The Supreme Court dismissed a challenge to Idaho's abortion ban, sending the case back to the lower courts. The lawsuit, Moyle v. U.S., brought by the federal government against Idaho's strict abortion ban, argued that hospitals in the state are required under federal law to provide abortions in emergency situations, even if the state bans abortion. The Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA) requires hospitals participating in Medicare to provide stabilizing emergency care when medically necessary, regardless of the patient's ability to pay.
The court ruled to dismiss the case and got rid of a stay that allowed Idaho to continue refusing emergency abortions while the litigation played out. Justices Elena Kagan and Sonia Sotomayor issued a concurring opinion, stating that Idaho's arguments about EMTALA did not justify emergency relief or early consideration of the dispute. Justice Amy Coney Barrett, along with Chief Justice John Roberts and Brett Kavanaugh, agreed with the ruling due to a shift in the case's circumstances.
Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson dissented, expressing concern about the court's intervention distorting the litigation process. The decision by the Supreme Court has implications for other states with abortion bans that do not have exceptions for health circumstances that are not life-threatening, such as Arkansas, Mississippi, Oklahoma, South Dakota, and Wisconsin.
Health experts have been monitoring the Idaho case for its potential impact on other emergency healthcare covered under EMTALA. The ruling could set a precedent for states to restrict other controversial healthcare services. The Supreme Court's decision comes in the wake of a national trend of abortion bans following the overturning of Roe v. Wade in 2022, with Idaho and other states implementing strict abortion laws.