Among the many debates on President Obama’s Affordable Care Act is the degree to which millions of Americans relied on emergency room visits over health insurance-covered appointments. These visits, it is argued, were used as an alternative to primary care physicians.
The tens of millions of uninsured, argued proponents of Obamacare, would find a new regime among the bill’s benefits. Once they obtained affordable insurance, the argument went, they would enter the mainstream of regular health maintenance.
However, according to a national survey of the nation’s hospitals, this prediction joins the myriad of other broken promises. The survey shows three-quarters of U.S. hospitals have reported a notable increase of emergency room visits since Obamacare has passed. The visits include minor health issues like coughs or colds, issues that could be treated with over-the-counter pharmaceuticals or a visit to an out-patient clinic.
ER visits are also growing due to the influx of illegal immigrants seeking executive amnesty. The nation’s hospitals, and thus taxpayers, have been pressured to carry the financial burden of uninsured medical care. This could prove disastrous for our already teetering health care system.
