Today, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra issued the following statement following the Supreme Court’s decision in Moyle v. United States:
The Court’s order today means women in Idaho should once again have access to the emergency care that they need while the case proceeds in the lower courts. However, it does not change the fact that reproductive freedom is under attack. The Biden-Harris Administration is committed to protecting access to emergency medical care for everyone in America and ensuring that women get the care they need. Further, we stand by our position that EMTALA requires that all patients be offered an appropriate medical screening examination, stabilizing treatment, and transfer, if necessary, irrespective of any conflicting state laws or mandates that apply to specific procedures.
When the Court overturned Roe v. Wade, it unleashed an unprecedented assault on reproductive rights, and every day we see the consequences. Under President Biden’s leadership, we have worked directly with providers, hospitals, and community leaders across the country to navigate the chaos that the decision introduced.
We will continue to uphold the law and the right to emergency care, to inform people of their rights under EMTALA, and to make it easier for someone denied care to file a complaint.
And we will continue to take action to protect access to reproductive health care and continue the fight to restore the protections of Roe v. Wade once and for all. The stakes for women and their families could not be greater.