More Americans enjoy health insurance under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), but that doesn’t always mean they can find a primary physician, and as a result emergency room (ER) visits are climbing, according to three-quarters of emergency physicians polled by The American College of Emergency Physicians.

Some 28 percent of those polled also report “significant increases” in ER visits, while 56 percent say the number of those coming to the ER on Medicaid is increasing.

“America has severe primary care physician shortages, and many physicians will not accept Medicaid patients because Medicaid pays so inadequately,” Dr. Michael Gerardi, president of ACEP, said in a statement.  “Just because people have health insurance does not mean they have access to timely medical care.”

Because of low fee schedules, many primary physicians refuse to see patients on Medicaid, whose ranks have swelled under Obamacare.


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