POWER TO DECIDE STATEMENT ON U.S. SUPREME COURT DECISION REGARDING EMERGENCY ABORTION CARE
(WASHINGTON, D.C.) — Today, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a 6-3 decision in Moyle v. United States, sending cases challenging the right to emergency abortion services in Idaho back to the lower courts. The decision allows emergency abortion care to resume in Idaho for the time being, despite the abortion ban in place. However, the Court did not rule on whether the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act (EMTALA) preempts state abortion bans. For nearly 40 years, EMTALA has protected pregnant patients from being turned away at hospitals in emergency situations.
Power to Decide CEO, Raegan McDonald-Mosley, MD, MPH, issued the following statement in response to the Court’s ruling:
“While today’s decision by the Supreme Court allows critical emergency abortion care to resume in Idaho, it continues the chaos and confusion that has endangered the lives of far too many people living in states where abortion is banned or severely restricted. Denying any pregnant person the emergency care they need to protect their life and health goes against all of my training and the oath that I have taken as a health care provider.
“As a practicing OB-GYN who includes abortion care as part of my practice, I trained for years to be able to provide the best health care possible for my patients. I fear today’s decision will not provide the needed clarity to ensure that health care providers across the country feel safe providing the standard of care every pregnant person seeking emergency medical services deserves. It is pregnant people, in consultation with their provider, who should make decisions on the type of care that’s best for them, not the courts. Abortion care is health care.
As we wait to understand the full impact of this ruling, our team at AbortionFinder will continue working to update information and resources for pregnant people seeking care. Since the overturn of Roe v. Wade, we have seen more than eight million visits to AbortionFinder, demonstrating the critical need for trustworthy, accurate information about abortion options so people can make informed decisions and access the care they need.”
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Power to Decide is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that works to advance sexual and reproductive well-being for all by providing trusted information, expanding access to quality services, and catalyzing culture change.
