Under what condition should patients not be admitted or retained?

Patients should not be admitted or retained in a facility if they are acutely ill and require medical care beyond the facility's capabilities. This condition is critical as admitting such patients could lead to suboptimal care and potentially worsen their medical conditions. Facilities are obligated to ensure they can adequately support the health needs of their patients; therefore, if a patient’s health status exceeds the facility’s ability to provide appropriate and necessary medical care, it is in the best interest of the patient to seek treatment at a higher-level facility equipped to handle their specific medical needs.

The other options do not present valid reasons for denying admission. For instance, having health insurance is irrelevant to the clinical decision-making process about patient care at the facility. Stability and the need for minor assistance imply that the patient may be appropriate for admission, and not having a primary care physician does not typically affect a patient's eligibility for immediate care, as they might still have acute needs that the facility can meet.