Safeguarding Access To Emergency Pregnancy Care

The federal Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act – or EMTALA – guarantees that, in an emergency, patients receive the life-saving care they need, including abortion care. 

But the federal EMTALA alone is not enough to protect patients. The Trump Administration has undermined enforcement of this law. Across the country, pregnant patients are being denied life-saving emergency care, especially in states where abortion is illegal or severely restricted. 

States must take action to enact state-level protections, and ensure that no matter the political conditions, patients receive emergency care.