EMTALA is the relevant law here.
this post was submitted on 27 Aug 2026
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Anyone who goes to an emergency room in the US must be treated until stable, by law. They bill you after.
TBH, the police involvement is nearly inconsequential.
The patient (regardless of circumstance) needs treatment. That treatment is administered by the hospital, and billed to the patient (and by extension, their insurance if applicable). The patient (and their insurance) can later sue for these expenses if caused by someone else. It gets a bit more complicated if the patient is unconscious or otherwise unable to consent, but still unrelated to the police.
The police will happily sit and wait for the patient to be discharged for any follow-up actions, such as an arrest.
I believe they have to treat you, but then you are footed the bill
What if they're in bankruptcy, does it just get added to the pile?
Yes, it just gets added to the pile.
Yes, at full price and add to jail time if unable to pay. Also any work performed while incarcerated will pay towards the medical debt.
And they automatically become an organ donor and automatically volunteer for experiments of any kind.
Comments like this are why /s is so useful. It's just barely over the top to be considered serious.
Yeah, but here's the thing, I can't say for sure if the /s is warranted either. I mean, what if..?