title: The impact of health insurance status on emergency room services.
abstract: This study presents evidence from a major hospital that the uninsured received less care than privately insured patients when they came for emergency treatment, even when the insured and uninsured had similar diagnoses. Uninsured emergency patients were also less likely to be admitted to the hospital than insured emergency patients. Among those treated and released, the uninsured have lower discharge costs than privately insured patients. Among those patients admitted to the hospital, however, the costs of treatment were quite similar for insured and uninsured patients alike.
authors.affiliation: School of Arts and Sciences, Benedict College, USA.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Jackson
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003710:Demography; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital / Q000191:economics* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006297:Health Services Accessibility / Q000191:economics*; D006766:Hospitals, County / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007348:Insurance, Health / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D007902:Length of Stay / Q000191:economics; D008297:Male; D008484:Medicaid / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D017057:Medically Uninsured / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006278:Medicare / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008875:Middle Aged; D015146:Midwestern United States; D010343:Patient Admission / Q000191:economics; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors