In direct contradiction to President Obama’s promises, Obamacare will actually mean longer lines in the Emergency Room. A new study found that Medicaid patients went to the ER 40 percent more often, on average, often for conditions that could be treated less expensively at the doctor’s office.
The Daily Caller reported:
A Harvard University study published Thursday concludes that Medicaid enrollment significantly boosts emergency room visits.
This is in direct contradiction to the Obama administration’s claims that his healthcare reform law would put a dent in costly visits to the ER as a way to cut spending.
Harvard researchers had a unique opportunity in Oregon’s 2008 Medicaid expansion. The state had limited funding to expand the program and established a lottery to decide who would get coverage. The study followed the healthcare consumption of those that won Medicaid coverage and those in the lottery that didn’t.
As it turns out, there was a 40 percent increase in ER visits by those who made it into Medicaid. Medicaid patients went to the emergency department 1.43 times in 18 months on average, while lottery hopefuls that didn’t make it into the program only made an average of 1.02 visits.
So far Obamacare has approved 3.9 million Americans for Medicaid while only enrolling 2.1 million Americans on private plans.