ER Wait Times Grow as Americans Spend Over 2.5 Hours in Emergency Departments
CMS data show the national median ER visit length was 162 minutes in the year ending Sept. 30, 2025, with Washington, D.C. at 303 minutes and North Dakota at 110. About 2% of patients leave before being seen, and 24 states plus D.C. posted longer wait times than the prior year, signaling ongoing overcrowding and potential delays in care. With upcoming Medicaid eligibility and cost changes, access to care could tighten and push more people to the ED, raising costs; meanwhile, AI tools are being explored to reduce waits, though data quality and ethics remain concerns.
