Hospitals are required to provide emergency treatment regardless of a patient's ability to pay, thanks to laws like EMTALA. So, even if someone has unpaid bills, in a life-threatening situation like a heart attack, they must be treated. After reading on northshoreconnect, I learned that there are often assistance programs available for people struggling with medical bills. It's always a good idea to communicate openly with hospital billing departments to find out what options might be there to help manage the costs.