EMTALA 2026
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Event Details
Overview: Every hospital that has a dedicated emergency department and accepts Medicare and Medicaid payment must follow the federal law and the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Conditions of Participation Interpretive Guidelines on the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA).
Hospitals without such emergency departments must comply with EMTALA if they have specialized capabilities. For example, EMTALA can impact obstetrical patients and behavioral health patients.
This webinar will cover the CMS regulations and interpretive guidelines regarding EMTALA. It will cover all twelve sections – Tag Numbers – plus an additional section for on-call physicians and the shared and community care plan process. Also to be covered are the updated requirements for “emergency services” for obstetrical patients which became effective January 1, 2025.
EMTALA citations have climbed to record highs with the two leading areas being general EMTALA obligations and medical screening examination. It is anticipated that healthcare will see larger EMTALA fines and more activity because of the higher fines and the OIG final changes. These changes are not in the CMS CoPs and will be discussed.
Objectives
- Recall that CMS has a manual on EMTALA that all hospitals that accept Medicare must follow.
- Discuss the hospital's requirement to maintain a list of the specific names of physicians who are on call to evaluate emergency department patients.
- Describe the CMS requirements on what must be in the EMTALA sign.
- Discuss when the hospital must complete a certification of false labor.
Audience: Hospital
Laura A. Dixon recently served as the Regional Director of Risk Management and Patient Safety for Kaiser Permanente Colorado where she provided consultation and resources to clinical staff. Prior to joining Kaiser, she served as the Director, Facility Patient Safety and Risk Management and Operations for COPIC from 2014 to 2020. In her role, Ms. Dixon provided patient safety and risk management consultation and training to facilities, practitioners, and staff in multiple states. Such services included the creation of presentations on risk management topics, assessment of healthcare facilities and development of programs and compilation of reference materials that complement physician-oriented products.
Prior to joining COPIC, she served as the Director, Western Region, Patient Safety and Risk Management for The Doctors Company, Napa, California. In this capacity, she provided patient safety and risk management consultation to the physicians and staff for the western United States. Ms. Dixon’s legal experience includes medical malpractice insurance defense and representation of nurses before the Colorado Board of Nursing.
Ms. Dixon has more than twenty years of clinical experience in acute care facilities, including critical care, coronary care, peri-operative services, and pain management.
As a registered nurse and attorney, Laura holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Regis University, RECEP of Denver, a Doctor of Jurisprudence degree from Drake University College of Law, Des Moines, Iowa, and a Registered Nurse Diploma from Saint Luke’s School Professional Nursing, Cedar Rapids, Iowa. She is licensed to practice law in Colorado and California.