hospitals face few penalties for denying care to pregnant patients

An Associated Press analysis revealed that hospitals rarely face penalties for violating federal laws designed to ensure emergency medical treatment for patients, including pregnant women. Despite numerous incidents where emergency rooms mistreated or turned away pregnant patients, no fines have been issued since 2022, when the Biden administration aimed to enhance enforcement. For instance, Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center in Baton Rouge has been cited multiple times for violations but has not been penalized. The lack of consequences has led to alarming situations where pregnant women have been left to miscarry in bathrooms or deliver babies in cars. The U.S. Health and Human Services (HHS) has acknowledged the issue, with Secretary Xavier Becerra stating that hospitals have generally cooperated with the department's efforts to enforce the law. However, the effectiveness of these measures remains questionable, as investigations often take years to conclude. Fines for hospitals that have turned away pregnant patients have been infrequent, with only a handful of cases resulting in penalties over the past few years. Notably, a Tennessee hospital was fined $100,000 for a 2018 incident involving a patient who gave birth in a car, and a Kentucky hospital faced a $90,000 fine for refusing care in a 2021 ectopic pregnancy case. The HHS has implemented new measures, including a website for patients to file complaints and expedited investigations, but the lack of fines raises concerns about the enforcement of patient rights and the ongoing maternal health crisis in the U.S., particularly in states with restrictive abortion laws.