MACPAC: Medicaid Beneficiaries Mostly Use Emergency Rooms Appropriately

Contrary to popular belief, most of the emergency room visits by Medicaid beneficiaries are for urgent symptoms that require quick medical attention, according to the Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission (MACPAC). According to studies, MACPAC says non-urgent visits to the emergency room make up only 10 percent of Medicaid-covered emergency department visits in its July “MACfacts” report. “Medicaid enrollees use the (emergency room) more than privately insured or uninsured persons, although there is little evidence of widespread inappropriate...