HIMSS has endorsed the bipartisan Patient Matching and Transparency in Certified Health IT (MATCH IT) Act of 2025 (H.R. 2002), which was reintroduced by Reps. Mike Kelly (R-PA) and Bill Foster (D-IL), along with Rep. Seth Moulton (D-MA).

This legislation aims to address the persistent issue of patient misidentification in the U.S. healthcare system and ensure accurate matching of patients with their medical records by promoting interoperability and standardization of patients’ demographic information without increasing burdens on providers and health systems.

“On behalf of HIMSS, we applaud Representatives Mike Kelly and Bill Foster for introducing the MATCH IT Act,” said HIMSS Senior Vice President and Head of Government Relations Tom Leary. “This bill takes vital steps to improve patient safety, protect their privacy and enhance care coordination by tackling a critical issue impacting our healthcare ecosystem — patient misidentification. We thank our Congressional champions for their continued leadership on this issue and urge Congress to get the MATCH IT Act signed into law.”

Patient misidentification continues to pose significant risks to patient safety, quality of care and privacy. The lack of a national solution to misidentification leads to medical errors, unnecessary repeated medical tests and increased healthcare costs.

Take action: Write to members of Congress and urge them to support the MATCH IT Act.

Statistics indicate that duplicate medical records result in an average of $1,950 in added costs per inpatient stay and more than $1,700 per emergency department visit. Additionally, hospitals face an average of $2.5 million annually in denied claims due to patient misidentification, contributing to a staggering $6.7 billion total cost to the U.S. healthcare system.

As a founding member of the Patient ID Now Coalition, HIMSS remains dedicated to finding solutions and advocating for policies that advance a nationwide strategy to address patient identification through legislation and regulations. The introduction of the bipartisan MATCH IT Act is a great first step.

For more information, please visit patientidnow.org or contact HIMSS Government Relations at policy@himss.org.