Uninsured not flocking to ER, study finds

Contrary to a widely held assumption, uninsured patients are not causing emergency room overcrowding. In fact, uninsured patients may be underrepresented in emergency rooms (Source: “Uninsured not to blame for ER waits,” Boston Globe/Reuters, Oct. 22, 2008).

A University of Michigan study, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, estimates that 10 percent of emergency room patients are uninsured, although 17 percent of the population does not have insurance.

According to the study’s authors, the uninsured typically delay treatment from ERs out of fear that they will have to pay for the care out of pocket. The study found that the groups most likely to seek emergency room care are those covered by Medicare and Medicaid.