AMA Reaction to Supreme Court Decision in Idaho Abortion Case

The following statement is attributable to:
Bobby Mukkamala, M.D.
President-elect, American Medical Association

“The AMA is relieved the dismissal of an Idaho case by the U.S. Supreme Court has reinstated a pause on parts of the state’s near-total abortion ban and restored access to emergency abortions in Idaho under federal law. However, today’s decision failed to confirm that patients in every state are entitled to prompt, complete, and unbiased emergency health care that is medically and scientifically sound and provided in compliance with the country’s Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA).

“All patients should be able to trust that clinicians will use their medical judgment, honed through years of education, training, and experience, to provide them with the necessary care to ensure their health and safety in a medical emergency. In emergency situations, where every second is critical, physicians should be able to focus exclusively on providing the best care to their patient.

“As this issue remains unsettled in the courts, the AMA will continue to support efforts to ensure widely accepted principles of medical ethics will be upheld so physicians can treat pregnant patients experiencing medical emergencies without the fear of legal consequences.

“We will also continue to fight for the health of pregnant patients and for the ethical practice of medicine.”