Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Fears Of Patients Being Turned Away Highlight Need For Regs On Free-Standing Emergency Centers
The free-standing departments are not legally required to serve all patients, regardless of whether they have insurance. As they begin to pop up across the country with greater frequency, some say there needs to be explicit rules on the centers.
The growth of free-standing emergency departments has raised concerns about the impact of these new facilities on healthcare costs, access, and quality of care. One fear is that free-standing EDs鈥攗nlike hospital EDs鈥攎ay turn away uninsured patients in emergency situations because they are not required by federal law to accept all patients for emergency screening and stabilizing treatment regardless of ability to pay. (Meyer, 10/4)
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