Trump administration drops Idaho emergency abortions case, sparking fears among health care workers

FROM THE ARTICLE

“As a physician, my primary concern is always my patients. Allowing hospitals to deny emergency care will absolutely result in harm and, in many cases, death.”
President & CEO Dr. Jamila Perritt

The Department of Justice (DOJ) and the state of Idaho agreed on March 5 to dismiss a lawsuit filed by the Biden administration, which sought to ensure that women in Idaho could access abortion care during medical emergencies, as required by federal law. Advocates say the lawsuit was necessary because Idaho’s abortion ban—one of the strictest in the country—did not permit abortions even to prevent serious harm to a woman’s health. The Trump administration’s decision to drop the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA) case has sparked concerns among health care professionals, particularly those on the front lines of reproductive care.