Psychiatric hospitals are discharging or refusing patients in clear mental‑health crises despite EMTALA’s requirement to screen and stabilize anyone in an emergency. Federal inspections have found violations at multiple facilities, sometimes repeatedly, yet consequences are rare or minimal. The result is a revolving door through ERs, jails, and distant hospitals.
— This reveals a federal enforcement gap that undermines emergency mental‑health care and demands policy fixes in CMS oversight, penalties, and bed capacity.
by Eli Cahan for ProPublica
2025.09.23
95% relevant
The article documents 90+ EMTALA violations at psychiatric hospitals over 15 years, ~80% at for‑profit facilities, and notes that penalties are rare or trivial; it names UHS (34 cited hospitals since 2010) and Acadia as major repeat offenders, directly illustrating systemic noncompliance and weak enforcement.
by Eli Cahan for ProPublica
2025.09.22
100% relevant
West Springs Hospital discharged a gravely impaired 21‑year‑old just 102 minutes after arrival; CMS cited EMTALA violations twice within a year.
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