Knowyourrights.Usethem.

The Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA) requires any hospital receiving Medicare funding — that's almost every hospital in the US — to provide a medical screening exam and stabilizing treatment to any patient who arrives with an emergency medical condition, regardless of their ability to pay, insurance status, citizenship, or immigration status. Hospitals that violate EMTALA face fines up to $50,000 per violation.

The Affordable Care Act prohibits health insurance companies from denying coverage or charging higher premiums because of pre-existing conditions. It also eliminates annual and lifetime coverage limits, requires coverage of preventive services at no cost-sharing, and allows young adults to stay on parents' plans until age 26.

Even if you are not enrolled in Medicaid, you may qualify for Emergency Medicaid — coverage for the cost of emergency care that can be applied retroactively up to 3 months before the application date. This applies in all 50 states and includes undocumented immigrants for emergency services.

The No Surprises Act, effective January 2022, bans surprise billing for emergency care and certain non-emergency care at in-network facilities. If you receive care at an in-network facility, out-of-network providers at that facility cannot bill you more than your in-network cost-sharing amounts. This protects you from receiving unexpected bills from anesthesiologists, radiologists, and other specialists you didn't choose.

HIPAA gives you the right to access your medical records (usually within 30 days of request), request corrections, know who has accessed your records, and restrict certain uses of your information. Healthcare providers cannot share your records without your written authorization except in specific circumstances.