A hearing will take place on Aug. 22nd for the U.S. Department of Justice’s lawsuit against the state of Idaho over its abortion trigger law.
The Department of Justice filed the lawsuit against Idaho on Aug. 2nd, saying the state’s ban on nearly all abortions — which is scheduled to go into effect on Aug. 25 — is unconstitutional and violates the federal Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act.
The Idaho Capitol Sun reports, at least 43 hospitals in Idaho have signed Medicare agreements and 39 have emergency departments that are subject to compliance with the federal statute.
Violating the federal law can result in a hospital losing its ability to receive Medicare payments — one of the main sources of revenue for hospitals.
Idaho’s trigger law prohibits abortion in Idaho in nearly all cases, with potential defenses for rape, incest or to save a patient’s life.
