Hospitals rarely punished for turning away patients in distress despite federal law requiring they be treated, AP finds
Hospitals rarely punished for turning away patients in distress despite federal law requiring they be treated, AP finds
https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/hospitals-rarely-punished-turning-patients-distress-despite-federal-113660747
A recent investigation by the Associated Press found that hospitals are rarely punished for turning away patients in distress, despite a federal law requiring them to provide treatment. The law, known as the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act (EMTALA), was passed in 1986 and requires hospitals to provide a medical screening examination and stabilizing treatment to anyone who comes to the emergency department, regardless of their ability to pay.