Supreme Court Temporarily Restores Access to Abortion Pill by Mail
The New York Times • • nation
Key Points:
- The Supreme Court temporarily restored nationwide access to the abortion medication mifepristone, allowing it to be prescribed via telemedicine and mailed to patients until at least May 11.
- Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. paused a lower-court ruling from the Fifth Circuit that had reinstated an FDA requirement for in-person visits to obtain the medication, which had been lifted in 2021.
- Louisiana sued the FDA to restrict mail access to mifepristone, arguing that it undermines the state's near-total abortion ban.
- Medication abortions now account for nearly two-thirds of abortions in the U.S., with about one-fourth provided through telemedicine, highlighting the significance of access to mifepristone by mail.
- Two manufacturers, Danco Laboratories and GenBioPro, urged the Supreme Court to intervene, warning that the Fifth Circuit ruling would disrupt abortion access and create confusion for providers and patients.
