Ahead of Supreme Court Oral Arguments, Planned Parenthood Calls on Supreme Court to Protect Patients' Right to Receive Emergency Abortion Care

WASHINGTON DC — Today, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear arguments in a case that could end federal protections for pregnant people in emergencies who need abortion care.

Statement from Alexis McGill Johnson, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Federation of America:

“In the nearly two years since Roe was overturned, we have heard story after story of the devastating consequences of patients being denied health care. Now, the same Supreme Court that overturned Roe will consider a case about pregnant people’s ability to get the emergency medical care they need in hospital ERs. Any decision that falls short of guaranteeing patients' access to abortion care in emergencies — as has been law for nearly 40 years — would be catastrophic. Unless the Supreme Court is willing to let pregnant people die or suffer grave health complications, it must ensure federal law continues to protect emergency abortion care.”

The Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA) has been federal law since 1986 and was passed to protect people in medical emergencies, ensuring they get the emergency care they need at hospitals that receive federal funding. Without this longstanding federal law, a hospital could refuse to treat a pregnant person with a serious complication like their water breaking dangerously early or an uncontrollable hemorrhage, sepsis, or pre-eclampsia which could lead to severe injury or death.

Read more about the case here and here.

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Planned Parenthood is the nation’s leading provider and advocate of high-quality, affordable sexual and reproductive health care for all people, as well as the nation’s largest provider of sex education. With nearly 600 health centers across the country, Planned Parenthood organizations serve all patients with care and compassion, with respect, and without judgment, striving to create equitable access to health care. Through health centers, programs in schools and communities, and online resources, Planned Parenthood is a trusted source of reliable education and information that allows people to make informed health decisions. We do all this because we care passionately about helping people lead healthier lives. Planned Parenthood Federation of America (PPFA) is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization that supports the independently incorporated Planned Parenthood affiliates operating health centers across the U.S.