Doctors for America, the Cities of Columbus, OH and Madison, WI, and their counsel Democracy Forward Issue Statement on Denial of Intervention Motion in Purl, M.D. et al. v. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services et al.

TEXAS – Yesterday, in the Northern District of Texas, Judge Kacsmaryk denied the motion from two major US cities and a physician association, Doctors for America, to intervene in Purl, M.D. et al. v. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services et al. The motion to intervene sought to protect patients’ federal privacy rights from the aggressive attempt by the far-right Alliance for Defending Freedom (ADF) to upend federal privacy protections nationwide and inject massive instability into the health care system.  Extremist Attorneys General have filed parallel challenges in Texas, Tennessee, and Missouri.

In response to this ruling, Doctors for America, the Cities of Columbus, OH and Madison, WI, and their counsel Democracy Forward issued a joint statement:

“We are disappointed in Judge Kacsmaryk’s ruling that denied our motion to intervene in this critical case. We continue to hope that Judge Kacsmaryk will reject the challenge and uphold the federal protections that serve as the foundation for medical privacy under HIPAA nationwide, which Congress enacted nearly three decades ago.

“Removing HIPAA protections for patients would further open the door to government investigations of private health information of pregnant people fleeing abortion-ban states like Texas to access the care they need, and the providers who care for them. We will continue to do everything we can to stand up for access to reproductive health across our nation.”

The cities of Columbus, Ohio, and Madison, Wisconsin, are represented in this matter by Democracy Forward, Debevoise & Plimpton LLP, and Public Rights Project. Doctors for America is represented by Democracy Forward and Debevoise & Plimpton LLP. The Law Firm of Ryan Brown, PLLC, is serving as local counsel in the Purl case.

Read the order here.

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Democracy Forward is a national legal organization that advances democracy and social progress through litigation, policy, and public education, and regulatory engagement. For more information, please visit www.democracyforward.org.

Public Rights Project is a nonpartisan nonprofit organization that helps local government officials fight for civil rights by building capacity, convening and connecting, and providing legal representation. For more information, please visit www.publicrightsproject.org.