Data released this summer by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) revealed the average visit times for emergency rooms (ER) in all 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia. Surprisingly, the data showed that patients in Washington, D.C. had the longest average visit time at 5 hours and 29 minutes, while North Dakota had the shortest median visit at just 1 hour and 48 minutes.
The CMS collected this data between October 2021 and September 2022 as part of their “Timely and Effective Care” measurements. The data covers visits from both children and adults who received care under Medicare’s Inpatient Prospective Payment System or Outpatient Prospective Payment System. It also includes visits from hospitals that voluntarily reported information for Medicare patients, Medicare managed care patients, and non-Medicare patients.
Below is a list of the average visit times by state, ranked from shortest to longest, compiled by Becker’s Hospital Review:
- North Dakota — 1 hour and 48 minutes
- Nebraska — 1 hour and 55 minutes
- South Dakota — 1 hour and 55 minutes
- Hawaii — 1 hour and 56 minutes
- Iowa — 1 hour and 59 minutes
- Oklahoma — 1 hour and 59 minutes
- Kansas — 2 hours and 4 minutes
- Montana — 2 hours and 7 minutes
- Mississippi — 2 hours and 9 minutes
- Idaho — 2 hours and 12 minutes
- Louisiana — 2 hours and 12 minutes
- Arkansas — 2 hours and 14 minutes
- Minnesota — 2 hours and 14 minutes
- Wyoming — 2 hours and 15 minutes
- Utah — 2 hours and 17 minutes
- Indiana — 2 hours and 18 minutes
- Colorado — 2 hours and 21 minutes
- Alaska — 2 hours and 23 minutes
- Kentucky — 2 hours and 23 minutes
- Texas — 2 hours and 24 minutes
- Alabama — 2 hours and 25 minutes
- Wisconsin — 2 hours and 26 minutes
- Nevada — 2 hours and 27 minutes
- Washington — 2 hours and 27 minutes
- West Virginia — 2 hours and 33 minutes
- Missouri — 2 hours and 35 minutes
- Georgia — 2 hours and 37 minutes
- Ohio — 2 hours and 37 minutes
- Tennessee — 2 hours and 40 minutes
- Florida — 2 hours and 44 minutes
- New Hampshire — 2 hours and 44 minutes
- Maine — 2 hours and 45 minutes
- New Mexico — 2 hours and 46 minutes
- South Carolina — 2 hours and 48 minutes
- Oregon — 2 hours and 51 minutes
- Michigan — 2 hours and 52 minutes
- Virginia — 2 hours and 52 minutes
- Illinois — 2 hours and 54 minutes
- North Carolina — 2 hours and 54 minutes
- Vermont — 2 hours and 58 minutes
- California — 3 hours
- Pennsylvania — 3 hours
- Connecticut — 3 hours and 2 minutes
- New Jersey — 3 hours and 11 minutes
- Arizona — 3 hours and 13 minutes
- New York — 3 hours and 21 minutes
- Delaware — 3 hours and 30 minutes
- Massachusetts — 3 hours and 33 minutes
- Rhode Island — 3 hours and 34 minutes
- Maryland — 4 hours and 2 minutes
- District of Columbia — 5 hours and 29 minutes
According to CMS data, the average visit time nationwide has increased to 160 minutes, up from 155 minutes in September 2021 and 143 minutes in 2020. This trend is likely due to staffing shortages and the surge in patient volume. Notably, there has been a significant rise in emergency department visits covered by Medicaid, from 34% in 2011 to 45.3% in 2021 among patients under 65 years old, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
For more health articles, visit www.foxnews/health. Melissa Rudy is the health editor and a member of the lifestyle team at Fox News Digital.
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