USA: Victory for Emergency Room Physicians and Conscience Rights

January 4, 2024

By Dr. Tim Millea

Catholic Medical Association (USA) is happy to report a very good start to 2024 with the most recent victory in the ongoing defense of our vocations in health care and of our patients.

On January 2, the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans unanimously agreed with a lower court ruling that emergency department physicians cannot be forced to perform elective abortions.

The case was initially filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas as State of Texas; AAPLOG; CMDA v. Becerra; HHS; CMS. Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) attorneys represented the plaintiffs in both courts, leading to a successful protection of ethical medical care. Additional information about the case can be found here.

CMA joined several other organizations in filing an Amicus brief in this case, including Catholic Bar Association, Catholic Benefits Association, Catholic Health Care Leadership Alliance, Christ Medicus Foundation, National Association of Catholic Nurses-USA, National Catholic Bioethics Center, and the Texas Catholic Conference of Bishops. It is coalitions like this that are critically important to the ongoing protection of moral and compassionate care for all those we are privileged to treat.

Please offer prayers of gratitude for this success, and continue praying for our advocacy efforts with several other issues. Please also remain involved, informed, and vigilant as we move forward in 2024.

Board Member Tim Millea, M.D. is the Chair of the Health Care Policy Committee and the Conscience Rights Protection Task Force.