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Data analyzed by

State Health Compare

Percent who visited an emergency department in the past year

Measure Overview

Emergency department (ED) visits are costly and, in many cases, preventable when the patient’s health condition could have been treated in a non-emergency setting or avoided altogether if the patient had received adequate preventive care prior to the ED visit. Preventable ED visits may indicate poor access to a usual source of medical care (like a personal doctor), limited understanding about the health care system, lack of health insurance, or inadequate care management. 

Understanding how many people visit the emergency department each year by monitoring trends in ED visits across different regions and populations can help policymakers and public health practitioners compare rates of ED utilization and investigate the underlying reasons for higher rates among certain groups. 

Had Emergency Department Visit by State, Coverage Type, and More: Breakdowns and Data Source 


State Health Compare provides state-level estimates of the percent of individuals who had any visit to the emergency department during the past twelve months using data from the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS). 

Two breakdowns are available for this measure: Age and Coverage Type.

Generate customized graphics using this data by selecting one of the options below.

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