Emergency docs say Sebelius is wrong about ED

A statement July 15 from U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius seems innocuous enough: A lot of people seeking care in emergency departments are uninsured.

But the nation's leading group of emergency physicians immediately took issue with her remarks, saying she's perpetuating a myth about hospital care and is missing a much bigger problem.

In her statement, Sebelius said statistics from a database managed by the Agency for Health Research and Quality show that in 2006, one in 5 patients seen in emergency department settings was uninsured, that low-income patients accounted for almost one-third of patient visits, and residents of rural areas comprised one-fifth of emergency room care.

"Our health care system has forced too many uninsured, rural and low-income Americans to depend on the emergency room for the care they need," Sebelius said. "We cannot wait for reform that gives all Americans the high-quality affordable care they need and helps prevent illnesses from turning into emergencies."

Read the full story by HealthLeaders Media’s Cheryl Clark.