A 1986 federal law requiring any hospital with an emergency department that accepts Medicare to screen and stabilize anyone who arrives with an emergency, regardless of ability to pay or insurance status.
Why this matters to you
This is the single most important thing to know about emergency care in the United States. An emergency department cannot turn you away, delay treatment to check your insurance, or transfer you before you are stable. It applies whether or not you have insurance, and whether or not you are a citizen. It does not make the care free — you can still be billed.
Official source
The authoritative definition and current rules are published here:
Rules and figures change. Where this page and the official source disagree, the official source is correct — and we would like to know, so please tell us.