A federal investigation concluded that a Texas hospital violated the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA) by repeatedly sending Kyleigh Thurman home despite her life-threatening ectopic pregnancy. The finding, released in April, determined Ascension Seton Williamson hospital failed to provide proper screening or OB-GYN evaluation, leading to a ruptured fallopian tube and emergency surgery that removed part of Thurman’s reproductive system.
Thurman had hoped the case would reinforce federal protections for emergency abortion care. However, the Trump administration on Tuesday rescinded Biden-era guidance requiring hospitals to perform emergency abortions when medically necessary. Dr. Mehmet Oz, CMS administrator, claimed the change wouldn’t impact emergency treatment, but critics warn it could discourage care in states like Texas with strict abortion bans.
Doctors face harsh penalties for performing abortions under Texas law, even in emergencies. Legal experts fear the new federal policy weakens oversight and increases risk for patients with complications like Thurman’s. “There’s still so many ways in which pregnancies that aren’t ectopic can be deadly,” she said.
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