Overuse of Emergency Departments Among Insured Californians

SU E B R IE F Introduction One of the key challenges facing emergency departments (EDs) nationwide is a marked increase in usage over the last several years. Interestingly, the increase has been shown to be driven primarily by more frequent visits among the insured,1 often for cases that fail to meet the criteria for emergent or urgent care.2 Excess use of EDs, particularly for non-urgent care, has been associated with significant increases in health care expenditures.3 Although the impacts of crowding on quality of care have not been comprehensively studied, evidence suggests that excess use also negatively impacts quality of care.4