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Emergency Room Use Rose Slightly After Implementation of Massachusetts Healthcare Law
Emergency department usage in Massachusetts rose slightly both during and immediately after implementation of a 2006 state law expanding health care access, a sign that broader availability of insurance may increase use of the ED.
Annals of Emergency Medicine
Emergency department usage in Massachusetts rose slightly both during and immediately after implementation of a 2006 state law expanding health care access, a sign that broader availability of insurance may increase use of the ED, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center researchers report in a study published in the .
The review of 13.3 million visits from 2004-2009 suggests multiple factors — including access to primary care, pent up demand for health care services, and the 24-hour availability and perceived efficiency of care in the ED — must also be weighed in assessing the likely impact of the federal Affordable Care Act on ED use.
"Increasing the rate of insurance may have reduced financial barriers to care while minimally impacting barriers to accessing timely care outside the emergency department," says lead author Peter B. Smulowitz, MD, MPH, an emergency physician at BIDMC and an Assistant Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School.
Read the full story here: http://bit.ly/OEATl0
Source: Medical Xpress
Blister Packs May Help Solve Medication Adherence Challenges and Lower Health Care Costs
June 10th 2025Julia Lucaci, PharmD, MS, of Becton, Dickinson and Company, discusses the benefits of blister packaging for chronic medications, advocating for payer incentives to boost medication adherence and improve health outcomes.
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From Red Tape to Relief: Rewriting the Rules of Prior Authorization
June 23rd 2025Up to 257 million Americans could benefit from these prior authorization reforms that could have cross-market implications on health care plans administered through commercial insurers, Medicare Advantage, and Medicaid.
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