Washington State Health Groups Sue Federal Government Over Removal of Critical Health Care Data and Websites

Nine health professional organizations, including the Washington State Medical Association, filed a federal lawsuit in Washington on May 20 to stop the federal government from deleting crucial public health data and to restore deleted websites, including information that was made publicly available on HHS’s and its affiliated agencies’ websites. The targeted data includes information related to pregnancy risks, public health datasets, and information about opioid-use disorder. The plaintiffs claim that this data is imperative for physicians, nurses, and other health care professionals to make informed clinical evidence-based decisions in providing care, as well as by public health officials and scientific researchers. The complaint alleges that the Trump administration’s actions are “arbitrary, capricious and unreasoned.”