When Health Care Costs Less People Demand More Of It

In the ongoing struggle between reality and the Reality-Based Community, reality strikes again!

Access to Health Care May Increase ER Visits, Study Suggests

By SABRINA TAVERNISE

Supporters of President Obama’s health care law had predicted that expanding insurance coverage for the poor would reduce costly emergency room visits as people sought care from primary care doctors. But a rigorous new study conducted in Oregon has flipped that assumption on its head, finding that the newly insured actually went to the emergency room more often.

The study, published in the journal Science, compared thousands of low-income people in the Portland area who were randomly selected in a 2008 lottery to get Medicaid coverage with people who entered the lottery but remained uninsured. Those who gained coverage made 40 percent more visits to the emergency room than their uninsured counterparts. The pattern was so strong that it held true across most demographic groups, times of day, and types of visits, including for conditions that were treatable in primary care settings.

The finding casts doubt on the hope that expanded insurance coverage will help rein in rising emergency room costs just as more than two million people are gaining coverage under the Affordable Care Act.

If that sounds familiar, it should:

Medicaid coverage also reduces the costs of going to a primary care doctor, and a previous analysis of data from the Oregon experiment found that such doctor visits also increased substantially. Researchers concluded that gaining health coverage led to an across-the-board rise in the use of health care.

Interestingly, the Times summary of the earlier study included this (my emphasis):

Those with Medicaid were 35 percent more likely to go to a clinic or see a doctor, 15 percent more likely to use prescription drugs and 30 percent more likely to be admitted to a hospital. Researchers were unable to detect a change in emergency room use.

The NBER web page dedicated to Oregon makes the same point about the original study:

Medicaid increased the likelihood of using outpatient care by 35 percent, using prescription drugs by 15 percent, but did not seem to have an effect on use of emergency departments.

I can't explain that seeming discrepancy and time does not permit me to dive in just now. Loose the stat hounds!

Comments

[Beasts of England]

Broadway Joe also wore a fur coat. Of course, he could get away with it...

[narciso]

Well from her previous post;

http://atwar.blogs.nytimes.com/author/sabrina-tavernise/

[matt]

Potemkin dealerships in Cuba?

[Stephanie]

Just why do the Orange and Cotton Bowls have to be on at the same time tonight? Cause of the Enn-Eff-Awful? How many playoff games are there this weekend? The Compass Bowl is on Saturday at 1. And the Godaddy is on Sunday at 9.

So screwed up. Thanks a bunch NFAwful.

[Porchlight]

I'm so confused about this Mark Obama Ndesanjo story. So Obama claims they just met for the first time recently? Isn't there an account of them meeting in Dreams From My Father?

[Janet - the districts lie fallow, while the Capitol gorges itself]

Isn't there an account of them meeting in Dreams From My Father?

Yes Porchlight. http://theobamafile.com/_family/ObamasOfKenya.htm

scroll to "Brother Mark" for an overview.

[NKonIPad]

Obama s lies are pathological. Even his book (written by someone else) lies.

[NKonIPad]

I am at an appt at 84th St and 5th Ave. Midtown Manh is glorious right night-- snow still snow (rather then slush) and the MetMuseum and Central Park are stunning with a mantle of snow. Wicked cold NW wind though. I am filled with dread about how it will all be ruined b that hateful cretin deBlasio.

JimmyK-- enjoy the manhattan snow today and tomorrow-- with the rain coming sunday-monday, the slush will be epically bad.

[Janet - the districts lie fallow, while the Capitol gorges itself]

I don't understand the Mark story either though.
Here's a bit more - http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2014/01/02/obamas-half-brother-reveals-what-the-president-did-the-first-time-they-met-in-kenya-and-talked-about-western-culture/

Is there some question about the number of times they met & when?

[Janet - the districts lie fallow, while the Capitol gorges itself]

What I can't find is where Obama said that he only recently met him....

[Jane-Rebel Alliance1]

Obama administration announces new executive actions on guns

On Friday, the Obama administration announced pending executive action on gun purchases, focusing primarily on mental health issues, The Blaze reported. The actions would, according to reports, allow the government to get around medical privacy laws in order to obtain more information.

One regulation announced by the administration would gain information that has -- until now -- been previously withheld due to provisions of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, or HIPPA, which protects medical privacy.

[Jane-Rebel Alliance1]

What do you think of this? And what is the media's motive?

36 Signs The Media Is Lying To You About How Radiation From Fukushima Is Affecting The West Coast

[JIB]

Just watched the "Earl Campbell Story: Still Standing Tall". Hard to believe the greatest big running back of his era is barely walking. But his smile and happiness quota are both off the charts. That guy was a beast running the ball and as the documentary says, he was the happiest player in footbal, playing for the happiest coach in football, on the happiest team in football.

Luv ya blue

[Extraneus]

What a heartwarming story.

Thousands Of Illegal Immigrants Show Up At DMV Offices To Obtain Driver Authorization Cards

Actually, what would really warm my heart would be to read that the whole thing was a ruse to round them up for deportation.

[Account Deleted]

"And what is the media's motive?"

The SkyDragon has been pining for the fjords for some time. The progs need a new monster under the bed.

Forbes did a nice explanation of the lack of danger involved.

BTW - The bald canaries in the Utah coal mines are dying of West Nile virus.

[Needlemeyer]

Good on you, Marmalard. That cover story surfaced very quickly and you couldn't gulp it down fast enough.

[narciso]

I've wondered about that Rick, of course there
has to be a Fenton/Levick outfit fronting, just as we found SD Knickerbocker, Anita Dunn's firm, was coordinating the whole 'war on women'

[Needlemeyer]

Debunking Central.
http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/timstanley/100252705/did-north-koreas-kim-jong-un-kill-his-uncle-with-120-starving-dogs/

"How did Kim "supervise" it exactly? By handing out popcorn?
Western news outlets are slowly picking up the story but I'd urge caution. North Korean media has made no reference to starved dogs, including in Kim's New Year's message – even though the chubby prince did describe his uncle as "filth" (and a Happy New Year to you, too, comrade!). Moreover, why were 120 hounds used when half a dozen would do? And why the audience of 300? It's all a bit James Bond, a bit shark-tank-in-an-underground-bunker

[narciso]

Funny how the 'fracking tsunami' isn't accorded more attention, well don't let the facts in the way of a narrative,

A roman a clef, that I was reading earlier this year, by a NPR reporter, nonetheless, was pointing out banana's innate radioactivity, and how it could disguise a shipment of real radioactive materials,

[JIB]

3 Presidents working up a sweat:

h/t Andrew Malcom

[narciso]

Well the Sauds can't have all the fun, recall that Bahrain was one of the funders of the Levick Grp

http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2014/01/report_ex-guantanamo.php?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+LongWarJournal+%28The+Long+War+Journal%29

[Extraneus]

What are the chances that the Chinese made up that story about Kim Jon Un feeding his uncle to dogs?

[Needlemeyer]

I hear the banana rads only disable the gaydar when rectally inserted, and make a bunch of fruits.

[Needlemeyer]

Sorry. That was one of the first of narc's excretions I've understood, and it was worthy of response.

[Account Deleted]

Narciso,

Who would you pick as next up in the juiceboxer dead pool? Klein's lying "expertise" on Bozocare made him an easy pick for first to go but I'm having a tough time handicapping the next prog puke producer to face the ax. Marshal and Yglesias are certainly in the running but I'm wondering if McArdle might be canned first for "balance".

[Jane-Rebel Alliance1]

Interesting Rick, thank you.

Americares came in 10th, which means they get miles I believe.

[narciso]

Well Marshall runs his own shop, Sargent is the Mikey, re the Life Cereaal commercial, but that would be too obvious,

It's possible, although Bloomberg is more lenient,

[Needlemeyer]

The narc seems quiet...homophobe? (rhetorical question alert"

[narciso]

Interesting note to consider;

http://minx.cc/?post=346193

'bitter clingers' don't deserve such consideration,

[narciso]

Well that's a nice touch;

http://therightscoop.com/packers-colts-bengals-avoid-blackouts-and-active-military-veterans-benefit/

[Needlemeyer]

nice segue. Phear is a testosterone killer, btw.

[narciso]

Questions no one is asking;

http://hotair.com/archives/2014/01/03/does-america-need-a-king/

[Danube on iPad]

"So screwed up. Thanks a bunch NFAwful."

I think you should direct your thanks to the colleges, who now send over half the FBS teams to bowl games.

[narciso]

Yes, I can see why she reacted that way:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2533324/Katherine-Webb-looks-horror-boyfriend-AJ-McCarron-fumbles-lose-Sugar-Bowl-final-college-game.html

[Danube on iPad]

If it isn't reported in North Korea news, then it couldn't have happened.

I wonder if Rodman got to watch?

[narciso]

Well it was weakly sourced, but that doesn't mean it's not true;

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-01-03/al-qaeda-fighters-take-fallujah-as-iraqi-army-attacks.html

[Extraneus]

It might be in China's interest to slime Jon Un rather than simply allow him to establish himself as a ruthless god-like figure at the start of a 50-year reign.

[Jane-Rebel Alliance1]

How's the walking going DOT?

[Account Deleted]

Jane,

The WSJ did an even more informative piece on the Fukushima silliness. "Look - squirrel!" is about all the progs have got at the moment.

[Janet - the districts lie fallow, while the Capitol gorges itself]

narciso's 6:05 Ace link is good.

signed,
Janet an Amish-Evangelical, possible Cherokee, that has a hardship (my father-in-law lives with us & that's hard)

[Extraneus]

You deserve every possible advantage, Janet.

[rich@gmu]

Extraneus

IIRC there has been some noise recently of a total collapse of the Li'Kim dictatorship coming from China (reported in FP I think, and the collapse would be worst case scenario). I would tend to believe the worst regarding what the psyco grandson of the the dynasty's founder would do.

My guess is that China is working to discredit this Kim but leave enough of the regime intact to effect a coup then work with Japan, SK, and a less insane NK regime to eject the US from SK and Japan and work out some sort of detante between NK and SK. With our current regime I think they would be shell shocked and would have nothing to offer.

[rich@gmu]

and for those interested here is the fp section on NK...

http://www.foreignpolicy.com/category/topic/north_korea#sthash.IrwkcQEV.dYqcUOML.dpbs

I'd also note that they are in the end stages of a meth epidemic that has creeped into the top of NK society and bureaucracy. World War Z/Night of the Living Dead...

[Eric in Boise]

I wonder if Rodman got to watch?

He probably jumped in the cage to play defense. It prolonged the spectacle and fed his enormous ego, so it's all good.

[21_cathy_f_in_tripep@d_prison_98]

I had this idea that China could invade NK, sending a division of the army which was made up entirely of unmarried men. As the soldiers married NK women, rotate them out and send in more single guys. Solves two problems at once for the Chinese -- the insane regime on their border, and their kill-baby-girls demographic train wreck.

[click this link now]

Useful details. Hope to notice more excellent posts in the future.

[check here]

Is it honestly possible to get off renal dialysis? Australian medical doctor proclaims it truly is.