Government
CMS creates EMTALA advisory group
NEWS IN BRIEF — Posted June 21, 2004
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services announced the formation of a technical advisory group to review regulations affecting hospital and physician responsibilities under the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act.
The panel is charged with helping the agency devise rules to protect patient rights while minimizing the burden on hospitals and physicians.
"Last year, the department took an important first step by clarifying and simplifying our EMTALA regulations to protect patient rights and give clear guidance to providers," said CMS Administrator Mark McClellan, MD, PhD. "I have every expectation that this advisory group will have additional ideas for us to further improve the regulations."
The committee will consist of 19 members, including seven practicing physicians from emergency medicine, cardiology or cardiothoracic surgery, orthopedic surgery, neurosurgery, pediatrics or a pediatric subspecialty, obstetrics-gynecology and psychiatry. The committee will meet in late fall.
Note: This item originally appeared at http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2004/06/21/gvbf0621.htm.
