Holistic approach to wellbeing lowers hospitalizations: Study

A five-year experiment aimed at improving care for some of California’s most at-risk Medicaid patients – including homeless people and people with severe drug addictions – resulted in fewer hospitalizations and emergency room visits that saved taxpayers an estimated $383 per patient per year, according to a new study, the Associated Press reports. The UCLA Center for Health Policy Research said that for every 1,000 people enrolled in California’s Whole Person Care pilot program, there were 45 fewer hospitalizations and 130 fewer ER visits when compared with a similar group of patients who were not in the program.