Sacramento EDs See Spike in Visits for Primary Care
Since Sacramento County began making large budget cuts to public health clinics four years ago, an increasing number of low-income and uninsured residents are turning to emergency departments for primary care. County data show that since the cuts, patient visits to public health clinics have dropped by about 50%, or 80,000. Meanwhile, county EDs saw 132,000 Medi-Cal beneficiaries in 2011, up from 94,000 in 2008, and 69,000 uninsured patients, up from 60,000 in 2008. Medi-Cal is California's Medicaid program.
- "Lacking Access to Public Clinics, Sacramento's Poor Crowd Local ERs" (Reese, Sacramento Bee, 3/18).