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CMW News: ED physicians request more resources

Case Management Weekly, July 22, 2009

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A recent statement from U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius seems innocuous enough—many people seeking care in emergency departments are uninsured.

The nation's leading group of emergency physicians immediately took issue with her remarks, however. They chastised her for perpetuating a myth about hospital care and said she is oblivious to a much bigger problem.

In her statement, Sebelius cited statistics from a database managed by the Agency for Health Research and Quality. These statistics reveal that in 2006:

• One in 5 patients seen in emergency department settings was uninsured,
• Low-income patients accounted for almost one-third of patient visits,
• Residents of rural areas comprised one-fifth of emergency room care

Sebelius observed that uninsured patients often cannot afford primary care and must seek care in the ED. ED physicians, including Nick Jouriles, MD, president of the American College of Emergency Physicians, say this statement helps direct resources to managed care instead of emergency departments where they are most needed.

Source: HealthLeaders Media

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