Health Workers' 'Conscience' Rule Set to Be Voided

One of the hallmarks of the Chimperator's gross misrule was that Christianist religious discrimination was allowed to creep into many federal rules and regulations and the rights of the larger population were forfeited for those of the whacked out fundies. One area where this practice was most prominent and insidious was the implementation of federal rules that would allow health care workers to refuse any form of treatment that violated their religious beliefs. Indeed, the rule was so broad that gays could have been refused treatment by health care workers with religious views condemning homosexuality. The policy in my view was truly wrong and had the potential to put individuals at risk but then again, with the Christianists it is always about putting their intolerant beliefs over the rights and welfare of others. I believe that despite their protestations of concern for others, the Christianists are one of the most selfish and self-centered segment of the population today. In an area such as health care, if one is not willing to provide all types of legal treatment to the general public, they need to find a different profession, plain and simple. Fortunately, the Obama administration is moving to rescind these Bush policies. Here are highlights from the Washington Post:

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The Obama administration's move to rescind broad new job protections for health workers who refuse to provide care they find objectionable triggered an immediate political storm yesterday, underscoring the difficulties the president faces in his effort to find common ground on anything related to the explosive issue of abortion.

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The administration's plans, revealed quietly with a terse posting on a federal Web site, unleashed a flood of heated reaction, with supporters praising the proposal as a crucial victory for women's health and reproductive rights, and opponents condemning it as a devastating setback for freedom of religion.

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The debate centers on a Bush administration regulation, enacted in December, that cuts off federal funding for thousands of state and local governments, hospitals, health plans, clinics and other entities if they do not accommodate doctors, nurses, pharmacists or other employees who refuse to participate in care they feel violates their personal, moral or religious beliefs. The rule was sought by conservative groups that argued that workers were increasingly being fired, disciplined or penalized in other ways for trying to exercise their "right of conscience."

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Women's health advocates, family-planning proponents, abortion rights activists and others condemned the regulation, saying it created a major obstacle to providing many health services, including family planning and infertility treatment, and possibly a wide range of scientific research. After reviewing the regulation, newly appointed officials at the Health and Human Services Department agreed. . . . "It is worded so vaguely that some have argued it could limit family-planning counseling and even potentially blood transfusions and end-of-life care."

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"The Obama administration is taking the right step forward to rescind this misguided rule," said Rep. Diana DeGette (D-Colo.), who has introduced legislation to overturn the regulation. But the Family Research Council, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and others condemned it.