Supreme Court Allows Abortion Pill Access by Mail to Continue
The New York Times • • nation
Key Points:
- The Supreme Court ruled that the abortion medication mifepristone can continue to be prescribed via telehealth and mailed to patients, blocking a recent restriction by the conservative Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals.
- The Fifth Circuit had sought to reinstate a rule requiring in-person provider visits before obtaining the medication, following a lawsuit by Louisiana, but the Supreme Court's order halts this restriction while lower court litigation proceeds.
- Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito dissented from the Supreme Court's brief order, with Alito criticizing it as "unreasoned."
- The FDA had lifted the in-person requirement in 2021, enabling greater access to abortion pills, especially in states with strict abortion bans.
- Currently, nearly two-thirds of U.S. abortions are performed using abortion pills, with about 25% involving telehealth consultations.