Dispelling Myths About Emergency Department Use: Majority of Medicaid Visits Are for Urgent or More Serious Symptoms

According to a new national study by the Center for Studying Health System Change (HSC), the majority of emergency department (ED) visits by nonelderly Medicaid patients are for symptoms suggesting urgent or more serious medical problems rather than for routine care. About 10 percent of nonelderly Medicaid patient ED visits are for nonurgent symptoms, compared with about 7 percent for privately insured nonelderly people. This research brief highlights that there are clearly opportunities to develop less-costly care options than emergency departments for both nonelderly Medicaid and privately insured patients.

Read the HSC Research Brief here.