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The current fiscal crisis has had a significant effect on both federal and state resources, which might lead to cuts in services, including Medicaid. In response to a budget crisis in 2003, the state of Oregon broadly cut Medicaid services. Oregonians who met federal criteria for Medicaid were not affected, but those who had been included in the Oregon Medicaid expansion program were required to pay higher premiums to remain enrolled. As a result of this change, approximately 52,000 people lost Medicaid coverage. To determine the effect of this change on emergency department payer mix, researchers retrospectively reviewed billing data from a representative sample of EDs during the 24 months before and 24 months after the cutbacks.
The averag…