Women's Health Groups Slam Bush's New 'Right Of Conscience' Rule

[babylonsister]

New Rule Protects Health-Care Workers' 'Right of Conscience'

By Rob Stein
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, December 18, 2008; 12:54 PM


The Bush administration today issued a sweeping new regulation that protects a broad range of health-care workers -- from doctors to janitors -- who refuse to participate in providing services that they believe violate their personal, moral or religious beliefs.

The controversial rule empowers federal health officials to cut off federal funding for any state or local government, hospital, clinic, health plan, doctor's office or other entity if it does not accommodate employees who exercise their "right of conscience." It would apply to more than 584,000 health-care facilities.

"Doctors and other health care providers should not be forced to choose between good professional standing and violating their conscience," Health and Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt said in a statement.

The regulation, which was issued just in time to take effect in the 30 days before the change of administrations, was sought by conservative groups, abortion opponents and others as necessary to safeguard workers from being fired, disciplined or penalized in other ways.

Women's health advocates, family planning proponents, abortion rights activists, members of Congress and others condemned the regulation, saying it would create major obstacles to a variety of health services, including abortion, family planning, end-of-life care and possibly a wide range of scientific research.

more...

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/12/18/AR2008121801556.html?hpid=topnews

[musette_sf]

1. and by all means

let's have a speaker at the inaugural that believes this crap.

now i'm begining to lose hope that Obama will fight this idiocy. no, he wants to elevate this idiocy.

[SoCalNative]

2. If these health care workers

are unwilling to perform all of the tasks of the job that they were hired for then they should find another job. Perhaps flipping burgers would be a good alternative, unless they're vegetarians too.

[babylonsister]

3. I'm very angry at idiot son for making an even bigger mess to clean up. nt