in this profession yes it is ! On Dec 21, 6:45 am, mark <[email protected]> wrote: > so it is a bad thing to allow people to follow their conscience while > making choices is that right murky? > > On Dec 21, 6:09 am, Florida Cracker 532 <[email protected]> > wrote: > > > > > " Health care workers, hospitals and even entire insurance companies > > can decline to perform, refer or pay for any health care practice that > > violates a "religious belief or moral conviction > > " > > Bush's Last-Minute "Conscience" Rules Cause Furor > > http://www.truthout.org/122008E > > Health care workers, hospitals and even entire insurance companies > > could decline to perform, refer or pay for abortion or any other > > health care practice that violates a "religious belief or moral > > conviction" under new rules issued by the outgoing Bush > > administration. > > > "This rule protects the right of medical providers to care for > > their patients in accord with their conscience," said Health and > > Human > > Services Secretary Michael Leavitt. > > > But opponents of the rule, now set to take effect Jan. 19, say it > > could threaten patients' health. "This is a very wide, broadly > > written > > regulation that upsets what has been a carefully established balance > > between respecting the religious views of providers, while also > > making > > sure that we're guaranteeing patients access to health care," said > > Cecile Richards, president of the Planned Parenthood Federation of > > America. > > > For example, Richards said, many states currently have laws > > requiring that rape victims treated in hospital emergency rooms be > > offered the option of taking emergency contraceptive pills to prevent > > pregnancy. But she said that because providers who don't believe in > > emergency contraception could now simply opt not to tell women about > > that option, "under this rule, we believe that in fact now women who > > are the victim of sexual assault either would not be guaranteed > > either > > information or health care access to emergency contraception." > > > That slap at state laws spurred opposition from more than a dozen > > state attorneys general when the regulations were first proposed. > > Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal says he'll fight to > > see the new rule rescinded. > > > "This rule is an appalling insult and abuse - a midnight power > > grab to deny access to health care services and information, > > including > > even to victims of rape," Blumenthal said. > > > But Leavitt said he felt compelled to issue the new rules after > > what he termed an unsatisfactory exchange last year with the > > organizations that represent the nation's obstetricians and > > gynecologists over a new set of ethics guidelines. > > > "It came about primarily because some of the professional > > association were trying to define as competence a willingness to > > perform abortion. And I think that's wrong," Leavitt said in > > September. "A person can be perfectly competent and feel it's not > > morally correct to perform an abortion. And they ought to have the > > capacity to be protected in that right." > > > That ethics policy, however, from the American College of > > Obstetricians and Gynecologists, had less to do with whether doctors > > should be willing to perform abortions or other potentially > > controversial services, and more to do with what they should do if > > they were unwilling to perform them. In those cases, according to the > > policy, doctors should tell patients upfront and refer them to > > someone > > who is willing to provide the services. > > > Under the new regulations, however, such referrals will not be > > required. That pleases groups like the Family Research Council. "What > > these conscience regulations do is let the individual decide what > > their conscience is, and not the federal government, be it Barack > > Obama or George Bush," said Tom McClusky, the group's vice president > > of government affairs. > > > But Barack Obama made it clear during the presidential campaign > > that he disapproved of the rules. The president-elect said an early > > version of the regulations "raises troubling issues about access to > > basic health care for women, particularly access to contraceptives." > > > While the incoming president can't simply wipe out the rules with > > the stroke of a pen, there is a relatively abbreviated process for > > taking them off the books. It's called the Congressional Review Act. > > And because the Bush administration issued the regulation late in the > > current president's term, the new Congress will have 75 legislative > > days to pass a "motion of disapproval." All it takes is a simple > > majority of votes by the House and Senate, and the motion is not > > subject to delaying tactics in the Senate.- Hide quoted text - > > - Show quoted text - --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ Thanks for being part of "PoliticalForum" at Google Groups. For options & help see http://groups.google.com/group/PoliticalForum
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