Self-Pay Hospital Visits Rise Following Medicaid Disenrollment, Epic Research Finds
Self-pay hospital visits are increasing as Medicaid enrollment declines following the end of pandemic-era continuous enrollment protections, according to an Epic Research study published August 31, 2026. The research documents rising uncompensated care across hospital settings linked to coverage losses in both Medicaid and ACA markets. The trend reflects ongoing fallout from Medicaid redeterminations that began in spring 2023, with states continuing to process eligibility reviews and disenroll individuals who no longer qualify or fail to complete renewal paperwork. State Medicaid agencies and safety-net hospitals face mounting financial pressure as former enrollees present for care without coverage.
Rising self-pay visits signal growing uncompensated care costs for Medicaid providers and potential enrollment system failures requiring state agency attention to renewal processes and ex parte redeterminations.
Finance · Managed Care
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