EMTALA
Abbreviation with 2 meanings
| Stands for | Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act |
|---|---|
| Meanings | 2 |
| Categories | Medical, Government & Politics |
EMTALA has two meanings. It stands for Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (emergency medicine) or Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act (US law).
Meanings of EMTALA at a glance
| # | EMTALA stands for | Context |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act | Medical › Emergency Medicine |
| 2 | Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act | Government & Politics › US Law |
1. Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act
Medical · Emergency Medicine Abbreviations
US federal law requiring hospitals that participate in Medicare and have emergency departments to provide a medical screening exam to anyone requesting care, and to stabilize or appropriately transfer emergency conditions, regardless of ability to pay.
Example: EMTALA compliance: MSE completed before any insurance questions.
Enacted in 1986 as part of COBRA to stop "patient dumping". Violations can bring civil fines and exclusion from Medicare. It also applies to women in active labor. Receiving hospitals with specialized capabilities must accept appropriate transfers.
2. Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act
Government & Politics · US Law Abbreviations
Law requiring hospitals that participate in Medicare and have emergency departments to screen anyone who comes seeking care and to stabilize an emergency medical condition or arrange an appropriate transfer, regardless of ability to pay or insurance status.
Example: The hospital was fined under EMTALA for sending away a patient in active labor.
Enacted in 1986 as part of COBRA, it responded to reports of "patient dumping", in which hospitals turned away or transferred uninsured patients. It does not make emergency care free; patients can still be billed. Disputes over how it interacts with state abortion bans reached the Supreme Court in 2024 but were not decided on the merits.
Related abbreviations
More emergency medicine abbreviations
- DPL – Diagnostic peritoneal lavage
- eFAST – Extended focused assessment with sonography for trauma
- EMD – Emergency medical dispatcher
- EMS – Emergency medical services
- ENA – Emergency Nurses Association
- ENPC – Emergency Nursing Pediatric Course
- EP – Emergency physician
- ESI – Emergency Severity Index
See all 97 emergency medicine abbreviations →
More US law abbreviations
- DSHEA – Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act
- ECOA – Equal Credit Opportunity Act
- ECPA – Electronic Communications Privacy Act
- EESA – Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008
- EPA – Equal Pay Act of 1963
- ERISA – Employee Retirement Income Security Act
- ESA – Endangered Species Act
- ESEA – Elementary and Secondary Education Act
See all 104 US law abbreviations →
This entry is for general education and is not medical advice. Abbreviation use varies between institutions; always confirm in context.