The federal Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA) requires any hospital that participates in Medicare and provides emergency services to provide (1) an appropriate medical screening examination to anyone who comes to its emergency department asking for treatment, and (2) necessary stabilizing treatment or transfer to another medical facility if the examination reveals an emergency medical condition. Per the EMTALA regulations, this requirement applies not only to emergency departments, but also to any department where at least one-third of outpatient visits involve emergency c
