One woman miscarried in the lobby restroom of a Texas emergency room as front desk staff refused to check her in. Another woman learned that her fetus had no heartbeat at a Florida hospital, the day after a security guard turned her away from the facility. And in North Carolina, a woman gave birth in a car after an emergency room couldnt offer an ultrasound. The baby later died.
Complaints that pregnant women were turned away from U.S. emergency rooms spiked in 2022 after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, federal documents obtained by The Associated Press reveal.
The cases raise alarms about the state of emergency pregnancy care in the U.S., especially in states that enacted strict abortion laws and sparked confusion around the treatment doctors can provide.
It is shocking, its absolutely shocking, said Amelia Huntsberger, an OB/GYN in Oregon. It is appalling that someone would show up to an emergency room and not receive care -- this is inconceivable.
Its happened despite federal mandates that the women be treated.
Federal law requires emergency rooms to treat or stabilize patients who are in active labor and provide a medical transfer to another hospital if they dont have the staff or resources to treat them. Medical facilities must comply with the law if they accept Medicare funding.
The Supreme Court will hear arguments Wednesday that could weaken those protections. The Biden administration has sued Idaho over its abortion ban, even in medical emergencies, arguing it conflicts with the federal law.
No woman should be denied the care she needs, Jennifer Klein, director of the White House Gender Policy Council, said in a statement. All patients, including women who are experiencing pregnancy-related emergencies, should have access to emergency medical care required under the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA).
PREGNANCY CARE AFTER ROE
Pregnant patients have become radioactive to emergency departments in states with extreme abortion restrictions, said Sara Rosenbaum, a George Washington University health law and policy professor.
They are so scared of a pregnant patient, that the emergency medicine staff wont even look. They just want these people gone, Rosenbaum said.
Consider what happened to a woman who was nine months pregnant and having contractions when she arrived at the Falls Community Hospital in Marlin, Texas, in July 2022, a week after the Supreme Courts ruling on abortion. The doctor on duty refused to see her.
The physician came to the triage desk and told the patient that we did not have obstetric services or capabilities, hospital staff told federal investigators during interviews, according to documents. The nursing staff informed the physician that we could test her for the presence of amniotic fluid. However, the physician adamantly recommended the patient drive to a Waco hospital.
Investigators with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services concluded Falls Community Hospital broke the law.
Reached by phone, an administrator at the hospital declined to comment on the incident.
The investigation was one of dozens the AP obtained from a Freedom of Information Act request filed in February 2023 that sought all pregnancy-related EMTALA complaints the previous year. One year after submitting the request, the federal government agreed to release only some complaints and investigative documents filed across just 19 states. The names of patients, doctors and medical staff were redacted from the documents.
Federal investigators looked into just over a dozen pregnancy-related complaints in those states during the months leading up to the U.S. Supreme Courts pivotal ruling on abortion in 2022. But more than two dozen complaints about emergency pregnancy care were lodged in the months after the decision was unveiled. It is not known how many complaints were filed last year as the records request only asked for 2022 complaints and the information is not publicly available otherwise.
The documents did not detail what happened to the patient turned away from the Falls Community Hospital.
Just one of the many reasons repubs are not going to have a fun November.I'm hoping that you're right, but also fearing that you're wrong.
Let me guess, the women were not white?Doesn't matter. Republicans hate all women.
Just one of the many reasons repubs are not going to have a fun November.If enough young people don't vote because of Israel he might lose.
If enough young people don't vote because of Israel he might lose.
Let me guess, the women were not white?
That's a big wall of text. I tried to read it all but I didn't really digest it.
Why exactly were pregnant women turned away? And what does that have to do with roe v Wade? They weren't trying to get abortions? The hospital's supposed to help them give birth.
America explain!please
Why exactly were pregnant women turned away? And what does that have to do with roe v Wade? They weren't trying to get abortions? The hospital's supposed to help them give birth.
Gross. I can't believe we had this law forced on us even no one voted for it. Just some old men who can never be replaced till they die. It's evil.
Thanks for the explanation it makes perfect sense now.
You'd sure love that, huh?No? What makes you think I would gain anything from Trump winning. Just because I'm not voting for Biden doesn't mean I want him to lose, I just think my choice is better.
No? What makes you think I would gain anything from Trump winning. Just because I'm not voting for Biden doesn't mean I want him to lose, I just think my choice is better.
I'm hoping that you're right, but also fearing that you're wrong.I won't lie I have some worry still also, but republicans octupling down on being anti-abortion has consistently proven to be absolutely suicidal in every election where that is at all a talking point. More than once including in red states.
If enough young people don't vote because of Israel he might lose.Its already been established repeatedly that you have no clue what you're talking about in regards to topics like this, and you just regurgitate your right wing parent's talking points.
Your history of posts supporting right wing talking points, for one. Those just so happen to conveniently mesh with "I refuse to vote for Biden."I don't want Trump to win. Ok?
This seems like an interesting post coming from somebody who openly mocked people for being upset about Roe v Wade being overturned, and suggested they were crazy for thinking it'd lead to worse things, like... exactly thisI think you're confusing me for somebody else.
I think you're confusing me for somebody else.
I've always been vehemently against Roe V Wade being overturned. Let alone mocking people for it. Always been very pro-abortion.
@dudebusters
deoxxys
Oh yeah Im sure after that the tide will rise making only the middle of the states livable and goats will gain sentience and we will have to bow to our goats overlords.
deoxxys
Lmao you guys seriously think there's going to be some revert
I think I need more context than that. The first post sounds like I'm just being absurd in response to somebody acting like the sky is falling. Not indicative of having a lack of support for abortion.
The second post makes it sound like I doubt as if abortion would ever be actually be illegal. Like there's no way that or whatever happen right?
It was a post you made right as they were overturning Roe V wade and you made it to mock people that were wondering if gay marriage would be next. You were intentionally belittling people who were upset over Roe V Wade being overturned and preparing for the worst.Thanks for the extra context. Looking back at that, It was kind of insensitive. But I know why I made that comment now. I was tired of reading exaggerated responses (a buildup across many topics) that act like It's going to be so bad that it will be like we are going to start living in a dystopian cyberpunk hell hole where fear rules the streets, yatta yatta.
Thanks for the extra context. Looking back at that, It was kind of insensitive. But I know why I made that comment now. I was tired of reading exaggerated responses that act like It's going to be so bad that it will be like we are going to start living in a dystopian cyberpunk hell hole where fear rules the streets, yatta yatta.
I mean Roe v Wade being appealed massively blindsided me I didn't think anything like that would ever happen. I still strongly doubt something like gay marriage would be repealed and if it ever was I'd be just as surprised.
Just one of the many reasons repubs are not going to have a fun November."Yes, Republicans took away my reproductive rights, but imagine what the Democrats could have done instead!"
that act like It's going to be so bad that it will be like we are going to start living in a dystopian cyberpunk hell hole where fear rules the streets, yatta yatta.
You made said posts while it was being overturned. For something that blindsided you, you sure didn't seem to have any trouble trolling people who grew greatly concerned about other things, from it.I didn't enter the topic to purposely mock people.
I think I've said all that needs to be said. We know who you are.
Before entering this topic, I knew this was happening in a red State.
If the birth isn't successful, then the lawmakers behind the draconian anti-abortion laws in these states could see that "miscarriage" and charge the mother and the doctors with murder of the unborn child. So many doctors in these states are scared to even help a pregnant woman because they might end up as "murderers" in the eyes of the law and be sent to prison even if they did nothing wrong.
This is the effect of the removal of roe vs wade in full effect and innocent women are dying. Not only are we dying but suffering life long complications even infirtility. All in the name of taking autonomy away from us. These cases will continue to grow in frequency.
I don't want Trump to win. Ok?
Thanks for the extra context. Looking back at that, It was kind of insensitive. But I know why I made that comment now. I was tired of reading exaggerated responses (a buildup across many topics) that act like It's going to be so bad that it will be like we are going to start living in a dystopian cyberpunk hell hole where fear rules the streets, yatta yatta.
I still strongly doubt something like gay marriage would be repealed and if it ever was I'd be just as surprised.