Rhia Ventures Comments on Supreme Court Decision to Allow Emergency Abortions in Idaho
Rhia Ventures, a social impact organization that leverages capital to advance reproductive and maternal health equity, made this statement in response to the Supreme Court of the United States’ ruling on June 27, 2024 regarding Idaho and Moyle et al v. United States.
“The Supreme Court has ruled that, for now, pregnant people in Idaho who are experiencing a medical emergency and need an abortion to save their health or life are protected under federal law.
However the Court’s decision does nothing to change the issues that Rhia Ventures has worked closely with HCA Healthcare and Tenet Healthcare shareholders to raise for a second time this proxy season: the need for hospitals to assure their investors and the public that they are prepared to provide emergency abortions when needed to preserve the health or life of a pregnant patient.
Hospitals and health systems have a responsibility to provide clear guidance to their providers and patients about their emergency abortion policies, especially in states that ban or criminalize comprehensive reproductive health care.
The Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA) is a long-settled federal law that guarantees everyone the right to treatment for emergency medical conditions nationwide. EMTALA contains no exceptions: hospitals must provide the treatment necessary to stabilize emergency medical conditions, and for some people that means ending a pregnancy.
Rather than make clear that EMTALA includes abortion care and preempts any and all state abortion restrictions, the Court’s decision sends the case back to the lower courts.
This case, and the dire situation facing pregnant people in Idaho, is one more example of the chaos and harm resulting from state efforts to repress reproductive health care access and the Supreme Court’s decision two years ago to overturn the constitutional right to abortion care.
Access to comprehensive reproductive health care in the US remains very much at risk as abortion-related cases continue to make their way through the courts. A very similar case out of Texas could be before the Supreme Court as soon as the next term.
Everyone experiencing a health emergency should be able to get the care they need—including an abortion—without political interference.”
-Erika Seth Davies, CEO
Resources
Rhia Ventures provides resources for employers seeking to implement better reproductive health care coverage policies in the post-Roe era.
If you are unsure of the status of abortion in your state, the Center for Reproductive Rights maintains an interactive map of abortion policies across the US.
The Repro Legal Helpline provides legal information or advice about US abortion laws and referrals to local resources.
Aid Access is a resource to order abortion pills by mail.
The M&A Hotline is available to individuals who are self-managing miscarriage and abortion and in need of support from qualified medical professionals.
Information about Rhia Ventures, including contact information for media inquiries, is available here.
