Calif. exchange bringing in thousands of patients to hospitals
Thousands of people who bought health insurance through California’s individual marketplace are accessing healthcare services at hospitals in the state, according to a report released last week.
The report issued by Covered California includes a detailed breakdown of services patients received between Jan. 1, 2014, when coverage began, and June 30, 2015. It includes data from 111 acute-care hospitals, which represented about 40% of the inpatient care delivered in the state in 2014.
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi touted the report during a visit last week to the University of California at San Francisco.
Kaiser Foundation Hospitals, the state’s largest health system, saw tens of thousands of Covered California patients at many of its campuses, according to the report. Kaiser was one of the largest beneficiaries of the state’s coverage expansion.
At Kaiser’s 233-bed medical center in Walnut Creek, for instance, 21,624 people with a Covered California plan accessed inpatient or outpatient services, including 1,102 emergency department visits and 3,724 mental health visits.
At Kaiser’s 414-bed San Diego hospital, 34,168 people with exchange coverage accessed services, with 1,590 seeking ED care and 5,859 receiving mental health services.
At UCSF, Pelosi praised Covered California’s “enormous success,” saying the report “is the latest evidence that the Affordable Care Act is delivering on the promise of making healthcare a right for all, not just a privilege for the few.”
UCSF treated more than 14,305 patients who purchased insurance through Covered California. It provided 49,689 outpatient visits and 1,218 cancer treatments.