Riverside County Leader Touts Plan Aimed at Reining In ED Usage
This week, Riverside County Supervisor Bob Buster asked the board of supervisors to back a proposal aimed at reducing unnecessary hospital emergency department visits by Medi-Cal beneficiaries, the Riverside Press-Enterprise reports.
Medi-Cal is California's Medicaid program.
Buster wants Riverside County Regional Medical Center in Moreno Valley and Inland Empire Health Plan to study ED use and develop a reduction plan. IEHP administers Medi-Cal benefits for about 350,000 residents of Riverside and San Bernardino counties.
Buster's recommendation stems from a study by the Public Policy Institute of California that found that Medi-Cal beneficiaries are more likely than the uninsured or Californians with private coverage to seek treatment in an ED.
In inland Southern California, the study found that ED usage rates by Medi-Cal beneficiaries and uninsured residents exceeded the state average.
Dr. Brad Gilbert, CEO of Inland Empire Health Plan, said he will study the local problem with Riverside County Regional Medical Center CEO Doug Bagley. Gilbert also said he will participate in a statewide project centered on ED use (Hines, Riverside Press-Enterprise, 10/7).
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