Addressing Boarding and Crowding in the Emergency Department | ChamberLight
Bills · HR 2936
IN COMMITTEE· 119TH CONGRESS
House BillHR 2936Health
Addressing Boarding and Crowding in the Emergency Department
INTRO APR 17· LAST ACTION APR 17
READING
4MIN
COSPONSORS
33
READER REACTIONS0 TOTAL
NO VOTES YET · BE THE FIRST
Introduced only
LEGISLATIVE PROGRESS
STEP 2 / 8
Introduced
In Committee
Reported
Passed House
Passed Senate
Conference
To President
Became Law
WHAT THE BILL DOES
AI-written
Emergency department overcrowding is a serious and widespread problem that leads to long wait times, delayed treatment, and can negatively impact patient outcomes. When emergency departments are full, ambulances can't unload patients quickly, meaning paramedics are tied up at the hospital instead of responding to other emergencies. This bill matters because it tries to tackle these issues head-on by providing tools and funding to create real-time tracking systems for hospital beds.
By making hospital capacity data more accessible and creating specialized programs for vulnerable populations like older adults and those in mental health crisis, the bill aims to improve the efficiency and quality of emergency care across the country. If enacted, this could mean faster care for patients, less stress on emergency room staff, and quicker response times from EMS, directly affecting the health and safety of communities. Without this bill, states and regions might lack the dedicated funding and focus to develop comprehensive, real-time systems for managing hospital bed capacity, potentially leaving these critical issues unaddressed.
KEY PROVISIONS
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PROVISION 01
Amends the Public Health Service Act to allow public health data modernization grants to be used for developing state- or region-wide systems that track hospital bed capacity in real-time.
This provides dedicated funding and a legal basis for states to build systems that can help manage hospital resources more efficiently, directly addressing emergency department overcrowding.
PROVISION 02
Requires the new tracking systems to also monitor how bed capacity affects emergency department boarding rates, wait times, and EMS offload times, and establish public-facing dashboards for this information (with privacy protections).
This ensures accountability and transparency, allowing the public and policymakers to understand the scope of the problem and track improvements, while also focusing on key metrics of emergency department performance.
PROVISION 03
Directs the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) to create pilot programs to improve emergency care for older adults.
This focuses on a vulnerable population often impacted by ED crowding, aiming for evidence-based improvements in staffing, infrastructure, policies, and coordination with post-acute care facilities.
PROVISION 04
Directs CMMI to create pilot programs to improve emergency care for individuals experiencing acute psychiatric crises.
Addresses a critical and growing need for specialized, expedited care for mental health emergencies within emergency departments, including dedicated units and faster transfers.
PROVISION 05
Requires the Comptroller General to conduct a study on best practices for these hospital capacity tracking systems and assess their impact on emergency department metrics.
This ensures that effective strategies are identified and shared, and provides an independent evaluation of whether the new systems are achieving their intended goals.
Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Emergency department overcrowding is a serious and widespread problem that leads to long wait times, delayed treatment, and can negatively impact patient outcomes. When emergency departments are full, ambulances can't unload patients quickly, meaning paramedics are tied up at the hospital instead of responding to other emergencies. This bill matters because it tries to tackle these issues head-on by providing tools and funding to create real-time tracking systems for hospital beds.
By making hospital capacity data more accessible and creating specialized programs for vulnerable populations like older adults and those in mental health crisis, the bill aims to improve the efficiency and quality of emergency care across the country. If enacted, this could mean faster care for patients, less stress on emergency room staff, and quicker response times from EMS, directly affecting the health and safety of communities. Without this bill, states and regions might lack the dedicated funding and focus to develop comprehensive, real-time systems for managing hospital bed capacity, potentially leaving these critical issues unaddressed.
KEY PROVISIONS
AI-extracted
high
Amends the Public Health Service Act to allow public health data modernization grants to be used for developing state- or region-wide systems that track hospital bed capacity in real-time.
This provides dedicated funding and a legal basis for states to build systems that can help manage hospital resources more efficiently, directly addressing emergency department overcrowding.
high
Requires the new tracking systems to also monitor how bed capacity affects emergency department boarding rates, wait times, and EMS offload times, and establish public-facing dashboards for this information (with privacy protections).
This ensures accountability and transparency, allowing the public and policymakers to understand the scope of the problem and track improvements, while also focusing on key metrics of emergency department performance.
med
Directs the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) to create pilot programs to improve emergency care for older adults.
This focuses on a vulnerable population often impacted by ED crowding, aiming for evidence-based improvements in staffing, infrastructure, policies, and coordination with post-acute care facilities.
med
Directs CMMI to create pilot programs to improve emergency care for individuals experiencing acute psychiatric crises.
Addresses a critical and growing need for specialized, expedited care for mental health emergencies within emergency departments, including dedicated units and faster transfers.
med
Requires the Comptroller General to conduct a study on best practices for these hospital capacity tracking systems and assess their impact on emergency department metrics.
This ensures that effective strategies are identified and shared, and provides an independent evaluation of whether the new systems are achieving their intended goals.
Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act
Comptroller General to complete study and submit report to Congress.
GLOSSARY
AI-written
Public Health Service Act
A major federal law that governs public health activities in the United States, including grants and programs related to health.
Emergency Department Boarding
The practice of holding patients in the emergency department for an extended period after they have been admitted to the hospital, usually because there are no available inpatient beds.
EMS Offload Times
The amount of time emergency medical services (EMS) personnel, like paramedics, spend waiting at a hospital emergency department to transfer a patient to hospital staff.
Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI)
A part of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) that develops and tests new healthcare payment and service delivery models to improve quality and reduce costs.
Comptroller General of the United States
The head of the Government Accountability Office (GAO), an independent agency that provides audit, evaluation, and investigative services for the U.S. Congress.
Cooperative Agreements
A type of financial assistance from a federal agency where the agency is substantially involved in the program during the performance period, unlike a grant where the agency has less involvement.
ACTION TIMELINE
2 EVENTS
APR 17, 25
Introduced in House
INTROREFERRAL
APR 17, 25
Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Healthcare facilities that provide care to patients after a hospital stay, such as skilled nursing facilities, rehabilitation centers, or home health services.
