Friday, November 4, 2011

Conscience Rights

A few newsbites:
I got this summary from an AAPLOG email:
In a nutshell, Health & Human Services (HHS) has adopted the most limited right of conscience language ever to be used in federal law in its new contraceptive mandate to health insurance. Using language developed by the ACLU, the mandate now requires all policies issued to cover all forms of FDA-approved contraceptives, sterilization and counseling with no co-pay. The only entities exempt are those that:
  1. Have the inculcation of religious values as their purpose;
  2. primarily employ persons who share its religious tenets;
  3. primarily serves persons who share their religious tenets; and
  4. are non-profit organizations under section 6033(a)(1) and section 6033(a)(3)(A)(i) or (iii) of the Code.
Practically, this means that ROC protections are limited to churches. The one-in-six hospitals in the country that are Catholic must provide coverage for birth control and sterilization. Christian practices and non-profits that serve the poor must provide coverage for morning after pills.

3 comments:

  1. We had a girl in my class petitioning that we all had to be trained to do an abortion procedure during or 3rd and 4th years. It's all just so sad. As Christians we are not allowed to 'force' our belief system on others but we are forced to oblige to theirs that contradict our own.

    ReplyDelete
  2. My gosh, what year are you? She's already petitioning for that, and for rotations?? I heard it was a problem for residents, not medical students. I am afraid for you.

    I agree with your last sentence; for 40 Days for Life we "stand and pray," and persons of any religion participate. No one would honk at prostrated Muslims, but they honk and yell at Christians (largely Catholics, where I am). The double standard is surprising.

    (However, it's not universal. I have classmates who treat me with respect when they stumble on me saying Midday Prayer.)

    ReplyDelete
  3. I'm a second year. She's petitioning now in case she gets a track where her OB/GYN rotation is one of her first. I don't think that my school would ever force us to learn but just that she wants to force us all to is disgusting.

    Also, that's great! Our school has a decent Catholic presence and the Christian Medical Fellowship is pretty large as well so it's not all bad, just the few stinkers that make a fuss.

    ReplyDelete