Emergency Department Visits Rise 5.6% After Medicaid Expansion, Data Indicates The Increase Is Temporary

Between the second quarter of 2013 and the second quarter of 2014, hospitals in states that expanded Medicaid eligibility reported that the average number of emergency department visits increased by 5.6%; hospitals in non-expansion states reported a 1.8% increase in emergency department visits. However, data from California, which covered the expansion population before January 2014, indicates that the increase in demand will be temporary.

In 2011, California implemented the Low Income Health Program (LIHP) for the uninsured population that as of January 2014 was formally transitioned to Medicaid. During the first quarter after enrollment in the program . . .