The Elderly and Patient Dumping

Patient dumping is when hospitals refuse to admit or treat people who are poor or don’t have insurance. This used to be allowed by the law, but it was restricted by the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA) and the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act (EMTALA). The problem still exists, and it mostly affects elderly people who are often turned away from hospitals. EMTALA is a federal law that stops hospitals from refusing to treat patients who have a medical emergency. It applies to hospitals that get federal money from Medicare and Medicaid. The law says that hospitals have to give emergency medical care to everyone who goes to the emergency room, regardless of their ability to pay. But even though the law is supposed to stop hospitals from turning away patients, some hospitals still do it. The government has been criticized for not enforcing the law well enough. To make the law stronger, Congress should make the rules clearer and give the government more power to punish hospitals that don’t follow the law. Congress is considering making hospitals get approval before transferring patients to other hospitals, like a public hospital in Texas does. This could help reduce the number of unstable patient transfers and deaths. There is also a debate about whether hospitals or the government should have the power to decide who gets care under a law called EMTALA.

It’s important to make sure that elderly people have access to healthcare because they are more likely to get sick and may not have the money to pay for treatment. Some hospitals may try to send elderly patients to other hospitals to avoid treating them. This is unfair because elderly people have contributed to society and should be treated with respect.

It’s also important to remember that healthcare is not just a business transaction. Doctors should make decisions based on what is best for their patients, not just what will make the most money. We should make sure that people who need healthcare the most, like the sick and poor elderly, are able to get the care they need. In conclusion, it is important for society to ensure that elderly patients are treated with dignity and respect by health care providers. This means putting the well-being of the elderly ahead of making money. Society should only allow doctors and hospitals to operate if they agree to care for elderly patients, especially those who can’t afford it. This will help reduce the problem of hospitals turning elderly patients away.

Source: https://www.floridabar.org/the-florida-bar-journal/the-elderly-and-patient-dumping/