This little Reagan era law has been the cause of higher medical costs for decades. This too could be resolved with a single-payer (mandatory) healthcare system.
"Main Points
"Main Points
- The Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA) is a federal law that requires anyone coming to an emergency department to be stabilized and treated, regardless of their insurance status or ability to pay, but since its enactment in 1986 has remained an unfunded mandate.
- The burden of uncompensated care is growing, closing many emergency departments, decreasing resources for everyone and threatening the ability of emergency departments to care for all patients.
- Emergency physicians provide the most charity care of all physicians (AMA 2003).
- ACEP advocates for recognition of uncompensated care as a legitimate practice expense for emergency physicians and for federal guidance in how fulfill the requirements of the EMTALA mandate in light of its significant burden on the nation's emergency care system.
- Everyone is only one step away from a medical emergency."
