Overview

• U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk blocked the rule nationwide after previously halting its enforcement against plaintiff Dr. Carmen Purl in December
• The 2024 rule barred providers and insurers from sharing information about legal abortions or gender transition treatments with state law enforcement seeking to punish patients
• Kacsmaryk ruled that HHS lacked clear delegated authority under HIPAA to create heightened privacy protections for select medical procedures
• The Biden administration issued the rule to safeguard out-of-state reproductive care after the Supreme Court’s 2022 Dobbs decision overturned Roe v. Wade Texas has a separate challenge pending in Lubbock federal court while HHS leadership appointed under President Trump evaluates its legal position