Working Paper: NBER ID: w25428
Authors: Lindsay Allen; Janet R. Cummings; Jason Hockenberry
Abstract: Urgent care centers (UCCs) are a cost-efficient substitute to the emergency department (ED) for non-emergent conditions, but no study has identified their impact on ED demand. We address this gap using a novel strategy that exploits daily UCC operating times in a differencing framework. After UCCs close each day, local non-emergent ED visits increase by 1.43 percent (over the adjusted mean rate of 70.58 percent) in areas with multiple UCCs. This effect occurs only among the privately insured population, the target customers of UCCs. Our results suggest that UCCs are successfully substituting for EDs in the treatment of non-emergent conditions.
Keywords: urgent care centers; emergency department visits; healthcare costs; nonemergent care
JEL Codes: I11
Edges that are evidenced by causal inference methods are in orange, and the rest are in light blue.
| Cause | Effect |
|---|---|
| Urgent Care Center Closures (J65) | Increase in Nonemergent Emergency Department Visits (I19) |
| Presence of Multiple UCCs (L96) | Significant Reduction in Nonemergent ED Visits (I19) |
| Closure of Nearby UCCs (R33) | Increase in Nonemergent ED Visits among Privately Insured (I13) |
| Closure of Nearby UCCs (R33) | No Effect on Uninsured Individuals (I13) |