Planned Parenthood Statement on June Medical Services v. Russo Victory

DENVER, CO - Today, the United States Supreme Court handed abortion advocates a victory in its decision on June Medical Services v. Russo. With this decision, the Supreme Court upheld precedent set in the 2016 Whole Woman’s Health v. Hellerstedt decision. The following statement is attributed to Vicki Cowart, President and CEO of Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains (PPRM):

“This is a critical win for patients across this country. In a time of fast-paced, long-overdue change, the last thing we needed was to put additional obstacles in the way of health care access. Today, the Supreme Court’s decision confirms what we’ve always known: reproductive health care is health care, and health care is a human right. 

“At PPRM, we recognize rights are only words unless they are coupled with access. We will continue to work every day to provide the highest quality care, no matter what. PPRM is committed to remaining a safe haven for abortion care access to all who need us, whether from our local communities, neighboring states, or those who must travel untold distances to access the health care which is their human right.”

In a virtually identical case, Whole Woman’s Health v. Hellerstedt, the Supreme Court reached a decision in 2016 that protected access to care. Today, the Supreme Court sent an important message by respecting precedent and striking down the Louisiana law that would have required doctors to have admitting privileges in nearby hospitals, a thinly veiled TRAP (targeted regulation of abortion provider) law that would have had disastrous impacts on health care access for patients, with ripple effects nation-wide.