Texas Sues New York Doctor Over Abortion Meds

KEY HIGHLIGHTS:

• A New York doctor was slapped with charges for prescribing abortion induced medications to a 20-year old pregnant woman
• The woman suffered from severe bleeding and was rushed to the hospital for emergency care
• New York defended the doctor, saying that practitioners should not face legal liability for providing medical services as long as they comply with New York law.

A New York doctor is facing a lawsuit from Texas for allegedly prescribing abortion medications to a 20-year-old woman from Dallas, in violation of the state’s strict abortion ban.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed the lawsuit last week against Dr. Margaret Carpenter, accusing her of prescribing mifepristone and misoprostol to the patient via telehealth, despite Texas laws prohibiting abortion except in cases where the patient’s life is at risk or there is a serious threat of bodily harm.

The lawsuit claimed that after taking the medications, the woman experienced severe bleeding and was rushed to the hospital for emergency care.

Paxton argued that out-of-state doctors should not be allowed to prescribe abortion-inducing drugs to Texas residents, emphasizing that such actions endanger the lives of mothers and babies.

“In Texas, we treasure the health and lives of mothers and babies,” Paxton said.

Paxton’s lawsuit marked as the first significant legal challenge between two states with conflicting abortion laws.

‘Pro-abortion doctor’

Carpenter, a long-time advocate for abortion rights, is the co-founder of the Abortion Coalition for Telemedicine, an organization that supports expanding access to telemedicine abortions across the United States.

According to her professional biography, Carpenter has worked in reproductive health for over two decades, including volunteering with Planned Parenthood and providing both medical and surgical abortions since 1999.

Paxton’s lawsuit claimed that Carpenter has treated multiple patients in Texas, despite not being licensed to practice in the state. The lawsuit sought to prevent her from prescribing medications via telehealth in Texas and penalize her $100,000 for each alleged violation.

New York responds

In response, New York Attorney General Letitia James defended Carpenter, underscoring that abortion remains legal and protected in New York.

She said that her office would continue to safeguard healthcare providers from legal actions stemming from out-of-state efforts to restrict abortion access.

“New York will always protect our providers from unjust attempts to punish them for doing their jobs,” she said. “We will not be intimidated by out-of-state attacks on reproductive freedom.”

Concerns for Healthcare Providers

Dr. Jerome Cohen, president of the Medical Society of the State of New York (MSSNY), also aired his sentiments about the lawsuit’s implications for healthcare providers.

He said that New York-based practitioners should not face legal liability for providing medical services to patients in other states, as long as those services comply with New York law.

“The MSSNY House of Delegates has adopted a policy to protect practitioners licensed in New York from legal or personal liability when delivering healthcare services to residents of New York or any other state, whether in person or via telemedicine,” Cohen said.