I know that the general public’s idea of what ERs are for doesn’t help. EMTALA doesn’t mean that everyone who comes into an ER will get treated for anything regardless of ability to pay. It’s that they’ll be treated and stabilized for any emergent medical condition, illness, or injury… And many people seem to have interesting ideas about what constitutes an “emergency”.
I know that the general public’s idea of what ERs are for doesn’t help. EMTALA doesn’t mean that everyone who comes into an ER will get treated for anything regardless of ability to pay. It’s that they’ll be treated and stabilized for any emergent medical condition, illness, or injury… And many people seem to have interesting ideas about what constitutes an “emergency”.