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| The U.S. Congress
enacted in 1986 landmark legislation, the Emergency
Medical Treatment and Labor Act, to prohibit hospitals
from denying emergency medical screening or treatment to
patients or to women in labor. The law is intended to
prevent "patient dumping"--that is, sending
patients who require emergency care to other hospitals
because they are poor, uninsured, or insured by health
maintenance organizations (HMOs) that will not authorize
emergency treatment. Most U.S. hospitals, because they participate in Medicare and offer emergency services, are subject to this law (Section 1867 of the Social Security Act, 42 U.S.C.§1395dd [1986]). You can help ensure that emergency care, required under federal law, is available to all by visiting your local hospital and asking to speak with a community liaison or community representative. Inquire about emergency room policies for individuals who cannot pay, and suggest that a notice be posted prominently in the emergency room which states that emergency screening and treatment will be provided for all. For more information on this issue, contact:
Request a copy of the December 1997 report: Update on Hospital Violations of the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act: A Detailed Look at "Patient Dumping" National Coordinating Committee for
UDHR50. |