Five Palm Beach County, FL, hospitals cited for denying ER care

Five Palm Beach County, FL, hospitals were cited in 2007 for violating a federal law to prevent patient dumping. Federal records show the hospitals denied about 30 patients emergency specialty care they should have provided. None of the hospitals was fined or lost its Medicare license, the potential consequences of violations. The violations offer a snapshot of how emergency patients get passed among hospitals and highlight a broader crisis in emergency specialty care.