In: Nursing
The Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act (EMTALA) protects the rights of the poor and uninsured by stating that a hospital cannot refuse emergency treatment because of the patient's inability to pay (patient dumping). Based on this statement, answer the following questions:
Explain and analyze two key duties of hospitals under EMTALA.
What do you think would happen if a hospital administrator directed an ambulance to take a patient to another hospital because the individual is uninsured?
Explain what impact this act might have on private hospitals.
How does this act impact other publicly funded programs in the state?
The emergency medical treatment and labor act(EMTALA) is a federal law that requires anyone coming to an emergency department to be stabilised and treated,regardless of their insurance status or ability to pay.Public and private hospitals alike are prohibited from denying a patient care in an mergency,it also prohibite unnecessary transfers while care is being administered and prohibits the suspension of care once it is initiated,provisions that prevent dumping patients who cannot pay on other hospitals.EMTALA does not prohibit care providers from asking about a patients ability to pay,it does make it very clear that emergency treatment cannot be delayed while ability to pay is being checked.So it is clear that hospital administrator cannot send a patient to another hospital as the patient is uninsured,in case it is done a legal action will be filed against the hospital and the administrator too.