Don’t think this won’t happen

Removing the right to exercise conscience in medicine and health care sounds so extreme, most Americans don’t believe it’s a serious possibility.

Time’s about up to figure out what you think, and have any say about it. The comment deadline is midnight, April 9.

Freedom2Care wants you to be informed and engaged.

Here’s what’s been happening:

In August 2008, the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services (HHS) took long-overdue action to address a growing crisis of abortion-related discrimination that could force thousands of conscientious healthcare professionals out of medicine. After several months of public comment on its proposed regulation, in December 2008 HHS finalized a regulation that made clear the protections offered by three civil rights laws passed by Congress with bipartisan support.

The civil rights laws declare that American tax dollars will not fund programs in which healthcare professionals are fired, penalized or otherwise subjected to discrimination because of their ethical stance related to abortion and other morally controversial issues.

However, in March 2009, following protests from abortion special interest groups, the new administration officially declared plans to rescind–get rid of–the conscience-protecting regulation. The administration has, as required by law, called for public comment on the proposed plan to get rid of the conscience-protecting regulation, with a deadline of April 9, 2009.

They’re required to give citizens a window of time for public comment. Has Health & Human Services already decided to do this? Can the public comments make a difference?

The US Bishops are accepting, in good faith, the government’s call for comments, and they’ve collectively taken a stand. This HHS proposal will reverse three federal laws protecting the conscience rights of health care providers, especially those at risk of being discriminated against because of their moral or religious objection to abortion. The bishops urge Catholics to speak out to protect Catholic doctors, nurses and hospitals. Consider:

Allowing health care providers to serve the public without violating their consciences protects and enhances access to health care, by ensuring continued participation by some of our most dedicated health professionals. Catholic and other faith-based providers are specially called to serve the poorest and most vulnerable, from the inner city to remote rural areas – if they are driven away, who will replace them?

Cardinal Francis George has answered that, by stating the ultimatum this plan proposes.

“People understand what really happens in an abortion and in related procedures — a living member of the human family is killed — … and no one should be forced by the government to act as though he or she were blind to this reality.”

If conscience protection goes, conscientious medicine goes. And the federal government will fill that void. Perish the thought.