EMTALA is the federal law that requires any hospital emergency department participating in Medicare — effectively all of them — to provide a medical screening examination to anyone who arrives, and to stabilize an emergency medical condition before transfer or discharge.
What it does not depend on: your insurance, your ability to pay, your immigration status, whether you owe that hospital money. None of these are conditions.
What it covers: screening and stabilization, including active labor. It is not a guarantee of free care, and it does not extend to follow-up treatment. A bill can still arrive — which is what financial assistance exists to handle.
Why it’s worth knowing by name. People delay emergency care over money and status, and the delay is what turns a manageable problem into an expensive one. If a hospital refuses to screen you, that’s a violation, and complaints go to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
The practical summary for a frightening night: go, get screened, deal with the bill afterward with the tools that exist for exactly that.
Also called: Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act. Reference: EMTALA on Wikipedia — general definition, not New York specifics.
More in Glossary of health coverage and billing terms
- Deductible — The amount you pay yourself each year before the insurance plan starts paying its share.
- Copay — A fixed amount you pay for a specific service — $25 for a visit, $10 for a generic drug.
- Coinsurance — Your percentage share of a bill after the deductible — 20% of a $4,000 procedure is $800.
This page explains how the system works. It is not medical advice. More.