More money could result in fewer trips to ER, study suggests

AP Health Writer

A new study suggests that giving cash to poor people could result in fewer emergency department visits. The study, which published Monday, examined the health records of people in a Boston suburb who won up to $400 a month for nine months. Researchers discovered that people who won the money went to the emergency room less than the people who didn’t get the monthly payments. One expert said the study appears to be one of the first to link the health benefits of higher income with reduced health care spending.