The Right to Life Saving Medical Care

We don't want politicians in charge of whether women live or die

In yesterday’s episode of The Suburban Women Problem, special guest Asha Dahya mentioned EMTALA and the Supreme Court oral arguments about whether pregnant women can receive full emergency healthcare in states with abortion bans.

If you haven’t heard of EMTALA, you’re not the only one. It stands for the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act and it’s a federal law requiring stabilizing care for all ER patients, including abortion care, even if it conflicts with a state’s own stricter abortion rules. 

Think about it as life saving medical care. This is what most of us think of when we hear “abortion ban with exceptions”. When a woman’s life is threatened by pregnancy, an exemption should allow her to get an abortion, to save her life and her health. This law guarantees a pregnant woman can receive an abortion if her life is threatened and if a doctor believes it would save her life. 

Yesterday the Supreme Court heard arguments about whether Idaho’s near-total ban on abortion is so strict that it violates this law. Recently, we’ve heard stories about women forced to miscarry in a waiting room bathroom, or to give birth to a stillborn baby in their car after emergency rooms refused to admit them. This is not acceptable. But if the Supreme Court strikes down this federal law, there is no guarantee that you or your loved ones will receive the medical care you need in an emergency. Politicians will be in charge of whether women live or die. And it will all depend on which state your emergency happens in.

So, what’s next? 

Justices will cast tentative votes at a private conference in the coming days. The case was among the last to be argued this term, meaning that it would almost certainly not be decided until late June, when the term typically ends.

Protestors on both sides stood outside the Supreme Court yesterday but the vast majority were there to make the case that abortion is healthcare and saves lives. And some, like friend of The Suburban Women Problem and former podcast guest, Annie Wu were there to call out the justices who don’t understand that healthcare is a human right.

Follow us at Red Wine & Blue to stay up to date on what's happening with reproductive care and abortion rights in our country and if you’re not already, be sure to subscribe to The Suburban Women Problem Podcast so you never miss an episode.