Gov. Jay Inslee says Washington will make clear that hospitals must provide emergency abortions

SEATTLE (AP) — Gov. Jay Inslee on Tuesday said Washington will spell out in state law that hospitals must provide abortions if needed to stabilize patients, a step that comes as the U.S. Supreme Court is expected to rule this month on whether conservative states can bar abortions during some medical emergencies.

There is no indication that patients have been denied emergency abortions in Washington, but the Democrat said during a news conference in Seattle he wanted to remove any doubt that hospitals were required to provide those services if necessary.

“This is a preventative against the Supreme Court decision,” Inslee said. “If your health is going to be damaged in any way as a result of not getting emergency services, you ought to have that right to get those emergency services.”

Most Republican-controlled states have imposed restrictions on abortion since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade two years ago, eliminating the right to terminate a pregnancy under federal law. Fourteen have banned abortion at all stages of pregnancy with limited exceptions.

Among them is Idaho, which bans abortion except in life-threatening situations, with doctors subject to felony charges and up to five years in prison for violations. The Biden administration sued to block Idaho’s ban, arguing that federal law requires hospitals that accept Medicare to provide emergency abortions when a patient’s health is threatened, though not necessarily their life.

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