How safety net ERs can save health care reform
Safety net emergency departments are frequently blamed for being the source of rising health care costs. After all, they care for the millions of underserved and un-insured Americans forced by a variety of circumstances to visit ERs for their primary care and low-acuity concerns.
With the Affordable Care Act (ACA) reforms initiated in January, demand for emergency services will rise significantly. Medicaid already covers over 50 million individuals – most of …