Reading about EMTALA , I found out it was passed in 1986 !

[UndertheOcean]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emergency_Medical_Treatment_and_Active_Labor_Act


That is not a long time ago.

So , what happened before 1986 if you were poor , you just died at the ER pavement ? ..... :(

Can those old enough to remember inform me.

[sandnsea]

1. There was Hill Burton of 1946

Hill Burton was a federal loan program for hospital and clinic construction. Any hospital that took the money had to provide ER treatment and have a program to write off indigent costs. When they passed abortion laws, a lot of hospitals started paying off their Hill Burton loans and weren't under federal mandates anymore. I don't know if that had anything to do with passing that law or not. I know I was never turned away at an ER, but I've heard stories of children dying at ERs back in the 50s.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hill-Burton_Act

[Horse with no Name]

2. EMTALAS purpose was pretty much to stop hospitals from dumping on each other

You know, you go into the ER and they didn't want to take you--then they put you in the ambulance and carry you to another hospital.
It was bad for a while.