Vizient Launches Calculator Estimating ED Walkout Revenue Losses
Vizient has released an ED throughput opportunity calculator that lets hospital leaders estimate financial losses from patients who leave the emergency department before completing treatment. Users input annual ED volume, a left-before-treatment-completion rate, and hospital type (community versus complex/academic/tertiary) to generate a loss range; for example, a complex hospital with 40,000 annual ED visits and a 9% walkout rate loses an estimated $800,400 to $1,334,000. Vizient notes the tool is directional, not a precise forecast, meant to spark discussion on ED performance improvement. The release coincides with a new CMS Emergency Care Access and Timeliness measure finalized in the 2026 outpatient payment rule, which tracks wait times, walkouts, boarding and length of stay with a four-hour admit-to-departure threshold; reporting is voluntary in 2027, mandatory in 2028, and tied to 2030 payment.