In a series of alarming incidents, pregnant women across the United States have been denied emergency medical care, leading to tragic outcomes including miscarriages and infant deaths. These cases, which have surged since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022, are raising serious concerns about the state of emergency pregnancy care in the country.
One woman in Texas miscarried in a hospital restroom after being refused check-in by the front desk staff. In Florida, another woman discovered her fetus had no heartbeat a day after being turned away by a hospital security guard. A North Carolina woman was forced to give birth in a car after an emergency room failed to provide an ultrasound. The baby did not survive.
Federal documents obtained by The Associated Press reveal a spike in complaints from pregnant women denied access to U.S. emergency rooms following the Supreme Court's decision. The situation is particularly dire in states that have enacted strict abortion laws, leading to confusion about the type of treatment doctors can legally provide.
“It is shocking, it’s absolutely shocking,” said Amelia Huntsberger, an OB/GYN in Oregon. “It is appalling that someone would show up to an emergency room and not receive care – this is inconceivable.”
Despite federal mandates requiring emergency rooms to treat or stabilize patients in active labor, these incidents continue to occur. The Supreme Court is set to hear arguments that could potentially weaken these protections. Meanwhile, the Biden administration has sued Idaho over its abortion ban, even in medical emergencies, arguing it conflicts with federal law.
Jennifer Klein, director of the White House Gender Policy Council, stated, “No woman should be denied the care she needs. All patients, including women who are experiencing pregnancy-related emergencies, should have access to emergency medical care required under the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA).”
Sara Rosenbaum, a health law and policy professor at George Washington University, noted that pregnant patients have “become radioactive to emergency departments” in states with extreme abortion restrictions. She added, “They are so scared of a pregnant patient, that the emergency medicine staff won’t even look. They just want these people gone.”
These incidents underscore the urgent need for clarity and enforcement of laws protecting the rights of pregnant women to receive emergency medical care. As the Supreme Court prepares to weigh in, the fate of these protections hangs in the balance, with potentially far-reaching implications for women's health across the United States.
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