ERs Struggle Due to Economic Downturn

February 26, 2009, WASHINGTON, D.C. – As Americans have lost their jobs and, in turn, their health insurance, they have increasingly turned to emergency rooms to obtain care.  The result: overcrowded emergency rooms, longer wait times, sicker patients, and overstretched emergency departments and staff.

Yesterday, Congressmen Bart Gordon (D-TN) and Pete Sessions (R-TX) introduced the “Access to Emergency Medical Services Act,” H.R. 1188, a bill that would provide more resources to emergency room departments.

“This bill is essential – as the economy has worsened, ERs across Tennessee and the rest of the country have seen a surge in the number of people coming in,” said Congressman Gordon.  “I have heard from hospital administrators in Middle Tennessee and they are telling me that the economic downturn has resulted in a near one-third increase in the number of uninsured people seeking care in their ERs.”

By law, emergency rooms must treat people who need care, whether or not they have insurance or can afford the care.  In tough economic times, emergency rooms see an increase in their caseload due to the number of unemployed, and uninsured, people needing care.

“High costs, overcrowding, and increasing dependence on emergency care are threatening the delivery of high quality emergency health care in our nation's emergency departments,” said Congressman Sessions.  “I believe that the Access to Emergency Medical Services Act is a vital opportunity for Congress to begin addressing these critical problems and ensuring that our nation’s emergency departments meet the demands of a 21st century health care system.”

The bipartisan legislation introduced by Gordon and Sessions would provide more funding to emergency departments nationwide by increasing Medicare payments for emergency related care by 10%.  It would also establish a commission to advise Congress on how to best address the problems facing emergency rooms across America.

“Tennessee ERs recently received an overall ‘C-’ grade from the American College of Emergency Physicians,” added Gordon. “It’s not because they have poor management, doctors or personnel, but rather because they lack the necessary resources to treat the increased caseload of patients.”

The Gordon-Sessions bill was introduced with 51 original cosponsors.  A companion bill was introduced in the U.S. Senate by Senators Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) and Arlen Specter (R-PA).

(Note: You can view footage from the news conference held on Feb. 25th about the “Access to Emergency Medical Services Act” at the following address: http://gordon.house.gov/video/ER.wmv.)