Medical Associations Seek to Protect Conscience Rights

The Catholic Medical Association, Christian Medical Association and American Association of Pro-Life Obstetricians and Gynecologists have joined to intervene legally against lawsuits filed by eight states attorney generals, Planned Parenthood of America and National Family Planning and Reproductive Health Association.  The abortion rights organizations seek to overturn the laws that protect health care professionals from acting against their moral and religious values.

Documents were filed with the U.S. District Court in Hartford, CN, on behalf of the medical associations to provide a legal way for them to combat threats to the conscience rights of health care professionals who refuse to perform abortions, refer patients for abortions and provide contraceptives.   The papers state its members would be forced to perform, assist and train to do abortions and refer individuals for abortions contrary to their moral and religious convictions.

The suits by the abortion rights groups seek to overturn the ruling that codifies existing federal statutes that prohibit discrimination against health care professionals who refuse to participate in medical procedures that violate their religious and moral beliefs.  

A “Conscience Clause” in Dept. of Health and Human Services policy, signed by President Bush before he left office, currently supports health care professionals right to refuse to perform or assist in actions that violate their conscience.  A proposal to change the policy will be considered by Congress soon and President Obama announced he would review the proposal when he receives it.  After a review by the Office of Management and Budget, the proposal will be published in the Federal Register for 30 days for public comment.  With both Secretary of Health and Human Services, Kathleen Sibelius, and Presidet Obama supporting abortion rights, the pro-life health care professionals fear the policy is in danger of being reversed.

Even if the HHS policy were rescinded, the federal laws in place would protect medical professionals from the threat of being required to violate their moral values.  However, if the lawsuits by abortion rights organizations in Connecticut are successful, they believe it will diminish their right to protection from violating their moral and religious convictions.

The leaders of the three right to life medical associations have asked their members to call or write their legislators and President Obama.  They are encouraging them to write letters to the editors of newspapers in opposition to the lawsuits and rescinding of the HHS conscience clause.  Their concern is that Catholic hospitals may have to close to prevent the forced violation of the moral and religious beliefs of their staff.  There are 624 Catholic hospitals in the U.S employing 600,000 people and serving thousands of patients who would be affected.