EMTALA violations go unpunished at some psych hospitals: 5 notes

More than 90 psychiatric hospitals have violated EMTALA in the past 15 years, and most have not faced any consequences, ProPublica found. The Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act was enacted in 1986 and is the only law that requires universal care for emergency medical conditions regardless of insurance status. Since its enactment, thousands of EMTALA violations by hospitals across the country have been documented. At hospitals, an EMTALA violation results in penalties and, if serious enough, an immediate jeopardy warning.

However, a ProPublica investigation published Sept. 22 found that psychiatric hospitals have widely been able to avoid consequences after violations. Here are five things to know: 1. Since 2010, CMS has found more than 300 EMTALA violations at psychiatric hospitals