Title: Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act - Wikipedia
Headings: Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act
Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act
Contents
Mandated and non-mandated care
Non-covered medical conditions
Hospital obligations
Amendments
Effects
Improved health services for uninsured
Cost pressures on hospitals
See also
Notes and references
External links

Content: Contents
1 Mandated and non-mandated care
1.1 Non-covered medical conditions
2 Hospital obligations
3 Amendments
4 Effects
4.1 Improved health services for uninsured
4.2 Cost pressures on hospitals
5 See also
6 Notes and references
7 External links
Mandated and non-mandated care
Congress passed EMTALA to eliminate the practice of "patient dumping," i.e., refusal to treat people because of inability to pay or insufficient insurance, or transferring or discharging emergency patients on the basis of high anticipated diagnosis and treatment costs. The law applies when an individual seeks treatment for a medical condition "or a request is made on the individual's behalf for examination or treatment for that medical condition." The U.S. government defines an emergency department as "a specially equipped and staffed area of the hospital used a significant portion of the time for initial evaluation and treatment of outpatients for emergency medical conditions ." This means, for example, that outpatient clinics not equipped to handle medical emergencies are not obligated under EMTALA and can simply refer patients to a nearby emergency department for care. An emergency medical condition (EMC) is defined as "a condition manifesting itself by acute symptoms of sufficient severity (including severe pain) such that the absence of immediate medical attention could reasonably be expected to result in placing the individual's health [or the health of an unborn child] in serious jeopardy, serious impairment to bodily functions, or serious dysfunction of bodily organs." For example, a pregnant woman with an emergency condition and/or currently in labor must be treated until delivery is complete, the mother and fetus are stabilized, or a qualified personnel identifies the labor as a "false labor", or Braxton Hicks contractions, unless a transfer under the statute is appropriate. Patients treated under EMTALA may not be able to pay or have insurance or other programs pay for the associated costs but are legally responsible for any costs incurred as a result of their care under civil law. Non-covered medical conditions
Not all medical conditions qualify for uncompensated mandated services imposed by EMTALA, which is contrary to the misperception that many individuals assume that if they are ill, they will be treated, regardless of their ability to pay. The sole purpose for the EMTALA mandated MSE is to require Emergency Department to make a determination whether an emergency medical condition does or does not exist, using their normal assessment and diagnostic protocols. Since the MSE is a mandated EMTALA service, health insurers are required to cover benefits for their subscribers.