You only wait that long if they've determined you're not actually an emergency.
What’s the definition of emergency?
If you are actively dying or at risk of sudden death you get to cut the line. If you're waiting a long time in the ER it's because there are people sicker than you, or a lot of people as sick as you in front of you. Stable but needs treatment is basically the bottom of the list.
You only wait that long if they've determined you're not actually an emergency.
What’s the definition of emergency?
If you are actively dying or at risk of sudden death you get to cut the line. If you're waiting a long time in the ER it's because there are people sicker than you, or a lot of people as sick as you in front of you. Stable but needs treatment is basically the bottom of the list.