CMW News: ED visits and costs rise in Massachusetts
Case Management Weekly, April 29, 2009
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Despite Massachusetts’ mandated health insurance law that became effective in 2006, ED visits in the state have climbed 17% during the past two years, according to The Boston Globe.
From 2005 to 2007, the cost of treating these patients increased from approximately $826 million to $973 million annually.
Insurance alone is not enough to curb ED overcrowding and rising costs, according to industry experts. They say more primary care physicians and nurses are needed, as is closer monitoring of patients with chronic diseases such as diabetes.
Officials say it is too soon to judge the impact of the mandatory insurance program. They say that data in later years will be a better indicator of if and how the program is affecting ED use and costs.
Source: The Boston Globe
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