The primary cause of overcrowded emergency departments is not uninsured patients, reports an article in the Los Angeles Times, citing a study published by the American College of Emergency Physicians and conducted by researchers from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the University of California-San Francisco. The study found that uninsured patients made up only 15% of the 45 million patients who went to the emergency department between July 2000 and June 2001. Although only 10% of patients made four or more visits per year to the emergency department, these patients accounted for accounted for 28% of visits. The vast majority of this patient group--84%--had health insurance, and 81% had a regular doctor or clinic. Half were covered by Medicaid and Medicare, and one-third had private coverage. The patients chose the emergency department because they couldn’t get in to see their doctor or get a hospital bed quickly enough.
