'Unconscionable': Healthcare's reaction to the Roe v. Wade decision
In wake of the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade––the historic court case that set a precedent for the Constitutional right to abortion care for the last nearly 50 years––healthcare industry groups and leaders have come forward speaking out against the extremist decision.
The decision will impact healthcare providers in many ways, and organizations and providers are still figuring out exactly what the outcome will be. Many healthcare organizations and leaders immediately criticized the decision and cried out against its devastating consequences. Numerous states already had laws on their books that enacted abortion care restrictions as soon as vote happened, and many more have restrictions that will go into effect soon, or are expected to pass new laws doing so.
Here is a roundup of what industry groups and leaders are saying:
American Medical Association (AMA):
“The American Medical Association is deeply disturbed by the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to overturn nearly a half century of precedent protecting patients’ right to critical reproductive health care—representing an egregious allowance of government intrusion into the medical examination room, a direct attack on the practice of medicine and the patient-physician relationship, and a brazen violation of patients’ rights to evidence-based reproductive health services,” said AMA President Jack Resneck, Jr., MD. “States that end legal abortion will not end abortion—they will end safe abortion, risking devastating consequences, including patients’ lives.”
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra:
"Today's decision is unconscionable. Abortion is a basic and essential part of health care – and patients must have the right to make decisions about their health care and autonomy over their own bodies. For decades, both as a member of Congress and as California's Attorney General, I have stood with people around the country to fight for reproductive freedom for everyone, no matter who you are, where you live or how much you make. At the Department of Health and Human Services, we stand unwavering in our commitment to ensure every American has access to health care and the ability to make decisions about health care -- including the right to safe and legal abortion, such as medication abortion that has been approved by the FDA for over 20 years. I have directed every part of my Department to do any and everything we can here. As I have said before, we will double down and use every lever we have to protect access to abortion care. To everyone in this fight: we are with you."
Surgeon General of the United States Vice Admiral Vivek H. Murthy, MD, MBA:
“Today's decision is a major step backward for public health. Reproductive health decisions – like all health decisions – should be made by patients and their healthcare providers. Restricting these decisions compromises the essential principle of maintaining an individual’s autonomy and control over their health decisions and creates dangerous health risks. When reproductive health decisions are restricted, the number of unplanned pregnancies and unsafe abortions rises. Ultimately, the health of women and pregnant people is put at risk – an effect that will be felt disproportionately in historically marginalized populations, including communities of color, low-income Americans, and rural residents. Healthcare providers, who are already under extraordinary strains due to the pandemic, will be forced into an impossible choice between doing what's right for their patients and complying with laws that are at odds with their patient's health interests.”
CMS Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure:
“A woman’s right to make decisions about her health is essential. As we review today’s Supreme Court decision, as the Administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, I will do everything in my authority to ensure that people have the choice of when and how to start a family. Today, more than 150 million people are served by Medicare, Medicaid and CHIP, and the Affordable Care Act, including more than 80 million women and girls. To you I say: CMS will continue working to maintain and expand access to the full range of reproductive health care services across the lifespan—that includes IUDs, emergency contraception, oral contraception, other forms of contraception, and abortion care within our legal authority. It is our fundamental value that reproductive healthcare is critical to ensuring that everyone can build healthy lives with economic security.”
The American Nurses Association (ANA):
"The American Nurses Association (ANA) is dismayed by the 6-3 ruling of the U.S. Supreme Court in Dobbs v, Jackson Women’s Health which has overturned the longstanding and significant precedent of Roe v. Wade. The Dobbs ruling removes the right of all women to access high-quality health care and make personal decisions about their sexual and reproductive health care. In doing so, it potentially paves the way for laws that will fundamentally come between patients and health care professionals, including nurses, who must be guided by ethical obligations to their patients and the profession."
“ANA is deeply disappointed in the decision to upend Roe v. Wade, which we view as a legal protection of basic reproductive health rights and human rights,” said ANA Enterprise CEO Loressa Cole, DNP, MBA, RN, FAAN, NEA-BC.
Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC):
“We are deeply concerned about the impact of the Supreme Court decision in Dobbs v. Jackson on patients nationwide,” said AAMC President and CEO David J. Skorton, MD. “The court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, rescinding the protection of the right to safe and effective abortions for nearly five decades, will leave women’s reproductive health under the purview of various state laws. Laws and policies that restrict or otherwise interfere with the patient-physician relationship put a patient at risk by limiting access to quality, evidence-based care. …The consequence of today’s decision will significantly limit access for so many and increase health inequities across the country, ultimately putting women’s lives at risk, at the very time that we should be redoubling our commitment to patient-centered, evidence-based care that promotes better health for all individuals and communities.”
American Hospital Association (AHA):
“We expect that today’s decision will have practical impacts on hospitals and health systems, including on healthcare provided across state lines, EMTALA obligations, maternal healthcare, the clinician-patient relationship, medical education and access to care for individuals regardless of socioeconomic status,” said Melinda Hatton, AHA general counsel. “We are committed to helping our member hospitals and health systems navigate the evolving landscape consistent with AHA’s mission of advancing the health of all individuals and communities.”
American College of Surgeons (ACS) Board of Regents:
“The American College of Surgeons (ACS) has long opposed governmental interference in the clinical practice of medicine and in the privileged physician-patient relationship. The Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health will allow states to eliminate access to reproductive services for women and will jeopardize the autonomy of this relationship. We are concerned that this decision will impact the availability of comprehensive and safe reproductive healthcare services. …The American College of Surgeons will always advocate for the practice of evidence-based care, and oppose any interference by the government or any other entity in the patient-physician relationship.”
American College of Radiology (ACR):
“The American College of Radiology (ACR) supports the privacy and integrity of the physician-patient relationship. Physicians have a responsibility to recommend appropriate care for all clinical circumstances based on the best available evidence and careful consultation with their patients. The relationship between physicians and their patients is sacred; it must not be jeopardized by non-medical outside interference, including federal, state and local government intrusions beyond public health measures. Instead, physicians, legislators, regulators and patients must work together to ensure access to safe, effective and equitable healthcare for all patients.”
Amy joined TriMed Media as a Senior Writer for HealthExec after covering home care for three years. When not writing about all things healthcare, she fulfills her lifelong dream of becoming a pirate by sailing in regattas and enjoying rum. Fun fact: she sailed 333 miles across Lake Michigan in the Chicago Yacht Club "Race to Mackinac."