 Policy changes (such as the Affordable Care Act) designed to decrease the number of uninsured people have been projected to drastically lower the amount of uncompensated care.In addition to decreasing the uninsured rate, ED overutilization might be mitigated by improving patient access to primary care and increasing patient flow to alternative care centers for non-life-threatening injuries.Financial disincentives, patient education, as well as improved management for patients with chronic diseases can also reduce overutilization and help to manage costs of care.