ER visits are not a major part on overall healthcare costs (plan, claim)

[NSHL10]

There have been many posts on this forum about ER visits and how Obamacare will help lower cost of healthcare by reducing ER visits. Only 1 problem: ER visit expenses account for less than 2% of overall healthcare costs.


http://californiaacep.org/wp-content...et-for-web.pdf

Major contributors are technology, pharamceuticals, and chronic illness.

[modhatter]

Originally Posted by NSHL10

There have been many posts on this forum about ER visits and how Obamacare will help lower cost of healthcare by reducing ER visits. Only 1 problem: ER visit expenses account for less than 2% of overall healthcare costs.


http://californiaacep.org/wp-content...et-for-web.pdf

Major contributors are technology, pharamceuticals, and chronic illness.

And unnecessary procedures and intentional mis-coding ("#2 inefficient claims processing, up to 210 billion annually".) - what's that supposed to mean? Intentional mis-coding or complex old school billing practices with too many different insurance providers?

[texdav]

But they are a major factor which is why in private groups they can actually increase cost to insure when abused. If you ever served on a insurance board the cost of emergency care for same is just a lot more than say same at physicians office visit which many go to emergency rooms for. When you get to reducing cost its a matter of a lot of minor things that add up to reduction claims which adds to cost. But its unlikely that behavior will change by insurance alone; as private plans have shown it requires adding cost to cover using it as non-emergency care. There are no miracles in managing care and its cost.