A new study by researchers at the Department of Health Care Policy and Financing demonstrates that Medicaid clients who are seen at community health centers use hospital services thirty percent less than those seen in private practices. The study was published today in the July 2011 edition of the national health policy journal, Health Affairs.The article, “Medicaid Patients Seen At Federally Qualified Health Centers Use Hospital Services Less Than Those Seen by Private Providers,” found patients using community health centers as their primary source of care were one-third less likely to have emergency department visits, inpatient hospitalizations, or preventable hospital admissions.
“This study confirms the importance of comprehensive primary care,” says Judy Zerzan, MD, MPH, Medicaid chief medical officer. “This study provides an important analysis of comprehensive primary care’s value in providing the right care at the right place and at the right time.”
The study included 179,749 Medicaid clients and analyzed emergency department visits, inpatient hospitalizations, preventable hospital admissions, and ninety-day hospital readmissions.
