Emergency room visits may be on the rise as the Affordable Care Act evolves. And that's putting a strain on ER staff.

Two research projects — one in Illinois and another in Massachusetts — seem to indicate that more people are now seeking care in hospital emergency units than before the ACA came into being.

It's a small sample, admittedly. But the results of the two studies, done independently of one another, suggest the expansion of Medicaid, and the availability of affordable coverage in general, are leading to more ER visits. One of the downsides of this trend is that medical professionals are being slammed by the increased workload.

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Dan Cook

Dan Cook is a journalist and communications consultant based in Portland, OR. During his journalism career he has been a reporter and editor for a variety of media companies, including American Lawyer Media, BusinessWeek, Newhouse Newspapers, Knight-Ridder, Time Inc., and Reuters. He specializes in health care and insurance related coverage for BenefitsPRO.