New web portal gives patients a voice when denied emergency care

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Federal officials have announced a new platform to report denied emergency care directly to the U.S. Government.

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All Americans are entitled to emergency medical care under federal law.

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It’s called the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act, or EMTALA.

It states hospitals that receive federal funds must stabilize or transfer patients needing emergency care, regardless of whether they can pay or have mental illness.

Hospitals cannot turn them away.

Any patients who believe they were wrongfully turned away can file an EMTALA complaint which would trigger an investigation and threaten the hospital’s funding.

In the past, emergency healthcare complaints were funneled through state agencies and often included a number of steps.

Now, patients who were denied emergency abortions and other emergency care have a web portal to complain directly to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services -- which enforces the federal emergency care law.

Federal officials said this is expected to expedite investigations and provide more transparency into emergency care access.

Click here to find out how to file an EMTALA complaint.

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