Using the hospital as the doctor's office is not uncommon in America. When you're low on cash and don't have insurance, visiting the emergency room is a viable option.
And may be less of an option now that more people are insured.
Research out of the University of California-San Francisco notes the use of emergency rooms dropping in California since the passage of the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare). There are some caveats to the information, which lead author Shannon McConville explains in her visit.
