Supreme Court Reinstates Order Blocking Idaho From Banning Emergency Abortions

The Supreme Court released a June 27 opinion (PDF) in Moyle v. United States that reinstated a lower court preliminary injunction that would allow abortions to be performed during certain medical emergencies in Idaho. The Biden administration sued Idaho in 2022, arguing that the state’s near total ban on abortion conflicted with the federal Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA) that requires hospitals to provide stabilizing treatment in emergency situations. The Supreme Court did not address the underlying question of whether EMTALA preempts Idaho’s near total ban on abortions, but instead sent it to the lower courts to decide. In a statement, the AAMC expressed that it is pleased with the court’s decision, but remains concerned about state laws restricting reproductive health care.

In March, the AAMC joined the American Hospital Association and America’s Essential Hospitals in filing a Supreme Court amicus brief (PDF) asking the court to affirm the district court’s preliminary injunction, explaining that the threat of criminal and professional sanctions in the Idaho statute interferes with the exercise of expert medical judgment and intrudes upon the relationship between a patient and their physician [refer to Washington Highlights, March 22].