IU Health says that Indiana’s proposed new abortion law, Senate Bill 1, could discourage physicians from providing life-saving interventions because of legal ambiguities.
In a Saturday press release, the statement stopped short of discussing other questions about the bill, such as exceptions for rape and incest or non-emergency abortions. Some individual IU Health staff, such as chief health officer Aaron Carroll, have expressed their opinions online, but IU Health’s public response has been limited to defending its doctors’ right to offer abortion within the context of state law.
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Other healthcare organizations such as the Indiana Hospital Association and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists have taken a similar approach, focusing on unclear language in the bill that could inhibit doctors from providing care.
In an email, a spokesperson for IU Health said that the organization “recognizes there are providers who raise their voices in public ways for the right to provide safe, quality healthcare for anyone who needs it.” It also promised to continue supporting care providers legally as long as they follow organizational guidelines and state law.
Saturday’s press release warned that the fear of criminalization might make doctors reconsider practicing healthcare in Indiana. In response to a clarifying question, IU Health acknowledged that “restrictive laws surrounding abortion may impact Indiana’s ability to retain and attract physicians in our state to care for all pregnant patients.” In a nod to its medical staff, IU Health wrote that its priority remains providing clear legal guidance and ensuring that providers aren’t criminalized when a woman’s health is at risk.
When asked how experts would evaluate whether a pregnant patient’s life is at risk, IU Health said that “physicians are trained to provide evidenced-based medical care and educate patients on a case-by-case basis regarding all serious possible risks and complications involved in that treatment.”
Still, training and Indiana law may collide. According to a recent study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, a restrictive Texas law passed in 2021 has prevented healthcare providers from recommending abortion even when a clear risk is posed to a pregnant person’s life. The threat of prosecution caused some doctors and patients to reevaluate when a potentially life-threatening pregnancy should be terminated.
Senate Bill 1 was narrowly approved Saturday and sent to the House, where lawmakers will debate revisions. Some House Republicans have said they believe the current language of the bill isn’t strong enough and will advocate for a complete ban on all abortions.
