The median wait time for a hospital bed, often spent in a hallway of the emergency room, was five hours from April through June 2026—up 25% from the same period last year, according to a study by Vizient that was published in the Wall Street Journal. The study adds that 7.4% of patients wait over 12 hours and 2.8% wait over 24 hours to be assigned a hospital bed. The percentage of people waiting over 24 hours has tripled compared to the same period last year.
Several studies show that patients who are stuck in an overcrowded ER instead of being promptly transferred to a department that specializes in the patient’s condition are at risk of lower-quality care and missed medications.
