Hospitals Deny Life-Saving Care and Violate Federal Law, Investigation Finds

Two hospitals refused to provide emergency abortion to a woman whose water broke at 17 weeks of pregnancy, putting her life in danger.
Federal law requires doctors to provide emergency care and supersedes state laws that ban abortions.
The hospitals, in Missouri and Kansas, are the first to be investigated for violating the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act.
The federal government warned the hospitals they broke the law and must correct their actions to avoid losing Medicare funds or facing fines.
The case highlights confusion over when abortions are allowed in states with strict abortion laws and a lack of clarity on how doctors should treat health emergencies without violating those laws.