Trump Administration Revokes Emergency Abortion Guidance

In a significant policy shift, the Trump administration announced on Tuesday that guidance directing hospitals to perform emergency abortions to stabilize women's health conditions is being revoked. This guidance, initially issued in 2022 by the Biden administration, aimed to ensure access to emergency abortions following the US Supreme Court's overturning of national abortion rights.

The Biden-era policy sought to preserve emergency abortion services in critical situations, invoking the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act. This law mandates emergency rooms, which rely on Medicare funding, provide necessary exams and stabilizing treatments. Nearly all US emergency rooms depend on these funds, which heightened the debate over the guidance's revocation.

The decision has stirred concerns among medical professionals and abortion rights advocates, fearing increased risks for women in states with strict abortion bans. Opponents argue the move creates confusion and jeopardizes women's medical safety, while anti-abortion advocates welcome the rollback, claiming the Biden policy was an unjust expansion of abortion access.

(With inputs from agencies.)