Medicare-certified hospitals and critical-access hospitals with emergency departments must follow the federal law and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) regulations and interpretative guidelines for the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA). This three-part series will focus on problematic areas of EMTALA concepts, adequacy of medical screening, and on-call physician issues. Fines have more than doubled since 2015 when CMS implemented the inflationary adjustment retroactive to the implementation of the EMTALA regulations.

Learning Objectives:-

• Describe the basic requirements of EMTALA.
• Describe the effect of 1135 waivers on compliance with EMTALA requirements.
• Describe why EMTALA is the most frequently cited deficiency.
• Discuss who and where EMTALA applies in the facility.
• Provide examples of how the hospital can stay current on changes in regulations.

Who Will Benefit?

This series is for all hospitals including general acute hospitals, critical-access hospitals interested in EMTALA regulations, and guidelines. The intended audience includes:

• Behavioral health staff
• CEOs
• Chief medical officers
• Chief nursing officers
• Compliance officers
• Emergency medicine staff
• Legal counsel
• Nursing staff
• Obstetric staff
• Risk managers