Are Uninsured Patients Responsible for ED Overcrowding?

During the past decade, the proportion of ED visits by uninsured patients remained stable, suggesting that this group is not the cause of overcrowding.

Annual emergency department visits continue to increase in the U.S., and, despite evidence to the contrary, visits by uninsured patients are cited as a cause for ED overcrowding. Using data from the four population-based Community Tracking Study Household Surveys conducted from 1996 to 2004, researchers calculated the proportion of adult ED visits according to patient’s insurance status, family income, usual source of care (physician’s office, clinic), health status, and outpatient (non-ED) visits.

During the study period, the proportion of annual visits by uninsured patients remained stable at about 15% to 16%. The proportion of visits by patients in the highest household income bracket (>400% of the federal poverty level) increased signifi…

Reviewing Author

Richard D. Zane, MD, FAAEM

Disclosures

Nothing to disclose

Richard D. Zane, MD, FAAEM

Disclosures

Nothing to disclose