St. Luke's sues Idaho attorney general

Idaho's abortion law conflicts with the federal Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act, according to a lawsuit filed Jan. 14 by St. Luke's Health System. 

The state outlaws  the termination of a pregnancy by a medical provider, with the exception where "[t]he physician determine[s], in his good faith medical judgment and based on the facts known to the physician at the time, that the abortion was necessary to prevent the [mother's] death."

In the lawsuit filed against the state's attorney general, Raúl Labrador, the health system claims this exception is too vague and that physicians, fearing prosecution, could withhold necessary care in emergency situations. 

"The mere act of terminating a pregnancy in an emergency scenario could subject a provider to criminal prosecution," the lawsuit says. "Physicians cannot be sure that prosecutors will not second-guess their 'good faith medical judgments' that termination was necessary to prevent the death of a pregnant patient."

Boise, Idaho-based St. Luke's, the largest private employer in the state, is asking the court to declare the state law as obstructing EMTALA and restrict the attorney general from enforcing the law "based on providers' termination of any pregnancy to stabilize an emergency medical condition within the scope of EMTALA."

The Justice Department filed a similar lawsuit in 2022. After moving up to the Supreme Court, the lawsuit was remanded to the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals and has stayed there since April 2024, according to the Idaho Statesman

Mr. Labrador's office did not respond to the outlet's request for comment.

Copyright © 2025 Becker's Healthcare. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy. Cookie Policy. Linking and Reprinting Policy.


You can unsubscribe from these communications at any time. For more information, please review our Privacy Policy
.
 

Articles We Think You'll Like