Thu Sep 19 08:26:57 UTC 2024: ## Federal Law Violated, Yet Hospitals Rarely Fined for Refusing Emergency Abortion Care

**Washington, D.C.** – Despite a federal law requiring emergency rooms to stabilize patients in distress, including pregnant women needing emergency abortions, hospitals are rarely fined for violating this mandate. This revelation comes from an Associated Press investigation, which found that only a dozen hospitals have been penalized in the past two years for refusing treatment to patients, pregnant or not.

The investigation highlights the issue of hospitals denying emergency abortion care, even in life-threatening situations. This is particularly concerning after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, leading to stricter abortion restrictions in many states.

One case examined by the AP involves Mylissa Farmer, a Missouri woman who was denied an emergency abortion by two hospitals in 2022, despite her water breaking at 17 weeks and her baby having no chance of survival. While the federal government found the hospitals violated federal law, neither has been fined.

The Biden administration has stepped up enforcement of the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act (EMTALA), reminding hospitals of their legal obligation to provide emergency abortion care when necessary. The White House has even launched a new website for patients to report incidents of being denied care.

However, experts argue that the enforcement process is too slow and that hospitals face minimal consequences for violating the law. Many hospitals are able to avoid penalties by cooperating with investigators and making changes to their practices.

This lack of robust enforcement leaves women at risk, particularly in states with strict abortion bans. The investigation comes at a time when maternal mortality rates are on the rise in the United States, and advocates are calling for stronger protections for pregnant women seeking medical care.

The investigation raises questions about the effectiveness of the current enforcement mechanisms and whether more needs to be done to ensure hospitals are held accountable for violating the law.

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