EMTALA stands for the "Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act" and was enacted ad part of the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1986 (COBRA) and since has been amended with the final amended regulations issued by CMS effective November 3, 2006. EMTALA is also commonly referred to as the "patient anti-dumping law" and it defines the obligations of a Medicare participating hospital when a patient presents seeking medical care in a dedication emergency department or a patient seeking emergency medical care on "hospital property".
The original intent of EMTALA was to stop the transfer of patients from one hospital to another for financial reasons, e.g., no insurance or charity care, when the patient had an emergency condition. As outlined in our UCLA Health System policies and in the training module below, UCLA is committed to comply with its EMTALA obligations. If you have any questions, please contact Risk Management or the Compliance Office.
Responsibilities of Medicare Hospitals in Emergency Cases (42 CFR 489.24)
State Operations Manual Appendix V - Interpretive Guidelines - Responsibilities for Medicare Participating Hospitals in Emergency Cases.
