Hilary Clinton co-wrote an editorial with Planned Parenthood Federation of America's President Cecile Richards for Thursday's New York Times that rails against the proposed Department of Health and Human Services "Provider Conscience Clause" rule which would allow employees of any health care provider that receives any federal funding to refuse to participate in any medical procedure they might find objectionable.
Clinton and Richards opine: "Laws that have been on the books for some 30 years already allow doctors to refuse to perform abortions. The new rule would go further, ensuring that all employees and volunteers for health care entities can refuse to aid in providing any treatment they object to, which could include not only abortion and sterilization but also contraception...
The definition of abortion in the proposed rule is left open to interpretation. An earlier draft included a medically inaccurate definition that included commonly prescribed forms of contraception like birth control pills, IUDs and emergency contraception. That language has been removed, but because the current version includes no definition at all, individual health care providers could decide on their own that birth control is the same as abortion.
The rule would also allow providers to refuse to participate in unspecified 'other medical procedures' that contradict their religious beliefs or moral convictions. This, too, could be interpreted as a free pass to deny access to contraception.
Many circumstances unrelated to reproductive health could also fall under the umbrella of 'other medical procedures.' Could physicians object to helping patients whose sexual orientation they find objectionable? Could a receptionist refuse to book an appointment for an H.I.V. test? What about an emergency room doctor who wishes to deny emergency contraception to a rape victim? Or a pharmacist who prefers not to refill a birth control prescription?"
The full text of the proposed clause is here. Public comment is being sought prior to Sept. 25. Send your comments via e-mail to: consciencecomment@hhs.gov
For more explicit instructions on comment submission, click here.
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