The Supreme Court convened on Wednesday to deliberate on the implications of state abortion bans on emergency health care for pregnant individuals. Conservative justices expressed reservations about the constitutionality of such bans, while acknowledging concerns about their potential impact on emergency care. The case stems from Idaho’s ban on abortion at all stages of pregnancy, which was allowed to go into effect by the Supreme Court, even in medical emergencies. Justice Elena Kagan highlighted instances where pregnant women have been denied or delayed abortion care in states with bans, resulting in severe complications, including hysterectomies. Justice Amy Coney Barrett expressed surprise at the state’s apparent reluctance to allow abortions in such scenarios, raising the possibility of criminal charges against doctors who perform them. The Biden administration argues that Idaho’s ban conflicts with the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act, which mandates that hospitals accepting Medicare provide emergency care regardless of patients’ ability to pay. The Justice Department initiated the case against Idaho, contending that the state law violates this federal statute. A federal judge initially ruled in favor of the administration, but the Supreme Court allowed the ban to take effect in January. The court’s final decision on the matter is anticipated by late June and is expected to influence similar cases in Texas and potentially have far-reaching consequences for access to abortion care across the United States.
Supreme Court Considers Abortion Bans’ Impact on Emergency Care
