Department Blog

Posted 7/21/2016 by Linda Kesselring

Article Documents EMTALA Violations

Larry D. Weiss, MD, JD, with colleagues from the University of California Irvine, analyzed records from the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) related to allegations of patient dumping (refusing to provide service to patients for financial reasons). They found documentation of more than 6000 investigations, 40% of which found violations of the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act of 1986. Three percent of the violations resulted in fines against hospitals and physicians, primarily for failing to screen and stabilize patients with emergency medical conditions. The findings are presented in the May issue of the Western Journal of Emergency Medicine (17:245‒251).