There is still time to support conscience protection for medical professionals. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is inviting public comment on a proposal to rescind an important federal regulation issued in December. The regulation implements and enforces three federal laws protecting the conscience rights of health care providers, especially those at risk of being discriminated against because of their moral or religious objection to abortion. We can express our opposition by emailing: proposedrescission@hhs.gov. The deadline for submitting statements is midnight on April 9, 2009.
Please also contact the White House, your Representatives, and your Senators. Here is a sample message to send them:
As a patient, I cherish the freedom to choose a healthcare professional who adheres to life-affirming standards of care.
I want my healthcare professional to remain free to care for me according to patient-protecting standards such as the Hippocratic Oath, moral and religious principles, the Nuremberg Code and other longstanding standards of medical ethics.
I oppose mandating participation in abortion and any unlawful discrimination and intolerant coercion that threaten women's access to healthcare by forcing life-affirming healthcare professionals, hospitals and clinics to choose between violating ethical commitments or leaving the practice of medicine.
I support laws, regulations and policies that protect and preserve the freedom of healthcare professionals to care for patients without being forced to participate in abortion and other ethically controversial practices.
Removing the federal civil rights regulation noted below, which protects such professionals from discrimination, will negatively impact my access to the healthcare professionals of my choosing. In addition, it will force medical professionals to choose between their professions and their consciences. Therefore, I urge you to preserve existing federal civil rights laws and the existing U.S. Department of Health and Human Services regulation (published 12/19/2008) that implements those laws.
In October of 2008, after serving three years as a Naval Officer, I was diagnosed with inoperable brain cancer. This blog chronicles my pilgrimage through life and towards the Roman Catholic priesthood.
1 comment:
As a retired military health care administrator, I submitted my recommendation to the Department of Health and Human Services, prior to the deadline, recommending that the conscience clause be retained. Failure to do so will result, insofar as the military is concerned, in mass resignations of physicians, nurses and other health care professionals who are unwilling to perform procedures such as abortion, etc.
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