Trends in Emergency Department Visits Among People Younger Than Age 65 by Insurance Status: United States, 2010-2021.

Abstract

Purpose-This report describes trends in emergency department visits among people younger than age 65 from 2010 through 2021, by health insurance status and selected demographic and hospital characteristics. Methods-Estimates in this report are based on data collected in the 2010-2021 National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey. Data were weighted to produce annual national estimates. Patient and hospital characteristics are presented by primary expected source of payment. Results-Private insurance and Medicaid were the most common primary expected sources of payment at emergency department visits by people younger than age 65 from 2010 through 2013. Medicaid was the most common primary expected source of payment from 2014 through 2021. Among children younger than age 18 years, the most common primary expected source of payment was Medicaid across the entire period. The percentage of visits by children with no insurance decreased from 7.4% in 2010 to 3.0% in 2021. Among adults, the percentage of visits with Medicaid increased from 25.5% in 2010 to 38.9% in 2021, and the percentage of visits by those with no insurance decreased from 24.6% to 11.1% during this period. Among Black non-Hispanic and Hispanic people, Medicaid was the most frequent primary expected source of payment during the entire period. Among White non-Hispanic people, private insurance was the most frequent primary expected source of payment through 2015, while private insurance and Medicaid were the most frequent primary expected sources of payment from 2016 through 2021.