The following statement is attributable to:
Bobby Mukkamala, M.D.
President-elect, American Medical Association
“The AMA is relieved the dismissal of an Idaho case by the U.S. Supreme Court has reinstated a pause on parts of the state’s near-total abortion ban and restored access to emergency abortions in Idaho under federal law. However, today’s decision failed to confirm that patients in every state are entitled to prompt, complete, and unbiased emergency health care that is medically and scientifically sound and provided in compliance with the country’s Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA).
“All patients should be able to trust that clinicians will use their medical judgment, honed through years of education, training, and experience, to provide them with the necessary care to ensure their health and safety in a medical emergency. In emergency situations, where every second is critical, physicians should be able to focus exclusively on providing the best care to their patient.
“As this issue remains unsettled in the courts, the AMA will continue to support efforts to ensure widely accepted principles of medical ethics will be upheld so physicians can treat pregnant patients experiencing medical emergencies without the fear of legal consequences.
“We will also continue to fight for the health of pregnant patients and for the ethical practice of medicine.”
Editor’s Note: An AMA viewpoint was published last April in advance of the Supreme Court oral arguments in Idaho v. U.S. that outlines how the Idaho abortion law undermines core medical ethics.
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The American Medical Association is the physicians’ powerful ally in patient care. As the only medical association that convenes 190+ state and specialty medical societies and other critical stakeholders, the AMA represents physicians with a unified voice to all key players in health care. The AMA leverages its strength by removing the obstacles that interfere with patient care, leading the charge to prevent chronic disease and confront public health crises and, driving the future of medicine to tackle the biggest challenges in health care.
