e4health Stands with the MATCH IT Act: A Step Toward Better Patient Matching and Safer Care

We are thrilled to announce our official pledge of support for the MATCH IT Act (H.R. 2002), reintroduced on March 12, 2025, in the U.S. House of Representatives by bipartisan champions Rep. Mike Kelly (R-PA) and Rep. Bill Foster (D-IL), with co-sponsorship from Rep. Seth Moulton (D-MA). This landmark legislation, backed by over 20 leading healthcare organizations, including the Patient ID Now Coalition, represents a significant leap toward improving patient safety, privacy, and efficiency in healthcare delivery.

Why the MATCH IT Act Matters

Patient misidentification has long been a silent crisis in the U.S. healthcare system. According to Black Book Research, 35% of denied claims stem from inaccurate patient identification, costing the average hospital $2.5 million annually and the healthcare system over $6.7 billion. Beyond the financial toll, mismatched records lead to medical errors, duplicative testing, and, in some cases, tragic outcomes. The cost of repeated care due to duplicate records averages $1,950 per inpatient stay and over $1,700 per emergency department visit—unnecessary burdens on patients and providers alike.

The MATCH IT Act addresses these challenges head-on by:
Defining a Standard “Patient Match Rate”: This will enable consistent measurement of patient matching accuracy across the healthcare ecosystem.

Standardizing Demographic Data: By improving how patient information is entered into certified health IT systems, the bill ensures patients are correctly linked to their medical records. These changes promise to reduce errors, lower costs, and—most importantly—protect patients by ensuring clinicians have the right information at the right time.

e4health’s Commitment to National Standards

As a proud supporter of the MATCH IT Act, e4health is fully aligned with its mission to establish national standards and protocols for patient matching. We believe that accurate patient identification is foundational to delivering high-quality, safe, and coordinated care. Our work in health IT and data integrity positions us to champion solutions that bridge gaps in interoperability and enhance the patient experience.

We join a powerful coalition of advocates—including the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA), the College of Healthcare Information Management Executives (CHIME), the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS), and Intermountain Health—in celebrating this bipartisan effort. The MATCH IT Act is a critical step toward a future where every patient’s record is accurately matched, every time.

Voices of Support

Leaders across the healthcare industry echo our enthusiasm:
Russ Branzell, CHIME President and CEO, called the MATCH IT Act “a critical step toward establishing patient matching standards that enhance patient safety, privacy, and healthcare efficiency.”

Ryan Smith, Chief Digital and Information Officer at Intermountain Health, emphasized that “ensuring patients are accurately and consistently connected to their electronic health data is foundational to patient safety and privacy.”

At e4health, we couldn’t agree more. We’re committed to advancing this legislation and supporting its passage to drive meaningful progress in health IT.

Learn More and Join the Movement

The reintroduction of the MATCH IT Act is a moment to celebrate—and a call to action. To dive deeper into this transformative bill, check out:

Together, we can build a healthcare system where patient matching is seamless, secure, and standardized. At e4health, we’re all in—because every patient deserves care they can trust.