The Food and Drug Administration allowed health care providers to prescribe the abortion pill mifepristone via telehealth and send it by mail beginning during the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2023, the agency made the change permanent. Now, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans is hearing oral arguments in Louisiana v. FDA, a case that could end nationwide access to telehealth for Mifepristone. Here’s what we know about the legal challenge:
💊 Louisiana argues that mail-order access makes it harder to enforce its abortion ban because patients can consult providers in states with shield laws and receive medication by mail.
💊 The state is challenging the FDA’s decision to remove the in-person dispensing requirement, citing states’ rights and patient safety concerns.
💊The Supreme Court intervened earlier this year to keep the FDA’s current rules in place while the case proceeds. The legal fight could return to the court. | 
