More Medicaid Patients Using ER, NFIP in the Red and Teen Drivers Vulnerable to Deadly Crashes


Written on August 24, 2010 – 7:34 am | by Gabrielle Scanlan

A new report has found that more Medicaid patients are using the ER, the National Flood Insurance Program has run into problems that have put it in the red and the NHTSA has revealed that teen drivers are more vulnerable to deadly crashes.

More Medicaid Patients Using ER

Researchers from the University of California, San Francisco, say that an increasing number Americans, especially adults on Medicaid, are using the emergency room as their “safety net” for health care; the reason being that they must treat all patients regardless of health insurance coverage or ability to pay.

According to their report, five times the number of adults with Medicaid visited the emergency department than those with private insurance in 2007, as compared to only three and a half times the number in 1999. Researchers said many of these visits could have been handled by a primary care clinic, but the patients preferred the speed of the ER ().

National Flood Insurance Program in the Red

The National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) is in the red, and “repeat offender,” flooded homes, seems to be the culprit for the massive payouts that have left the program struggling for money.

A new report from the Houston Chronicle found that between 1977 and 1995, the NFIP paid out $806,591 for repeated storm damage to one suburban Houston home that was valued at $114,480. In the report, it was revealed that roughly 1 percent of properties typically account for between 25 and 30 percent of the claims it pays and these “repetitive loss” homes have more than doubled in the past 15 years.

Currently, NFIP owes the Department of Treasury more than $18 billion and is unlikely to be able to pay it back ().

Teen Drivers Vulnerable to Deadly Crashes

A recent report from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) revealed that teen drivers are especially vulnerable to deadly crashes.

In the report, it was revealed that mile for mile, teenagers are involved in three times as many fatal crashes as other drivers. Even more, motor vehicle accidents account for more deaths than both suicide and homicide combined. It’s for this reason that the NHTSA encourages parents to not only teach safe driving but also purchase quality auto insurance for teen drivers ().

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Tags: Drivers, Medicaid Patients, Teen Drivers

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