Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA) Fundamentals

Summary

This practice note provides an overview of the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA), a law that was enacted in 1986 but has continued relevance today for hospitals that participate in Medicare. The information in this practice note assists attorneys representing hospitals with emergency departments and other specialized capabilities, as well as the administrators, doctors, and other healthcare providers with hospital privileges providing services to those hospitals, in understanding and applying EMTALA's regulations to their organizations.