By SABRINA TAVERNISE
Originally Published: January 2, 2014
“Supporters of President Obama’s health care law had predicted that expanding insurance coverage for the poor would reduce costly emergency room visits because people would go to primary care doctors instead. But a rigorous new experiment in Oregon has raised questions about that assumption, finding that newly insured people actually went to the emergency room a good deal more often.
The study, published in the journal Science, compared thousands of low-income people in the Portland area who were randomly selected in a 2008 lottery to get Medicaid coverage with people who entered the lottery but remained uninsured. Those who gained coverage made 40 percent more visits to the emergency room than their uninsured counterparts during their first 18 months with insurance.
The pattern was so strong that it held true across most demographic groups, times of day and types of visits, including those for conditions that were treatable in primary care settings.
The findings cast doubt on the hope that expanded insurance coverage will help rein in emergency room costs just as more than two million people are gaining coverage under the Affordable Care Act. And they go against one of the central arguments of the law’s supporters, that extending insurance to large numbers of Americans would reduce emergency room use, and eventually save money.
In remarks in New Mexico in 2009, Mr. Obama said: “I think that it’s very important that we provide coverage for all people because if everybody’s got coverage, then they’re not going to the emergency room for treatment.”
The study suggests that the surge in the numbers of insured people may put even greater pressure on emergency rooms, at least in the short term.”
For a copy of the full article see: http://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/03/health/access-to-health-care-may-increase-er-visits-study-suggests.html
Recent Posts
Repeal of the Individual Mandate
Health insurance, which has always been a topic surrounded by confusion, is doubly complicated as coverage requirements have evolved in recent years. Among the most significant changes was the individual mandate that was put into place under the Obama administration.
Back to Using Nevada Health Link
Nevada has taken the first steps toward an in-house enrollment site (Nevada Health Link), which would offer a better user experience and significant cost savings over Healthcare.gov. However, some experts see the merit in the switch, others are concerned that it will be a repeat of the 2014 fiasco.
Changes to Nevada’s Auto Insurance Minimum Coverage Requirements
In April of 2017, the Nevada Senate approved a bill that will nearly double the minimum liability coverage limits. Beginning on July 1, 2018, drivers will be required to carry at least $25,000 in bodily injury liability, $50,000 in bodily injury liability per accident, and $20,000 in property damage liability.