FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Doctors for America
PO Box: 21161
2300 18th St NW Lbby
Washington, DC 20009-9996
April 16, 2025
Doctors for America’s Response to Judge Kacsmaryk’s Ruling
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.
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About Doctors for America:
Doctors for America mobilizes doctors and medical students to be leaders in putting patients over politics to improve the health of our patients, communities, and nation. DFA is an organization of over 27,000 physician and medical student advocates in all 50 states, representing all areas of specialization. DFA teaches physicians and medical students advocacy skills and does advocacy at a state and federal level. Our impact areas focus on access to affordable care, community health and prevention, and health justice and equity. DFA focuses solely on what is best for our patients, not on the business side of medicine. In addition, DFA does not accept any funding from the pharmaceutical or medical device industry, insurance companies or for-profit healthcare companies; which uniquely positions DFA as the organization that puts patients over politics and patients over profits.
Find out more at doctorsforamerica.org and on Twitter drsforamerica or Bluesky drsforamerica.bsky.social.