REGIONAL- A recent study by the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) and Wilder Research reveals significant delays in the transfer and discharge of mental health and substance use disorder patients in Minnesota hospitals, causing widespread concern among health officials, patients, and their families.
The two-week study examined 33 emergency departments and 13 inpatient units across the state. It found that 17 percent of patients being treated for mental health or substance use disorders experienced discharge delays, with an average wait of eight days per patient. The most common reason for these delays was the lack of available beds in safe settings such as inpatient psychiatric units and intensive residential treatment facilities.
In a news release, Health Commissioner Brooke Cunningham highlighted the need for additional receiving programs for these patients in the community.
“We know that people being treated for behavioral health disorders face more discharge delays than those without these conditions,” she said. “This study suggests the need for more community-based services, such as intensive residential treatment and chemical dependency recovery programs, to reduce these delays.”
Socioeconmic differences
Seventy-five percent of patients experiencing discharge delays were covered by Medicaid or MinnesotaCare, despite these programs only accounting for 46 percent of patients with behavioral health diagnoses.
The study also found a disproportionate percentage of delays impacting Minnesotans of color, particularly those identifying as African American.
Sue Abderholden, executive director of NAMI Minnesota, was not surprised by the study’s findings. “We know that youths and adults with mental illnesses often wait in ERs without adequate treatment and face long wait times for all levels of care,” she said. “They stay in the highest levels of care longer than necessary due to a lack of community options.”
Abderholden called for increased reimbursement rates, addressing workforce shortages, and enhancing workforce diversity as possible solutions.

Patient impact
The emotional and economic costs of these delays are significant. For patients and families, the wait can be distressing, while hospitals face increased costs by having to keep patients who are ready to be transferred or discharged.
Kristin Dillon, associate director of research with Wilder, says the reasons behind these delays need to be understood to address them effectively.
“We need to identify which parts of the behavioral health system can have the greatest impact on reducing these delays,” she said.
The study indicates that creating additional post-hospital options and streamlining transfer and discharge processes are essential steps toward resolving the issue. Recommendations from a recent Minnesota Department of Human Services study also highlighted the importance of adequate payment rates to address capacity issues.
The Legislature passed additional funding and policies during the spring session to help expedite hospital discharges and increase access to behavioral health services. These measures include adding more mental health beds to the state’s direct care and treatment system, funding rate increases for some outpatient mental health and residential substance use disorder services through Medicaid and making policy changes to improve community support access.