Dear John,

We want to tell you about a recent case, and our client, Anna. Anna went to a local hospital in California—a state with some of the strongest protections for reproductive rights in the country—expecting to receive the emergency health care she desperately needed.

But despite federal and state protections for emergency care, and prohibitions on sex discrimination, the hospital unjustly sent Anna away amid a life-threatening situation.

Why, you may ask?

Because the hospital Anna went to is a Catholic hospital, and its policies forbid providing necessary and time-sensitive abortion care.

Policies that delay or outright ban abortion put patients like Anna in significant danger. Let’s be clear: everyone deserves access to emergency health and life-saving care, no matter what. That’s why we’re proud to be representing Anna as the California Attorney General prosecutes the case against the hospital that denied her care.

The California Attorney General is arguing that the hospital that refused Anna’s care violated state laws protecting access to emergency care and prohibiting sex discrimination. And while California’s robust protections for emergency care are critical, patients deserve to know that they are protected nationwide. Notably, just this summer, the Supreme Court had the opportunity to reassure patients that the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA) guarantees a baseline of emergency care no matter what state you live in. Instead, the Supreme Court kicked the can down the road and failed to issue a decisive opinion, leaving pregnant people across the country in danger by creating confusion for health care providers and institutions.

The recent reports of pregnant women dying in Georgia and Texas underscore the urgent need for legal clarity on the issue of emergency abortion care, and they confirm what we’ve always known: abortion saves lives.

We’re proud to be representing Anna, who has bravely spoken out in hopes that what happened to her won’t happen to others. And we’ll keep you updated as this case progresses. You can read more about the case here.

In solidarity,

K. M. Bell
they/them
Senior Litigation Counsel, Reproductive Rights and Health
National Women's Law Center