Medicaid in the ER

$34 Million Saved in Effort to Cut Needless ER Visits. That's the headline from this morning's Seattle Times article describing the state's program that enables hospital emergency departments to coordinate care for frequent ER patients. "Having information about a patient’s prior ER visits, [Dr. Nathan] Schlicher said, helped emergency doctors give better care, including avoiding duplicate scans and tests that could expose patients to unnecessary radiation or other risks."

To go deeper into the policy and legal issues, see Prof. Sallie Sanford's new article,  Emergency Response: A Systemic Approach to Diaper Rash, Chest Pain and Medicaid in the ED, 102 Ky L.J. 441 (2013-2014). This article was part of a symposium called "Medicaid Matters."