Massachusetts ED Visits

Number of people visiting hospital EDs climbed in Massachusetts.
The Boston Globe (7/4, Kowalczyk) reported, "The number of people visiting hospital emergency" departments "has climbed in Massachusetts." After the passage of "the insurance law in 2006, officials hoped it would increase access to primary care doctors for the uninsured, which would improve their health and lessen their reliance on" ED's "for the flu, sprains, and other urgent care." Yet, "according to a report from the Division of Health Care Finance and Policy, expanded coverage may have contributed to the rise in emergency" department "visits, as newly insured residents entered the healthcare system and could not find a primary care doctor or get a last-minute appointment with their physician." In fact, ED "visits rose by 9 percent from 2004 to 2008, to about 3 million visits a year," according to state data.