One of the newest battlefields in the abortion debate is a decades-old federal law called the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act, known by doctors and health policymakers as EMTALA.
The issue involves whether the law requires hospital emergency rooms to provide abortions in urgent circumstances, including when a woman’s health is threatened by continuing her pregnancy.
The Biden administration is in the middle of legal battles over the law with the states of Texas and Idaho.
The Supreme Court has agreed to hear the Idaho case.
Enacted by Congress in 1986, EMTALA (pronounced em-TAHL-uh) requires hospitals across the country to guarantee all patients a standard of emergency care, regardless of whether they have insurance or can pay.
Persons:
Biden
Organizations:
Labor
Locations:
Texas, Idaho, United States