government
Nevada hospital accused of patient dumping
NEWS IN BRIEF — Posted May 6, 2013
Health professionals at Rawson-Neal Psychiatric Hospital in Las Vegas have been accused of patient dumping after a state investigation by Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval.
The investigation found that several patients had been discharged from the hospital inappropriately and transported out of state. In an April 29 statement, Sandoval said employees involved in the transports had been disciplined and that new regulations had been put in place to ensure that discharge and transportation policies are followed correctly. The actions come after a letter was sent earlier in April by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services warning that Rawson-Neal could lose its federal program participation privileges if the hospital did not address its discharging problems within 10 days.
At this article’s deadline, messages left with Rawson-Neal had not been returned.
The Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act, passed by Congress in 1986, protects Medicare beneficiaries and indigent patients against premature discharge from hospitals for economic reasons.
