WASHINGTON – A new Coalition to Strengthen America’s Healthcare fact sheet with analysis by KNG Health Consulting, an independent health economics and policy consulting firm, finds nearly half of all hospital emergency department (ED) visits occur after-hours (between 5pm and 8am) when patients have limited options for care, especially during an emergency when they simply cannot wait until the next day or available appointment.
Access to 24/7 hospital EDs is critical for saving lives and supporting patients. According to the analysis, children, in particular, are more likely to receive care at an ED outside of regular business hours. This access is critical because during these hours, pediatric offices are closed, and physicians may recommend that parents seek immediate care. Additionally, injury, trauma, overdose, and poisoning-related ED visits are more likely to occur after normal business hours, when other sites of care may be closed, making hospitals’ 24/7 availability a critical factor for treatment and recovery.
“Nearly half of ED visits occurred after standard business hours (between 5pm and 8am). Sixty-five percent of these after-hour visits occurred after 8pm, when providers who may be open during evening hours, such as urgent care clinics, are likely to be closed,” according to the Coalition’s analysis.
Other Key Findings:
The analysis also examined rural and pediatric utilization of ED services. It found:
- Children accounted for 21% of ED visits in 2021. Most of these visits (55% or 15.3 million) occurred after-hours.
- Of the 136 million ED visits in 2021, 18.1 million occurred in rural areas.
- Hospital EDs often care for patients with life-threatening conditions, like injuries or trauma, where urgent access to care is needed and cannot wait until the next day or available appointment.
- In 2021, 34.3 million ED visits were related to trauma.
- Two-thirds of overdose and poisoning-related ED visits occurred after-hours in 2021.
This new analysis confirms that hospitals and health systems are the heart of 24/7 healthcare that patients count on and are indispensable access points for the communities they serve. It comes at a time when many insurance companies are threatening patient access to care – whether through excessive delays and denials or advocating for so-called site-neutral Medicare cuts. These efforts fail to account for the unique, complex care that hospitals provide, particularly after-hours when patients do not have access to other life-saving options.
Read the full analysis HERE.
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