AMA Adopts Policy Limiting Who Can Call Facilities Emergency Departments
The American Medical Association adopted policy supporting limits on which facilities can use the terms "emergency department" and "emergency room," according to a Nov. 9 AMA news release. The policy stems from an AMA Council on Medical Service report finding 1 in 13 EDs lacked an on-duty attending physician at all times, and flagging a rise in nonphysician providers substituting for physicians. The AMA House of Delegates, at its 2026 Interim Meeting, adopted policy supporting limiting the ED designation and emergency place-of-service billing classification to facilities meeting EMTALA requirements with 24/7 in-person physician coverage, developing standardized descriptors of a facility's physician coverage level, and requiring facilities without continuous on-site physician coverage to disclose that through signage and advertising.