Hospitals authorized to perform emergency abortions, Wisconsin DHS says

WISCONSIN (CIVIC MEDIA) – The Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) is assuring residents that hospitals are required to provide lifesaving abortion care when necessary.

The reassurance comes following a statement by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services that rescinds previous guidance on enforcing the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act, or EMTALA.

According to a press release from DHS Secretary Kirsten Johnson, the update to federal guidance will not change the requirement in Wisconsin and hospitals are still obligated to offer necessary emergency care.

“There are a number of situations in which an individual who is pregnant may face a health care emergency and the only option may be emergency abortion care,” Secretary Johnson said in a statement. “This federal update does not change anything in Wisconsin, and we want people to know they will continue to be protected if they need to go to the emergency room during pregnancy.”