am)
“We hold these truths to be self-evident,” former vice president Biden said during a campaign event in Texas on Monday. "All men and women created by — you know, you know, the thing.”
- tennyson
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Re: Contrary to goals, ER visits rise under Obamacare
I would think it is more because that is where they were accustomed to going.
BTW, does anyone know if under the ACA plans (for those of you that have an ACA plan) how the charges differ to the insured when visiting the emergency room, vs urgent care vs primary physician. I am on a Medicare Advantage plan and there are big differences there (unless if you go to Emergency and are then subsequently admitted to the hospital).
Last edited by tennyson (5/04/2015 10:21 am)
"Do not confuse motion and progress, A rocking horse keeps moving but does not make any progress"
- Goose
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Re: Contrary to goals, ER visits rise under Obamacare
They are going to have to start steering people into doctors' offices.
But, do you know how long it takes to get an appointment as a new patient?
They need more primary care docs.
We live in a time in which decent and otherwise sensible people are surrendering too easily to the hectoring of morons or extremists.
- tennyson
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Re: Contrary to goals, ER visits rise under Obamacare
Goose wrote:
They are going to have to start steering people into doctors' offices.
But, do you know how long it takes to get an appointment as a new patient?
They need more primary care docs.
There IS a middle ground called urgent care. These facilities have been springing up right and left in many areas. The current Medicare Advantage Plan I am on differentiates (as many do) as to what is covered "in network" (many times just your local state) vs "out of network". When "out of network" and having your problems that are not life threatening they recommend that you to go to urgent care. When doing that my policy treats it the same way as an "in-network" visit to an Urgent Care facility.
"Do not confuse motion and progress, A rocking horse keeps moving but does not make any progress"