Access to care issues and the role of EDs in the wake of the Affordable Care Act.

Context: Americans who received public insurance under the Affordable Care Act use the emergency department (ED) more frequently than before they were insured. If newly enrolled patients cannot access primary care and instead rely on the ED, they may not enjoy the full benefits of health care services.

Objective: The objective of the study is to characterize reasons for ED utilization among American adults by insurance status and usual source of care.