SPOKANE, Wash. — Washington Governor Jay Inslee issued a directive on Tuesday requiring the Department of Health to affirm that hospitals in Washington state have a legal requirement to provide emergency abortion services.
The directive comes nearly two years after the United States Supreme Court ruling that overturned Roe v. Wade. SCOTUS is set to rule this month on Moyle v. United States and Idaho v. United States, other abortion rights cases. According to Inslee, the case out of Idaho would allow politicians to jail emergency room doctors for providing emergency abortion care.
The Washington State Hospital Association responded to the directive on Tuesday. They said, “Washington state hospitals are already required by state law to provide emergency care to people experiencing these types of pregnancy complications. Washington hospitals are providing this care, including to people who have crossed the border from Idaho in need of care. There is no evidence that Washington hospitals are not providing appropriate emergency care.”
The following are the citations of relevant state law protecting both patient access to emergency care and provider ability to deliver that care:
- Chapter 70.400 RCW protects medical professionals providing care for emergency pregnancy complications, such as miscarriage management and treatment for ectopic pregnancies.
- Chapter 9.02 RCW protects the right of pregnant individuals to make their own reproductive decisions.
- RCW 70.170.060 protects access to hospital emergency care, including emergency reproductive care, regardless of ability to pay.
- Chapter 70.03 RCW protects medical professionals providing medically accurate and comprehensive information to patients.
WATCH RELATED: Another lawsuit filed in district court against Idaho’s abortion ban
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