A new study reveals that Black Americans and people living in low-income neighborhoods are significantly more likely to make repeated emergency department visits for seizures or epilepsy. Researchers analyzed data from over 200,000 adults across Florida, Maryland, New York, and Wisconsin between 2016 and 2018. They found that 14.2% of patients had more than two seizure-related ER visits during that time.
Black patients had 60% higher odds of frequent ER visits compared to White patients. Those living in the lowest-income zip codes were also more likely to return repeatedly, with the highest ER use seen in the bottom 25% income bracket. Insurance status played a major role: patients with Medicaid, Medicare, or no insurance were all more likely to have frequent visits than those with private coverage.
Interestingly, public insurance appeared to reduce racial disparities. Black patients with Medicaid or Medicare had lower odds of frequent ER visits than those with private insurance, suggesting that public coverage may offer some protection against systemic barriers.
Florida stood out with the highest proportion of uninsured patients in the high ER visit group—25.5%—compared to just 6–8% in other states. Researchers linked this to Florida’s decision not to expand Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act.
The findings underscore how poverty, race, and insurance gaps intersect to drive emergency care overuse in epilepsy. Expanding access to outpatient neurology and epilepsy centers, especially through Medicaid and telehealth, could help reduce these disparities.
See “Frequent seizure and epilepsy-related emergency department visits in the United States” (July 5, 2025)
