Bowen v. American Hospital Association (1986)

The American Hospital Association [6] (AHA), joined by the American Medical Association [7] (AMA), brought the suit against the US Department of Health and Human Services [8] (HHS) and its then-director Otis R. Bowen [9], to have a series of requirements for neonatal care struck down. These requirements?the first set of Baby Doe Rules?were created by the HHS and US President Ronald Reagan's Administration in 1983. The Rules mandated that all federally funded hospitals provide maximal treatment to handicapped infants and report any case where parental consent is withheld if medical neglect is suspected. However, in a 5 to 3 decision, the US Supreme Court ruled that Congress never intended for Section 504 to address an infant's civil rights, and that the clause cannot be invoked without evidence of discrimination.