Emergency abortion denials by Catholic hospitals put woman in danger, after her water broke at 17 weeks, lawsuit claims

[essentialsaltes]

During two separate pregnancies, Rachel Harrison’s water broke at just 17 weeks — a condition that can cause deadly complications. An abortion is typically the course of action recommended by doctors, but on both occasions staff members at Dignity Health hospitals refused to act because they detected a fetal heartbeat, the lawsuit alleges.

previable preterm premature rupture of the membranes, or previable PPROM ... is fatal for the fetus and dangerous for the mother. Miscarrying the fetus naturally comes with higher risk of infection and blood loss, both of which can lead to permanent loss of reproductive function or even death.

The lawsuit alleges that the denials violated California’s Emergency Services Law, which requires hospitals operating a licensed emergency room to treat patients suffering from emergency medical conditions, including previable PPROM.

The second time it happened, Harrison experienced life-threatening sepsis and had to travel to a hospital outside her insurance network to receive a blood transfusion, the complaint states.

The 24 Catholic hospitals within the Dignity Health network follow a set of “Ethical and Religious Directives for Catholic Health Services,” which caused Harrison to be turned away from an emergency room during the loss of a high-risk pregnancy, the complaint alleges.

Last September the state filed a similar lawsuit against a Catholic hospital in Eureka after a woman whose water broke at 15 weeks was denied an emergency abortion. That hospital then agreed to provide emergency abortions in cases where a woman’s health is at risk.

 

[ralliann]

During two separate pregnancies, Rachel Harrison’s water broke at just 17 weeks — a condition that can cause deadly complications. An abortion is typically the course of action recommended by doctors, but on both occasions staff members at Dignity Health hospitals refused to act because they detected a fetal heartbeat, the lawsuit alleges.

previable preterm premature rupture of the membranes, or previable PPROM ... is fatal for the fetus and dangerous for the mother. Miscarrying the fetus naturally comes with higher risk of infection and blood loss, both of which can lead to permanent loss of reproductive function or even death.

The lawsuit alleges that the denials violated California’s Emergency Services Law, which requires hospitals operating a licensed emergency room to treat patients suffering from emergency medical conditions, including previable PPROM.

The second time it happened, Harrison experienced life-threatening sepsis and had to travel to a hospital outside her insurance network to receive a blood transfusion, the complaint states.

The 24 Catholic hospitals within the Dignity Health network follow a set of “Ethical and Religious Directives for Catholic Health Services,” which caused Harrison to be turned away from an emergency room during the loss of a high-risk pregnancy, the complaint alleges.

Last September the state filed a similar lawsuit against a Catholic hospital in Eureka after a woman whose water broke at 15 weeks was denied an emergency abortion. That hospital then agreed to provide emergency abortions in cases where a woman’s health is at risk.

Why is she with this network?

 

[essentialsaltes]

Why is she with this network?

Her insurance only covers OB/GYN care within the Dignity Health network, so she went to Mercy General Hospital in Sacramento.

 

[ralliann]

Her insurance only covers OB/GYN care within the Dignity Health network, so she went to Mercy General Hospital in Sacramento.

Why choose this insurance?

 

[Pommer]

Why choose this insurance?

Insurance consumer chooses wrongly?

 

[comana]

Why choose this insurance?

Most people have their insurance chosen by their employer. It’s not really a choice.

 

[NxNW]

Why choose this insurance?

Maybe her employer chose it.

 

[essentialsaltes]

Insurance consumer chooses wrongly?

Finally, we've found the true villain. It was the victim all along!

 

[durangodawood]

America: when things go wrong, youre on your own.

 

[ralliann]

Maybe her employer chose it.

I would not think so....An employer would not be able to provide Insurance with religious restrictions. It also sounds like this is the third time this has happened. Something fishy with this story. Whatever happens with this pregnancy they have to pay for, even the sepsis event that occurred.

 

[essentialsaltes]

Last September the state filed a similar lawsuit against a Catholic hospital in Eureka after a woman whose water broke at 15 weeks was denied an emergency abortion. That hospital then agreed to provide emergency abortions in cases where a woman’s health is at risk.

This is a different network, but perhaps an even more terrifying story. second link.

Eureka hospital agrees to provide emergency abortions following lawsuit by state​

• Providence St. Joseph Hospital allegedly gave a hemorrhaging patient buckets and towels and directed her to another hospital 12 miles away.

According to the complaint, Anna Nusslock visited Providence in pain and severely bleeding in February and was diagnosed with previable premature pre-labor rupture of membranes, meaning that her twins would not survive birth. Providence informed her that, as long as one of her twins had a detectable heartbeat, hospital policy prohibited staff from providing an emergency abortion until her life was at even greater risk than it already was, according to the complaint.

[The hospital] allegedly placed her life at risk by telling her to drive to Mad River Community Hospital, a smaller critical access hospital 12 miles away, armed with a bucket and towels, while she was hemorrhaging.

 

[comana]

I would not think so....An employer would not be able to provide Insurance with religious restrictions. It also sounds like this is the third time this has happened. Something fishy with this story. Whatever happens with this pregnancy they have to pay for, even the sepsis event that occurred.

It’s not the insurance refusing t cover the procedure, it’s the hospital refusing to provide it.

 

[ralliann]

It’s not the insurance refusing t cover the procedure, it’s the hospital refusing to provide it.

It is also the network that insures.. as far as the article reads.
Plus, these stories do not give the other side because they cannot give out that kind of information.

 

[comana]

It is also the network that insures.. as far as the article reads.
Plus, these stories do not give the other side because they cannot give out that kind of information.

This hospital is going to be in network with all the major insurance companies plus many other smaller ones. this isn’t an insurance issue.

 

[CRAZY_CAT_WOMAN]

I wish these hospitals would use more common sense. Even if they don't believe in pro choice abortion. There's nothing pro life about putting a child or a woman in danger . When the pregnancy isn't going to make it.

 

[ralliann]

This hospital is going to be in network with all the major insurance companies plus many other smaller ones. this isn’t an insurance issue.

then the doctor referred? Did she sue before? She evidently had sepsis because of this. I am not buying it.

 

[Desk trauma]

Gotta break a few incubators to keep that domestic supply of infants coming.

 

[comana]

then the doctor referred? Did she sue before? She evidently had sepsis because of this. I am not buying it.

From the article, it sounds like she is suing only after the second time she was not offered appropriate medical care which resulted in sepsis. What aren’t you buying? She had two dangerous miscarriages and could not get the necessary care required by law.

“Harrison and her partner are seeking an order requiring Dignity Health hospitals to provide emergency abortions in a manner compliant with state law, as well as compensatory and punitive damages.”

 

[Hvizsgyak]

From the article, it sounds like she is suing only after the second time she was not offered appropriate medical care which resulted in sepsis. What aren’t you buying? She had two dangerous miscarriages and could not get the necessary care required by law.

“Harrison and her partner are seeking an order requiring Dignity Health hospitals to provide emergency abortions in a manner compliant with state law, as well as compensatory and punitive damages.”

If she had trouble getting the hospital to perform an abortion the first time, you'd think she would go to another hospital that would handle the situation. Once again, a poster is trying to unsuccessfully show that a religious person or institute is some kind of hypocrite. Practically everybody knows that most Catholic (and Protestant) hospitals do not perform abortions so why test one's fate? Yes, the hospital looks like a piece of trash to most of you for not doing the abortion but sorry, they don't do abortions. And hopefully, they will drop California as a place to practice because of all the hostility the California government puts on people who are anti-abortion/pro-life. And you can twist the words all you want - the hospital is still a Pro-Life Sanctuary.

 

[CRAZY_CAT_WOMAN]

If she had trouble getting the hospital to perform an abortion the first time, you'd think she would go to another hospital that would handle the situation. Once again, a poster is trying to unsuccessfully show that a religious person or institute is some kind of hypocrite. Practically everybody knows that most Catholic (and Protestant) hospitals do not perform abortions so why test one's fate? Yes, the hospital looks like a piece of trash to most of you for not doing the abortion but sorry, they don't do abortions. And hopefully, they will drop California as a place to practice because of all the hostility the California government puts on people who are anti-abortion/pro-life. And you can twist the words all you want - the hospital is still a Pro-Life Sanctuary.

She might know she's aloud to go to a different hospital. I kept taking my dad to the same hospital. Because his doctor's office only had two hospitals to go to.