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Page: << Prev | 1 | 2 | 3 | Next >> For pregnant women, Emergency Medicaid funds cover labor but not routine prenatal care.
In their study, researchers at the University of North Carolina analyzed administrative claims data for Emergency Medicaid, which showed that 48,391 people in the state received emergency care between 2001 and 2004.
Within that group, 99 percent of patients were undocumented immigrants, 93 percent were Hispanic, 95 percent were female and 89 percent were between the ages of 18 and 40.
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In addition, the data showed, about 82 percent of Emergency Medicaid spending in 2004 was for childbirth and pregnancy complications, which accounted for 91 percent of hospitalizations.
About one-third of the remaining funds were spent on "sudden-onset" problems, such as injuries and poisonings. (Hispanic immigrants account for a disproportionate number of workplace injuries and fatalities in the United States, and motor vehicle injuries are the leading cause of death among Hispanics in North Carolina). Large chunks also went to complications of chronic disease, such as kidney failure.
The study found that the largest spending increases occurred among undocumented immigrants who were elderly and disabled.
Spending on pregnant women increased by 22 percent during the study period, by 70 percent for families with dependent children, by 82 percent for disabled patients and by 98 percent for elderly patients.
Still, only a small proportion of the undocumented population seems to be using Emergency Medicaid. The 16,106 patients utilizing Emergency Medicaid in 2004 represented only 5 percent of the total estimated undocumented immigrant population of North Carolina. Emergency Medicaid was less than 1 percent of the total state Medicaid budget, the study authors said.
The study authors wrote: "The availability of affordable culturally and linguistically appropriate primary care, however, will be a critical determinant of both the effectiveness and cost efficacy of health care for immigrants in new-growth areas."
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