Is increasing ER use actually due to the uninsured? Maybe not.

Are the Uninsured Responsible for the Rise in Emergency Department Visits in the United States? (pdf file)
in the Annals of Emergency Medicine

Conclusion: The rise in ED visits between 1996 and 2003 cannot be primarily attributed to the
uninsured. Major contributors to increasing ED utilization appear to be disproportionate increases in use by nonpoor persons and by persons whose usual source of care is a physician’s office.