Murray Statement on HHS Investigation into Hospitals’ Refusal to Provide Lifesaving Emergency Medical Care, As Required by Federal Law

ICYMI: Murray, Schrier Reintroduce Legislation to Ensure Doctors Can Provide Legal Abortion Care, Protect Providers from Out of State Extremists

AP: Hospitals that denied emergency abortion broke the law, feds say – MORE HERE

(Washington, D.C.) – Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), senior member and former Chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pension (HELP) Committee, issued the following statement on the announcement by Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra that the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) will investigate two hospitals who refused to provide necessary stabilizing medical treatment—as is required by federal law—to a Missouri woman suffering a preterm premature rupture of membranes (PPROM).

“Hospitals are required under federal law to provide stabilizing treatment to patients experiencing medical emergencies—this isn’t optional. What happened to this patient is horrific, and even more so because it was completely avoidable—this wouldn’t be happening if Republicans weren’t passing laws forcing women to stay pregnant even when their lives are at risk.

“Women across America are suffering the consequences of extreme Republican abortion bans, with life-and-death consequences—and we have to do everything we can to protect women from the health care crisis Republicans have created. I am glad to see HHS open this investigation and remind providers of their obligation to provide emergency medical care to patients in a medical emergency, and I hope the Department’s actions today help provide clarity to providers trying to do the right thing under difficult circumstances created by cruel Republican legislation.

“We know that the Republican agenda is taking a wrecking ball to the practice of medicine, and in state after state, leaving doctors and other health care providers confused about when they can provide lifesaving medical care in an emergency without facing criminal charges. This is just another reminder that we urgently need to restore Roe and protect every woman’s right to abortion.”

While the Missouri patient’s pregnancy was no longer viable, doctors advised her that they could not provide her with the care that would prevent infection, hemorrhage, and potentially death because—they said—the hospital policies prohibited treatment that could be considered an abortion. Today, HHS announced an investigation into whether the two hospitals who refused to provide emergency abortion care for this patient violated the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA), which requires hospitals to offer necessary stabilizing care to individuals experiencing an emergency medical condition. HHS Secretary Becerra also sent a letter to hospital and provider associations across the country reminding them of their obligations under EMTALA.

###