A federal judge ruled March 20 that only physicians at Boise, Idaho-based St. Luke’s Health System can perform abortions during medical emergencies, according to the Idaho Statesman.
Idaho has one of the strictest abortion laws in the U.S. Healthcare providers who perform or attempt to perform an abortion in the state face imprisonment of two to five years and temporary medical license suspension. Exceptions include reported cases of rape or incest, ectopic or molar pregnancies, and abortions to prevent the death of a pregnant patient, according to the Statesman.
In a lawsuit filed in January, St. Luke’s — the largest health system in the state — claimed the abortion law’s language is too vague and conflicts with the federal Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act. On March 20, U.S. District Court Judge B. Lynn Winmill ruled that only St. Luke’s Health System is protected from state law regarding emergency abortions.
In its lawsuit, St. Luke’s argued for an injunction to allow all Idaho hospitals to perform abortions in medical emergency cases. In his decision, Mr. Winmill said “St. Luke’s does not exist in a vacuum,” but the injunction’s scope was too broad.
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