"hospitals" aren't required to do that. Only emergency rooms are[1]. The point: not all hospitals have emergency rooms. And the problem is less about what you

"hospitals" aren't required to do that. Only emergency rooms are[1]. The point: not all hospitals have emergency rooms. And the problem is less about what you claim (although some of the claim is valid). The core problem with required/not-required dichotomy is that cheap preventative care visits are not required, but expensive emergency care is, hence the average cost approaches the latter as people substitute the former for the latter. > In 1986, Congress enacted the Emergency Medical Treatment & Labor Act (EMTALA) to ensure public access to emergency services regardless of ability to pay.[1] [1] https://www.cms.gov/regulations-and-guidance/legislation/emtala https://www.cms.gov/regulations-and-guidance/legislation/emt...