Part Three of a Three-part Series -

Part one of this series discussed the increase in uninsured patients and the related rise in EMTALA enforcement. Part two offered tips to verify your hospital's EMTALA compliance.

Congress enacted the Emergency Medical Treatment & Labor Act (EMTALA) in 1982 in reaction to patient dumping from hospital's emergency rooms. The last round of substantial changes to the regulatory scheme of EMTALA came in the 2003 and FY 2009 rules. A new round of EMTALA changes have been in the works, including issues related to inpatients who are not yet stabilized. On February 2, 2012, CMS published a request for comments, again attempting to address concerns related to hospital inpatients and specialty hospitals.