The author reviews the destructive effects of managed care on inpatient psychiatric treatment in the U.S., specifically highlighting 2 recent fiats by the Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA) & the Emergency Medical Treatment & Active Labor Act (EMTALA) that further threaten community- & university-based hospitals. He argues that the hospitalization of suicidal individuals has become increasingly difficult as a result of these practices, & discusses the implications for future trends.