Study Finds Little Difference in ED, Hospital Use by Race, Ethnicity in California
There is little difference in terms of race or ethnicity in children's use of emergency departments and adults' inpatient stays in California, according to a report released Wednesday by the Public Policy Institute of California, the Central Valley Business Times reports (Central Valley Business Times, 12/21). According to the study, children with a foreign-born parent are as likely as children with a U.S.-born parent to use an ED. Hispanic and Asian adults are less likely than white adults to see physicians, according to the study. Black adults were more likely than white adults to see a physician (Anderson, Los Angeles Daily News, 12/20). In addition, the study notes that Hispanics are more likely than any other group to lack health insurance. Undocumented adult immigrants are 30% more likely and documented immigrants are 15% more likely than U.S-born adults to lack health insurance (Central Valley Business Times, 12/21). Michael Wilson, spokesperson for the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services, said the study shows that undocumented residents are one component -- not the cause -- of the county's budget deficit, adding, "The real problem is the growing numbers of uninsured and the rising costs of health care" (Los Angeles Daily News, 12/20).
The report is available online.