Ohio KePRO reviews cases in Ohio that may be in violation of the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act (EMTALA). The EMTALA act was passed by Congress in 1986 to prevent hospitals from denying services to patients in need of emergency care who could not pay for them.

When Medicare refers a case to us, our responsibilities include:

• Determining whether:
  • The medical screening was adequate
  • An emergency medical condition existed and, if so, was stabilized
  • The care involved any quality concerns
• Submitting initial findings to Medicare
• When requested, submitting a comprehensive final report to Medicare
• Providing an opportunity for the hospital and involved physicians to discuss the issues

We do not state an opinion regarding whether a violation occurred.

For details about the regulation, please see Medicare's website at www.cms.hhs.gov/emtala. If you believe a potential EMTALA violation has occurred, please contact: The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Region VII 601 East 12th Street, Kansas. City, MO 64106