More People Actually Went To Emergency Department For Non-Urgent Issues When Medicaid Was Expanded

The study counters a common talking point that expanding the program would get people to stop using the emergency department in non-emergency situations. The author say it's not surprising because patients under Medicaid don't have to fear debt collection, removing one big barrier that could deter someone from a hospital visit. So those visits may be perceived as more convenient than a regular doctor's office, which can be difficult as many providers don't take Medicaid.

Modern Healthcare: Medicaid Expansion Increased ED Use, Study Shows
Medicaid expansion has driven significantly more patients to hospital emergency departments for non-urgent conditions, according to a new Brookings Institution study by health economists. This finding, which follows a deep dive into states' widely varied Medicaid expansion programs under the Affordable Care Act, represents another rebuttal to the initial predictions that people with health coverage would stop relying on emergency departments for non-emergency care. By law, hospital emergency departments must take any patient regardless of ability to pay. (Luthi, 9/5)

In other news on Medicaid —

Kaiser Health News: How Political Maneuvering Derailed A Red State’s Path To Medicaid Expansion
This was supposed to be the year Medicaid expansion finally happened in Kansas. Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly, elected in November, had run on the issue. She triumphed in a state that had gone for Trump in 2016 by more than 20 percentage points and replaced a Republican governor who had vetoed a previous expansion bill. (Weber, 9/6)

Mississippi Today: Republicans Hosemann, Reeves At Odds Over Medicaid, Teacher Pay And Gas Tax. So How Might They Work Together In The Legislature?
When it comes to infrastructure, health care and teacher pay raises, Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves and Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann — who would be the state’s next governor and lieutenant governor, respectively, if Republicans have their way in November — have pitched clashing solutions during their respective campaigns. The contrasting policy ideas call into question how the duo might work together atop state government and, by extension, how much they would get done. (Ganucheau, 9/5)

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