CMS Regional Offices

EMTALA Regulations:

489.24 -- Special responsibilities of Medicare hospitals in emergency cases

(a) General.

In the case of a hospital that has an emergency department, if any individual (whether or not eligible for Medicare benefits and regardless of ability to pay) comes by him or herself or with another person to the emergency department and a request is made on the individual's behalf for examination or treatment of a medical condition by qualified medical personnel (as determined by the hospital in its rules and regulations), the hospital must provide for an appropriate medical screening examination within the capability of the hospital's emergency department, including ancillary services routinely available to the emergency department, to determine whether or not an emergency medical condition exists. The examinations must be conducted by individuals determined qualified by hospital by-laws or rules and regulations and who meet the requirements of Sec. 482.55 concerning emergency services personnel and direction.

(b) Definitions.

As used in this subpart--

Capacity means the ability of the hospital to accommodate the individual requesting examination or treatment of the transferred individual. Capacity encompasses such things as numbers and availability of qualified staff, beds and equipment and the hospital's past practices of accommodating additional patients in excess of its occupancy limits.

Comes to the emergency department means, with respect to an individual requesting examination or treatment, that the individual is on the hospital property. For purposes of this section, ``property'' means the entire main hospital campus as defined in Sec. 413.65(b) of this chapter, including the parking lot, sidewalk, and driveway, as well as any facility or organization that is located off the main hospital campus but has been determined under Sec. 413.65 of this chapter to be a department of the hospital. The responsibilities of hospitals with respect to these off-campus facilities or organizations are described in paragraph (i) of this section. Property also includes ambulances owned and operated by the hospital even if the ambulance is not on hospital grounds. An individual in a nonhospital-owned ambulance on hospital property is considered to have come to the hospital's emergency department. An individual in a nonhospital-owned ambulance off hospital property is not considered to have come to the hospital's emergency department even if a member of the ambulance staff contacts the hospital by telephone or telemetry communications and informs the hospital that they want to transport the individual to the hospital for examination and treatment. In these situations, the hospital may deny access if it is in ``diversionary status,'' that is, it does not have the staff or facilities to accept any additional emergency patients. If, however, the ambulance staff disregards the hospital's instructions and transports the individual on to hospital property, the individual is considered to have come to the emergency department.

Emergency medical condition means--

(i) A medical condition manifesting itself by acute symptoms of sufficient severity (including severe pain, psychiatric disturbances and/or symptoms of substance abuse) such that the absence of immediate medical attention could reasonably be expected to result in--


(A) Placing the health of the individual (or, with respect to a pregnant woman, the health of the woman or her unborn child) in serious jeopardy;

(B) Serious impairment to bodily functions; or

(C) Serious dysfunction of any bodily organ or part; or


(ii) With respect to a pregnant woman who is having contractions--


(A) That there is inadequate time to effect a safe transfer to another hospital before delivery; or

(B) That transfer may pose a threat to the health or safety of the woman or the unborn child.

(i) Within the capabilities of the staff and facilities available at the hospital, for further medical examination and treatment as required to stabilize the medical condition; or

(ii) For transfer of the individual to another medical facility in accordance with paragraph (d) of this section.

(i) The transfer is an appropriate transfer (within the meaning of paragraph (d)(2) of this section); and

(ii)
(A) The individual (or a legally responsible person acting on the individual's behalf) requests the transfer, after being informed of the hospital's obligations under this section and of the risk of transfer. The request must be in writing and indicate the reasons for the request as well as indicate that he or she is aware of the risks and benefits of the transfer;

(B) A physician (within the meaning of section 1861(r)(1) of the Act) has signed a certification that, based upon the information available at the time of transfer, the medical benefits reasonably expected from the provision of appropriate medical treatment at another medical facility outweigh the increased risks to the individual or, in the case of a woman in labor, to the woman or the unborn child, from being transferred. The certification must contain a summary of the risks and benefits upon which it is based; or

(C) If a physician is not physically present in the emergency department at the time an individual is transferred, a qualified medical person (as determined by the hospital in its by-laws or rules and regulations) has signed a certification described in paragraph (d)(1)(ii)(B) of this section after a physician (as defined in section 1861(r)(1) of the Act) in consultation with the qualified medical person, agrees with the certification and subsequently countersigns the certification. The certification must contain a summary of the risks and benefits upon which it is based.


(2) A transfer to another medical facility will be appropriate only in those cases in which--


(i) The transferring hospital provides medical treatment within its capacity that minimizes the risks to the individual's health and, in the case of a woman in labor, the health of the unborn child;

(ii) The receiving facility--


(A) Has available space and qualified personnel for the treatment of the individual; and

(B) Has agreed to accept transfer of the individual and to provide appropriate medical treatment;


(iii) The transferring hospital sends to the receiving facility all medical records (or copies thereof) related to the emergency condition which the individual has presented that are available at the time of the transfer, including available history, records related to the individual's emergency medical condition, observations of signs or symptoms, preliminary diagnosis, results of diagnostic studies or telephone reports of the studies, treatment provided, results of any tests and the informed written consent or certification (or copy thereof) required under paragraph (d)(1)(ii) of this section, and the name and address of any on-call physician (described in paragraph (f) of this section) who has refused or failed to appear within a reasonable time to provide necessary stabilizing treatment. Other records (e.g., test results not yet available or historical records not readily available from the hospital's files) must be sent as soon as practicable after transfer; and

(iv) The transfer is effected through qualified personnel and transportation equipment, as required, including the use of necessary and medically appropriate life support measures during the transfer.


(3) A participating hospital may not penalize or take adverse action against a physician or a qualified medical person described in paragraph (d)(1)(ii)(C) of this section because the physician or qualified medical person refuses to authorize the transfer of an individual with an emergency medical condition that has not been stabilized, or against any hospital employee because the employee reports a violation of a requirement of this section.

(1) General. Except as provided in paragraph (g)(3) of this section, in cases where a medical opinion is necessary to determine a physician's or hospital's liability under section 1867(d)(1) of the Act, HCFA requests the appropriate PRO (with a contract under Part B of title XI of the Act) to review the alleged section 1867(d) violation and provide a report on its findings in accordance with paragraph (g)(2)(iv) and (v) of this section. HCFA provides to the PRO all information relevant to the case and within its possession or control. HCFA, in consultation with the OIG, also provides to the PRO a list of relevant questions to which the PRO must respond in its report.

(2) Notice of review and opportunity for discussion and additional information. The PRO shall provide the physician and hospital reasonable notice of its review, a reasonable opportunity for discussion, and an opportunity for the physician and hospital to submit additional information before issuing its report. When a PRO receives a request for consultation under paragraph (g)(1) of this section, the following provisions apply--


(i) The PRO reviews the case before the 15th calendar day and makes its tentative findings.

(ii) Within 15 calendar days of receiving the case, the PRO gives written notice, sent by certified mail, return receipt requested, to the physician or the hospital (or both if applicable).

(iii)(A) The written notice must contain the following information:


(1) The name of each individual who may have been the subject of the alleged violation.

(2) The date on which each alleged violation occurred.

(3) An invitation to meet, either by telephone or in person, to discuss the case with the PRO, and to submit additional information to the PRO within 30 calendar days of receipt of the notice, and a statement that these rights will be waived if the invitation is not accepted. The PRO must receive the information and hold the meeting within the 30-day period.

(4) A copy of the regulations at 42 CFR 489.24.


(B) For purposes of paragraph (g)(2)(iii)(A) of this section, the date of receipt is presumed to be 5 days after the certified mail date on the notice, unless there is a reasonable showing to the contrary.


(iv) The physician or hospital (or both where applicable) may request a meeting with the PRO. This meeting is not designed to be a formal adversarial hearing or a mechanism for discovery by the physician or hospital. The meeting is intended to afford the physician and/or the hospital a full and fair opportunity to present the views of the physician and/or hospital regarding the case. The following provisions apply to that meeting:


(A) The physician and/or hospital has the right to have legal counsel present during that meeting. However, the PRO may control the scope, extent, and manner of any questioning or any other presentation by the attorney. The PRO may also have legal counsel present.

(B) The PRO makes arrangements so that, if requested by HCFA or the OIG, a verbatim transcript of the meeting may be generated. If HCFA or OIG requests a transcript, the affected physician and/or the affected hospital may request that HCFA provide a copy of the transcript.

(C) The PRO affords the physician and/or the hospital an opportunity to present, with the assistance of counsel, expert testimony in either oral or written form on the medical issues presented. However, the PRO may reasonably limit the number of witnesses and length of such testimony if such testimony is irrelevant or repetitive. The physician and/or hospital, directly or through counsel, may disclose patient records to potential expert witnesses without violating any non- disclosure requirements set forth in part 476 of this chapter.

(D) The PRO is not obligated to consider any additional information provided by the physician and/or the hospital after the meeting, unless, before the end of the meeting, the PRO requests that the physician and/ or hospital submit additional information to support the claims. The PRO then allows the physician and/or the hospital an additional period of time, not to exceed 5 calendar days from the meeting, to submit the relevant information to the PRO.


(v) Within 60 calendar days of receiving the case, the PRO must submit to HCFA a report on the PRO's findings. HCFA provides copies to the OIG and to the affected physician and/or the affected hospital. The report must contain the name of the physician and/or the hospital, the name of the individual, and the dates and times the individual arrived at and was transferred (or discharged) from the hospital. The report provides expert medical opinion regarding whether the individual involved had an emergency medical condition, whether the individual's emergency medical condition was stabilized, whether the individual was transferred appropriately, and whether there were any medical utilization or quality of care issues involved in the case.

(vi) The report required under paragraph (g)(2)(v) of this section should not state an opinion or conclusion as to whether section 1867 of the Act or Sec. 489.24 has been violated.

(i) If the off-campus department is an urgent care center, primary care center, or other facility that is routinely staffed by physicians, RNs, or LPNs, these department personnel must be trained, and given appropriate protocols, for the handling of emergency cases. At least one individual on duty at the off-campus department during its regular hours of operation must be designated as a qualified medical person as described in paragraph (d) of this section. The qualified medical person must initiate screening of individuals who come to the off-campus department with a potential emergency medical condition, and may be able to complete the screening and provide any necessary stabilizing treatment at the off-campus department, or to arrange an appropriate transfer.

(ii) If the off-campus department is a physical therapy, radiology, or other facility not routinely staffed with physicians, RNs, or LPNs, the department's personnel must be given protocols that direct them to contact emergency personnel at the main hospital campus for direction. Under this direction, and in accordance with protocols established in advance by the hospital, the personnel at the off-campus department must describe patient appearance and report symptoms and, if appropriate, either arrange transportation of the individual to the main hospital campus in accordance with paragraph (i)(3)(i) of this section or assist in an appropriate transfer as described in paragraphs (i)(3)(ii) and (d)(2) of this section.

(i) If the main hospital campus has the capability required by the individual and movement of the individual to the main campus would not significantly jeopardize the life or health of the individual, the personnel at the off-campus department must assist in arranging this movement. Movement of the individual to the main campus of the hospital is not considered a transfer under this section, since the individual is simply being moved from one department of a hospital to another department or facility of the same hospital.

(ii) If transfer of an individual with a potential emergency condition to a medical facility other than the main hospital campus is warranted, either because the main hospital campus does not have the specialized capability or facilities required by the individual, or because the individual's condition is deteriorating so rapidly that taking the time needed to move the individual to the main hospital campus would significantly jeopardize the life or health of the individual, personnel at the off-campusdepartment must, in accordance with protocols established in advance by the hospital, assist in arranging an appropriate transfer of the individual to a medical facility other than the main hospital. The protocols must include procedures and agreements established in advance with other hospitals or medical facilities in the area of the off-campus department to facilitate these appropriate transfers. Such a transfer would require--


(A) That there be either a request by or on behalf of the individual as described in paragraph (d)(1)(ii)(A) of this section or a certification by a physician or a qualified medical person as described in paragraph (d)(1)(ii)(B) or (d)(1)(ii)(C) of this section; and

(B) That the transfer comply with the requirements described in paragraph (d)(2) of this section.


(iii) If the individual is being appropriately transferred to another medical facility from the off-campus department, the requirement for the provision of medical treatment in paragraph (d)(2)(i) of this section would be met by provision of medical treatment within the capability of the transferring off-campus department.

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