AHA Support for Senate ED Boarding, Crowding Act (S.1974)

October 20, 2026

Dear Senators Coons and McCormick:

On behalf of our nearly 5,000 member hospitals, health systems and other healthcare organizations, our clinician partners, including more than 270,000 affiliated physicians, 2 million nurses and other caregivers, and the 43,000 health care leaders who belong to our professional membership groups, the American Hospital Association (AHA) writes in support of the Addressing Boarding and Crowding in the Emergency Department (ABC-ED) Act of 2025 (S. 1974).

The causes of emergency department (ED) boarding and crowding are complex, multifactorial, and reflect failures across the healthcare system. They have become persistent and growing challenges for hospitals and health systems nationwide. Boarding occurs when patients admitted to the hospital must remain in the ED because an inpatient bed is not yet available; for example, delays in discharging patients to post-acute care settings limit bed turnover. This delays care for other patients, worsens patient outcomes and places significant strain on clinical staff. The AHA shares your commitment to advancing solutions that will help improve the emergency care experience for patients and caregivers alike.

The ABC-ED Act would take steps to address this challenge by strengthening data collection on hospital capacity and ED boarding and to support new care models that improve coordination across the healthcare continuum.

We appreciate your strong leadership on this important issue, and the AHA looks forward to continuing to work with your offices further to address the underlying causes of ED boarding and overcrowding.

Sincerely,

/s/

Lisa Kidder Hrobsky
Senior Vice President
Advocacy and Political Affairs