Can the ER turn me away?
Most ERs cannot simply turn you away. EMTALA requires an appropriate emergency screening, but it does not guarantee every test, treatment, or admission.
admission
I’ve been admitted. Why am I still in the ER?
The ER clinician said they’re going to admit you. At least, you think that’s what he said. You’ve been sitting in the same ER room for four hours since then. What gives?
Why didn’t they admit me?
"You have a blood clot... you're going home." It sounds contradictory, but hospital admission isn't based on the diagnosis alone. Emergency physicians decide whether you need something that can only be provided safely in the hospital—and medicine has changed dramatically over the past few decades.