AHIMA Supports Bipartisan MATCH IT Act to Improve Patient Matching and Protect Patient Safety
New bipartisan legislation would advance standardized patient matching to reduce medical errors and improve patient safety nationwide.
Washington, DC, Aug. 05, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- AHIMA, a founding member of the Patient ID Now coalition, applauds the Senate introduction of the Patient Matching and Transparency in Certified Health IT (MATCH IT) Act of 2026 by Senators Mark Warner (D-VA) and Jim Banks (R-IN), a companion bill to H.R.2002 introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives by Representatives Mike Kelly (R-PA) and Bill Foster (D-IL).
The MATCH IT Act addresses the problem of patient misidentification within the healthcare ecosystem. The bill would create an industry standard definition for how patient match rates are measured and would improve standardization of patients’ demographic elements entered into certified health IT products to ensure patients are accurately matched with the correct medical record.
“Medical care begins with the information found in a patient’s health record,” said David D. Cella, CEO of the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA). “However, patient misidentification within the healthcare ecosystem continues to threaten patient safety and privacy, which can lead to dire outcomes. With the introduction of the MATCH IT Act, we are one step closer to ensuring patients’ health information is complete and accurate. AHIMA commends Senator Warner and Senator Banks for leading the effort to address this critical issue.”
Patient misidentification across the U.S. healthcare system compromises safety, jeopardizes privacy, and creates unnecessary costs for both patients and healthcare providers. The inability of clinicians to ensure patients are accurately matched with their medical records can cause medical errors and even patient deaths. Patients often undergo unnecessary duplicative medical tests because of the inability to ensure accurate matches to their medical records.
According to Black Book Research, the expense of repeated medical care due to duplicate records costs an average of $1,950 per patient inpatient stay and more than $1,700 per emergency department visit. Thirty-five percent of all denied claims result from inaccurate patient identification, costing the average hospital $2.5 million and the U.S. healthcare system more than $6.7 billion annually.
Other healthcare leaders in the Patient ID Now coalition shared these remarks on the recent legislation:
- “On behalf of HIMSS, I applaud Senators Mark Warner and Jim Banks for their bipartisan leadership in introducing the MATCH IT Act in the Senate. Accurate patient identification is fundamental to safe, interoperable, and high-quality care. By addressing the persistent challenge of patient misidentification, the MATCH IT Act will help improve patient safety, strengthen privacy protections and ensure providers have access to complete and accurate information for delivering informed care. We now urge Congress to advance this critical legislation.” – Hal Wolf, President and CEO, HIMSS
- “AI has the potential to transform healthcare, but its effectiveness depends on accurate, trusted patient data. As providers manage a historic volume of health information, the need for a national patient matching standard has never been more urgent. The MATCH IT Act will strengthen patient safety, protect patient privacy, and improve interoperability by ensuring health information is accurately matched to the right individual. By reducing duplicate records and eliminating costly, manual reconciliation processes, this legislation will create new efficiencies across the healthcare system while laying the foundation for safe and effective AI adoption.” – Russ Branzell, CEO, College of Healthcare Information Management Executives (CHIME)
- “Intermountain Health applauds Senators Warner and Banks for their leadership in introducing the MATCH IT Act to strengthen patient safety and advance health data interoperability. As healthcare becomes increasingly connected and electronic health information moves more seamlessly across organizations, accurate patient identification becomes even more critical. A standards-based approach like the MATCH IT Act helps reduce friction in care delivery, supports innovation, and, most importantly, helps ensure patients receive the right care at the right time.” – Ryan Smith, Chief Digital and Information Officer, Intermountain Health
Additional endorsers of the MATCH IT Act include: 4medica, Alliance of Community Health Plans (ACHP), American Academy of Ophthalmology, American Alliance of Orthopaedic Executives (AAOE), American College of Physicians, American Heart Association, American Medical Informatics Association, Baptist Health, Becton Dickinson (BD), Civitas Networks for Health, Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists (CSTE), DirectTrust, e4health, Harris Data Integrity Solutions, Imprivata, Medical Group Management Association, MyLigo, Inc, Nemours Children's Health, OrthoVirginia, Parkland Health, Parkview Health, Robert Wood Johnson Barnabus Health, SynchroLink AI, Valley Children’s Healthcare, and Verato.
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About the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA®)
AHIMA is more than an association—we are a force for change in healthcare. We are the visionary architect at the center of health information, equipping over 67,000 members and credential holders to uphold the highest professional standards through education and certification. We believe every patient deserves the best possible health care, and that starts with accurate, secure data. We represent the extraordinary individuals who work tirelessly to keep us all safe. Get to know us at https://www.ahima.org.
About Patient ID Now
Patient ID Now is a coalition of healthcare organizations representing a wide range of healthcare stakeholders committed to advancing a nationwide strategy to address patient misidentification through legislation and regulation. The coalition is led by the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA), American Heart Association, Becton Dickinson (BD), the College of Healthcare Information Management Executives (CHIME), Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society, Inc. (HIMSS), and Intermountain Health.
Attachment
Lindsey Unsworth American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) 3122331097 lindsey.unsworth@ahima.org
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