Published on Saturday, August 23, 2008
By LORA HINES
Medi-Cal patients are more likely to seek treatment in California hospital emergency rooms than people who are uninsured or have private insurance, according to a recent report.
The study, prepared by the Public Policy Institute of California, also indicates that most people taken to emergency rooms are infants who need treatment for common childhood ailments, such as ear infections and fevers, regardless of a family's insurance coverage.
The institute is a private, nonprofit research organization that analyzed hospital and health care data collected by a variety of state agencies in 2005.
The study shows that the Inland region ranked above the state average in most categories, including the rates of avoidable emergency room visits and the number of visits made by patients covered by Medi-Cal and the uninsured.
San Bernardino County also ranked above the state average in the number of poor people who use emergency rooms for care
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