Health Plans Spending More on ER Visits

May 26, 2023 | Emergency Room (ER), Family doctors, Health care costs, Primary Care, Spending, Urgent Care

Two items of interest, both pertaining to health plan spending for emergency room visits:

  1. Facility fees for ER visits increased 531% from 2004 to 2021, according to a recent Peterson-KFF analysis. A greater range of treatments and more expensive technologies available to care for ER patients are among the factors contributing to higher facility costs.
  2. For MedBen clients in 2022, 14% of ER visits were avoidable… that is, the conditions treated could have been better managed in a more cost-effective setting, such as an urgent care facility or family doctor.

MedBen has created a flyer listing common uses for emergency rooms and urgent care that you are welcome to download and share with your employees. A visit to an urgent care facility or family doctor in 2022 cost, on average, $1,436 less than an avoidable ER visit… so it clearly pays to know the best options for non-emergency care.