BBA Welcomes Supreme Court Dismissal of Mifepristone Challenge for Lack of Standing

We are glad that today’s unanimous ruling from the U.S. Supreme Court means that safe and effective reproductive-health medications will remain available, and that medical professionals will not be subject to punishment for caring for their patients.

For decades, millions of women have used mifepristone without incident, and the FDA’s scientifically based approval of it remains in place. However, this decision in FDA.  v. Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine was based on the plaintiffs’ lack of standing and does not directly address the merits of their challenge. Continued vigilance is therefore needed to protect the rights of women to receive safe and medically appropriate care and the rights of doctors to provide it, against efforts to roll back access nationwide.

In the wake of this decision, it is important to remember that under the Massachusetts Shield Law and Governor Maura Healey’s Executive Order 609, reproductive health care services—specifically including the use, prescription, dispensing, and administration of mifepristone and misoprostol in medication abortion and medical management of miscarriage—remain legal here.

The BBA’s positions on reproductive health are guided by our Statement of Principles in that area. Most relevant today is our steadfast position that “health care providers should be able to provide all patients with medically appropriate health care consistent with their training and abilities without undue interference by government.”