Utah Medicaid program to launch initiative to reduce unnecessary ED visits

The Bureau of Managed Health Care at the Utah Department of Health will launch a program geared toward state Medicaid beneficiaries that will "reroute patients to personal physicians who can provide better continual care at a lower cost," the Salt Lake Tribune reports.

According to the Tribune, the intent of the program is to reduce the number of emergency department visits by patients seeking nonemergency care.

Under the program, Medicaid patients will receive a phone call from one of two new, full-time state employees after their first visit to an ED for nonemergency treatment. The patient will be encouraged to seek care from a family practitioner or physician at community health centers. They also will be informed of instances when it is appropriate to visit an ED. Gail Rapp, director of the managed health care bureau, said the state will attempt to determine why patients decided to visit the ED for nonemergency care instead of their physician or community health center.

The program will be funded with a $503,000 federal grant. The funds are part of $50 million in grants allocated under the federal Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 to help Medicaid programs in 20 states with urban and rural programs to help residents with nonemergency needs. Rapp said, "The hope is if we demonstrate cost savings -- which is what we'll be measuring -- then perhaps the Legislature would allow us to continue to fund those two (staffers)" (Rosetta, Salt Lake Tribune, 6/9).