Penalties for Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act Violations Involving Obstetrical Emergencies
[Article]
Terp, Sophie; Wang, Brandon; Burner, Elizabeth; Arora, Sanjay; Menchine, Michael
Introduction: The Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA) was intended to prevent inadequate, delayed, or denied treatment of emergent conditions by emergency departments (ED). While controversies exist regarding the scope of the law, there is no question that EMTALA applies to active labor, a key tenet of the statute and the only medical condition - labor - specifically included in the title of the law. In light of rising maternal mortality rates in the United States, further exploration into the state of emergency obstetrical (OB) care is warranted. Understanding civil monetary penalty settlements levied by the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) related to EMTALA violations involving labor and other OB emergencies will help to inform the current state of access to and quality of OB emergency care.
2020
Western Journal of Emergency Medicine: Integrating Emergency Care with Population Health
21/2
Terp, Sophie; Wang, Brandon; Burner, Elizabeth; Arora, Sanjay; Menchine, Michael