Why can uninsured kids just rely on the emergency room for health care?
Emergency rooms are for emergencies, and we should do everything we can do to ensure they are ready for action when crisis strikes. Children should not rely on the emergency room for all of their health care needs. Instead, children need preventive care from a regular doctor to keep minor illnesses from becoming full blown medical crises. And children with chronic conditions like asthma need regular care to prevent ER visits and hospital stays. It makes financial sense for a child to get preventive care. For example, a typical visit for asthma symptoms in a doctor’s office costs $100. However, if a child does not get adequate care and visits the ER with a severe asthma attack, the cost spirals to $7,000. These costs are shifted into higher private health insurance premiums and increased local taxes.
