Christian doctors' group protests rolling back 'conscience' rule (CNN)

[eppur_se_muova]

(CNN) -- An organization of Christian physicians argued Wednesday against an impending rollback of a federal rule allowing health care workers to refuse to provide certain reproductive services, saying it's discriminatory.

The Bush White House proposed the rule in August, and it was enacted January 20, the day President Obama took office. It expanded on a 30-year-old law establishing a "conscience clause" for health care professionals who don't want to perform abortions.

Under the rule, workers in health care settings -- from doctors to janitors -- can refuse to provide services, information or advice to patients on subjects such as contraception, family planning, blood transfusions and even vaccine counseling if they are morally against it.

The Obama administration is expected to reverse the rule shortly, touching off a new wave of heated debate over what remains one of the most sensitive and emotional hot-button issues in American politics.

" 'Right of conscience' is under attack, and that is dangerous for our country, our health care system and our patients," said Dr. David Stevens, head of the 15,000-member Christian Medical Association.
***
more: http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/04/08/conscience.clause/index.html





Took effect 20 Jan ... how sleazy is that? One more departing "gift" from the Bu**sh** maladministration.

[malaise]

1. No assholes

Doctors can't deny treatment to anyone. Go and read that oath you took. If you want to practice religion, leave the medical profession and become a preacher. The law of the land is not written for you and your religious beliefs. Now STFU.

[northzax]

3. actually, yes, they can

Doctors cannot deny life-saving treatment to anyone. that's part of the hippocratic oath. doctors can, and do (or at least should), deny legal treatment to people all the time.

what this rule states is that a doctor (or nurse, or receptionist, or janitor, or anyone) cannot interfere with the practice of a medical clinic by refusing to participate in a procedure that is commonplace within that institution and within the scope of the job they were hired for. NO ONE is going to 'force' anyone to participate in an abortion. but if you happen to work at a facility that performs abortions, you should expect to be at least tangentially involved. you can't work the phones at Planned Parenthood and refuse to talk about Abortion. you can't get a job at a family clinic that performs abortions and refuse to mop up the operating theater afterwards, if you are assigned to do it. You can make it known BEFORE HAND that you decline to participate in certain procedures, as long as it's not an integral part of your job, and there are other, completely reasonable alternatives for people to do it. Maybe you should be assigned to work on other procedures, but you cannot deny someone immediate care because of a non-previously stated objection. that's the point.

it is perfectly legal, if stupid, for a drug store to not carry condoms, for instance. stupid, but legal. Just as it is not illegal for a store not to carry Wheat Thins. it is not ethical, in my opinion, to refuse to dispense any commonly accepted prescription medication, such as birth control. or, say, statins. or say, codeine. It is acceptable to a pharmacy to refer customers to another pharmacy that is perfectly accessible, AT THAT EXACT TIME, if they cannot dispense a medication, just as they would if they were out of something. "oh, you need a new inhaler now? I don't have any, let me call my sister store on 5th street" or "try the CVS across the street, they always have them. let me call it in for you so it will be waiting." and then they should go get it for you, at their expense. now, if it's not an emergency, they should be required to have you the medication within 48 hours. seems reasonable. I can live without my plavix for a day or two, but if I was on dilantin, maybe not.

[JuniperLea]

2. "The Obama administration is expected... "

Great. The WSJ taking stock in buzz. Anything from the Obama administration on that?

[tabbycat31]

4. if you have a religious objection to providing medical treatment

then get another job. If you're objection is to birth control, try a field of medicine (podiatry?) where birth control issues won't come up.

[FiveGoodMen]

5. I would greatly prefer to see a doctor who wasn't a Christian

One who, instead, believed that my health was entirely based on all my inter-working parts and not on "God's Will"

[muntrv]

6. Waaaaah! Waaaaah! We can't get talibornagain on patients!

[Believing Is Art]

7. These guys must be drunk from that much whine

"Stevens predicted that a large number of specialists in obstetrics and gynecology would leave the medical profession if the rule is repealed."

Wow, is it really going to be that hard to go back to practicing medicine like you did before four fucking months ago?

[Donald Ian Rankin]

8. I note that he doesn't say *how* it is dangerous for patients. NT