In a case that has captured the nation's attention, the Supreme Court has set a date for one of the highest-stakes and closest-watched cases of the term. Oral arguments on how patients can access mifepristone, the commonly used abortion pill, will take place on March 26.

The case, brought by the conservative group Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine, challenges policies expanding access to mifepristone. These policies, issued by the FDA in recent years, have allowed the pills to be prescribed online, mailed to patients, and dispensed at brick-and-mortar pharmacies. While the court declined a broader challenge seeking to overturn the decades-old approval of the drug for use in abortions, the upcoming case could still have significant implications for healthcare access nationwide.
If upheld, the FDA's policies could affect health care for millions, including those in states that protect abortion rights. The Justice Department has urged the Supreme Court to reverse lower court rulings that sharply curtail access to mifepristone, warning of profound harms to the government, the healthcare system, patients, and the public.
Currently, the appellate court's ruling is on hold, meaning there will be no change in how the pills are distributed until the Supreme Court issues its decision, most likely in June. Mifepristone, used in combination with another pill, misoprostol, in a majority of abortions nationwide, is approved for use up to around 10 weeks of pregnancy. However, the Supreme Court could potentially roll back this approval to seven weeks and require an in-person visit with a doctor to obtain the pills.
Medical groups caution that such restrictions will impede access, particularly for people in rural areas and those who lack transportation to reach a doctor's office. Beyond its immediate impact on healthcare policy, the outcome of this case is poised to reverberate across the political landscape, influencing not only the upcoming presidential and congressional elections but also shaping the discourse surrounding reproductive rights for years to come.
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