WASHINGTON (AP) — Hospitals are under scrutiny for denying care to pregnant patients, raising questions about the influence of state abortion bans on their treatment practices.
Senate Finance Committee Chairman Ron Wyden, a Democrat from Oregon, has reached out to nine hospitals ahead of a Tuesday hearing. The hearing aims to investigate whether abortion restrictions have led to delays or denials of care for pregnant women facing miscarriages, ectopic pregnancies, or other emergencies. This initiative is part of a broader Democratic effort to highlight the experiences of women adversely affected by stricter abortion laws in various states. “These strict laws are injecting chaos and hesitation into the emergency room,” Wyden stated during the hearing.
Wyden emphasized that some states with abortion bans claim to have exceptions for situations where a woman’s life is in danger. However, he argued that these exceptions complicate decisions for doctors. “These exceptions force doctors to play lawyer, and lawyers to play doctor,” he said. Providers are faced with the dilemma of delivering essential care while risking potential legal consequences.
Republicans criticized the hearing, claiming there is no significant impact of abortion laws on the medical care provided to women. They described the hearing as a politically motivated assault, particularly as the presidential election approaches. Senator Mike Crapo of Idaho stated, “The overtly partisan nature of the title suggests the hearing’s purpose is to score political points against the former president.”
Federal law mandates that emergency rooms provide stabilizing care to patients, a requirement that the Biden administration argues includes necessary abortions to protect a woman’s health or life. Conversely, anti-abortion advocates contend that this law also mandates hospitals to stabilize a fetus. The Senate Finance Committee oversees Medicare funding, which can be withdrawn if a hospital violates federal regulations.
The Associated Press reported that over 100 women have been denied care in emergency rooms nationwide since 2022. These denials occurred in both states with and without strict abortion bans. For instance, doctors in Florida and Missouri have reported being unable to provide necessary treatment due to their states’ abortion laws. Wyden sent letters to four hospitals mentioned in the AP reports and another hospital highlighted in a ProPublica investigation, which revealed that a Georgia woman died after receiving delayed treatment.
Some Republicans claimed that reports of women being denied care stem from misinformation or misunderstandings regarding abortion laws.
OB-GYN Amelia Huntsberger shared her experience with Idaho’s abortion law, which only permitted abortions if a woman faced a risk of death when it took effect in 2022. Recognizing potential conflicts between patient needs and legal restrictions, she and her husband, an emergency room doctor, relocated their family to Oregon a year ago. “It was clear that it was inevitable: if we stayed in Idaho, there would eventually be conflict between what a patient needed and what the laws would allow,” Huntsberger explained.
Her situation reflects a broader trend, as Idaho has lost nearly 50 OB-GYNs since implementing the state’s abortion ban.
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