PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

Medicaid beneficiaries use emergency services due to lack of alternatives

2013-12-31
(Press-News.org) Contact information: Erika Matich
erika.matich@comcast.net
303-524-2780
University of Colorado Denver
Medicaid beneficiaries use emergency services due to lack of alternatives AURORA, Colo. (Dec. 30, 2013) – A study from the University of Colorado School of Medicine shows patients with Medicaid insurance seeking care in an emergency department may be driven by lack of alternatives instead of the severity of their illness. The study is published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine (JGIM).

Researchers, led by Roberta Capp, MD, used the 2011 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) to study 4,606 patients and their reasons for seeking emergency care. Researchers classified the patient's reasons into two categories - those who used the emergency department because they felt they needed to get immediate medical care and those who used the emergency department because they had trouble accessing care elsewhere.

They found: Relative to those with private insurance, adults with Medicaid and Medicare were similarly likely to seek emergency care due to an acuity issue. Adults with Medicaid and those with Medicaid and Medicare (i.e., dual eligible) were more likely than those with private insurance to seek emergency care because of access issues. Reasons for seeking care in an emergency department by health insurance type may be driven more by lack of access to alternate care, rather than by differences in patient-perceived acuity for patients covered by Medicaid insurance.

The study suggests policy makers should focus on increasing timely access to primary care, especially for Medicaid beneficiaries. Improved care coordination between patients and emergency providers is also necessary to reduce emergency department utilization. With the implementation of the Affordable Care Act, millions of new patients will be enrolled in Medicaid and added to an already overburdened primary care system.

"There is a misconception that patients with Medicaid insurance are more likely to use emergency rooms for a non-urgent issue when compared with those who have private insurance," said Capp. "Medicine is complex and patients, no matter what insurance they have, are not always able to determine what is urgent or not urgent."

Capp goes on to say Medicaid beneficiaries often mention the inability to get a hold of their primary care providers, get a return phone call or a same day appointment when needed

###

About the University of Colorado School of Medicine

Faculty at the University of Colorado School of Medicine work to advance science and improve care. These faculty members include physicians, educators and scientists at University of Colorado Hospital, Children's Hospital Colorado, Denver Health, National Jewish Health, and the Denver Veterans Affairs Medical Center. Degrees offered by the CU Denver School of Medicine include doctor of medicine, doctor of physical therapy, and masters of physician assistant studies. The School is located on the University of Colorado's Anschutz Medical Campus, one of four campuses in the University of Colorado system. For additional news and information, please visit the CU Denver newsroom online.

About the Journal of General Internal Medicine

JGIM is the official journal of the Society of General Internal Medicine. It promotes improved patient care, research, and education in primary care, general internal medicine, and hospital medicine. Its articles focus on clinical medicine, epidemiology, prevention, health care delivery, curriculum development, and some non-traditional themes. JGIM offers early publication on http://www.SpringerLink.com to reach a broad audience, with online access to abstracts and full articles rapidly growing each year.

END



ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Major reductions in seafloor marine life from climate change by 2100

2013-12-31
Major reductions in seafloor marine life from climate change by 2100 A new study quantifies for the first time future losses in deep-sea marine life, using advanced climate models. Results show that even the most remote deep-sea ecosystems ...

Contralateral needling at unblocked collaterals for post-stroke hemiplegia

2013-12-30
Contralateral needling at unblocked collaterals for post-stroke hemiplegia Hemiplegia caused by stroke indicates the dysfunctions of the neurological network between the brain and limbs. Under this condition, conventional acupuncture at the acupoints on the affected ...

First location of melatonin in caudal spinal trigeminal nucleus

2013-12-30
First location of melatonin in caudal spinal trigeminal nucleus Accumulating research indicates that melatonin has a major role in pain transmission and has an ultra-sensitizing effect. Dr. Fang Huang and colleagues from Sun Yat-sen University in China for the ...

Genetic background of sporadic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis in the Chinese Han population

2013-12-30
Genetic background of sporadic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis in the Chinese Han population A previous study of European Caucasian patients with sporadic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis demonstrated that a polymorphism in the microtubule-associated protein Tau ...

Earth's crust was unstable in the Archean eon and dripped down into the mantle

2013-12-30
Earth's crust was unstable in the Archean eon and dripped down into the mantle Model calculations indicate that the extreme density of the base of the thickened primary crust caused it to subside into the Earth's mantle Earth's mantle temperatures ...

Hebrew University researchers reach breakthrough on understanding persistent bacteria

2013-12-30
Hebrew University researchers reach breakthrough on understanding persistent bacteria Work can lead to improved therapies in the future Jerusalem, Dec. 29, 2013 – The mechanism by which some bacteria are able to survive antibacterial treatment ...

Nicotine exploits COPI to foster addiction

2013-12-30
Nicotine exploits COPI to foster addiction

New innovation by NUS researchers enhances information storage in electronics

2013-12-30
New innovation by NUS researchers enhances information storage in electronics Innovative Magnetoresistive Random Access Memory technology enables bigger and longer lasting memory in electronic systems A team of researchers from the Department of Electrical & ...

Meloidogyne mali: A new invasive plant parasitic nematode in Europe

2013-12-30
Meloidogyne mali: A new invasive plant parasitic nematode in Europe Following its recent synonymisation with Meloidogyne ulmi, a species known to parasitize elm trees in Europe, it has become clear that M. mali has been in the Netherlands for more than fifty years. Evidences ...

Alcohol leaves its mark on youngsters' DNA

2013-12-30
Alcohol leaves its mark on youngsters' DNA A preliminary study led by a UPV/EHU-University of the Basque Country researcher in collaboration with the Autonomous University of Nayarit, in Mexico, indicates that weekend alcohol consumption may affect DNA This news release ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

Thirty-year mystery of dissonance in the “ringing” of black holes explained

Less intensive works best for agricultural soil

Arctic rivers project receives “national champion” designation from frontiers foundation

Computational biology paves the way for new ALS tests

Study offers new hope for babies born with opioid withdrawal syndrome

UT, Volkswagen Group of America celebrate research partnership

New Medicare program could dramatically improve affordability for cancer drugs – if patients enroll

Are ‘zombie’ skin cells harmful or helpful? The answer may be in their shapes

University of Cincinnati Cancer Center presents research at AACR 2025

Head and neck, breast, lung and survivorship studies headline Dana-Farber research at AACR Annual Meeting 2025

AACR: Researchers share promising results from MD Anderson clinical trials

New research explains why our waistlines expand in middle age

Advancements in muon detection: Taishan Antineutrino Observatory's innovative top veto tracker

Chips off the old block

Microvascular decompression combined with nerve combing for atypical trigeminal neuralgia

Cutting the complexity from digital carpentry

Lung immune cell type “quietly” controls inflammation in COVID-19

Fiscal impact of expanded Medicare coverage for GLP-1 receptor agonists to treat obesity

State and sociodemographic trends in US cigarette smoking with future projections

Young adults drive historic decline in smoking

NFCR congratulates Dr. Robert C. Bast, Jr. on receiving the AACR-Daniel D. Von Hoff Award for Outstanding Contributions to Education and Training in Cancer Research

Chimpanzee stem cells offer new insights into early embryonic development

This injected protein-like polymer helps tissues heal after a heart attack

FlexTech inaugural issue launches, pioneering interdisciplinary innovation in flexible technology

In Down syndrome mice, 40Hz light and sound improve cognition, neurogenesis, connectivity

Methyl eugenol: potential to inhibit oxidative stress, address related diseases, and its toxicological effects

A vascularized multilayer chip reveals shear stress-induced angiogenesis in diverse fluid conditions

AI helps unravel a cause of Alzheimer's disease and identify a therapeutic candidate

Coalition of Autism Scientists critiques US Department of Health and Human Services Autism Research Initiative

Structure dictates effectiveness, safety in nanomedicine

[Press-News.org] Medicaid beneficiaries use emergency services due to lack of alternatives