State of Texas v. Department of Health and Human Services et al.

Why this Matters:

The plaintiff challenges a federal rule from 2000 that established nationwide standards for protected health information, as well as a 2024 regulation that applies these privacy protections to information associated with reproductive health care. The plaintiff argues that both rules violate the Administrative Procedure Act.

Potential Impact:

Women, their health care providers, and their loved ones could lose the benefit of heightened privacy protections in every state. While health care providers must still comply with long-standing HIPAA protections, the loss of privacy protections could further undermine access to a wide range of reproductive health care. This is especially true for women living in states with abortion bans who face fear, uncertainty, and barriers to obtaining reproductive care.