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The Guardian - US
The Guardian - US
World
Adam Gabbatt

US law overrules states on abortions in medical emergencies, health secretary says

Abortion rights protesters gather at the Utah state capitol in Salt Lake City, Utah on 24 June 2022.
Abortion rights protesters gather at the Utah state capitol in Salt Lake City, Utah on 24 June 2022. Photograph: Jim Urquhart/Reuters

Physicians must continue to offer abortions in cases of medical emergencies without exception, Joe Biden’s administration said on Monday, as it insisted federal law would overrule any total state bans on abortion.

In a letter to healthcare providers, the president’s health and human services secretary, Xavier Becerra, said the federal Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act (EMTALA) protects providers from any purported state restrictions should they be required to perform emergency abortions.

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