Further info on laws designed to deny care to women

[amilyn]

neadods posted an update on the situation with medical "conscience objection" and the dangers introduced by the DHHS's new position. She also has excellent links to previous situations with extreme refusal of care that could become legal with the new systems.With the choice of the incredibly anti-choice Palin as anti-choice McCain's running mate, this

Comments

[amilyn]

I'm glad you're as furious as I am. I'm also terrified.

For extra information, the right to object to performing a procedure on basis of conscience is already included in federal law for doctors and pharmacists (and, I believe, nurses).

This law is trying to expand those rights to anyone who works in ANY facet of healthcare--including the person who cleans instruments, or the person who mops the floor or washes the linens or answers the phones or makes appointments.

It also would make legal the option to refuse information to women: to allow those who have a "moral objection" to birth control not to tell someone that it has medical implications for relief of cramps, for helping in PCOS, for regulating one's period. It would allow that information to be left out so that the patient simply wouldn't know. It would allow refusal of a referral to another provider, refusal to mention that there IS another provider, that there IS a provider, that there even is a procedure...would allow a receptionist to stonewall women, would strand women in low-population areas even worse than they already are by sparsity of care providers.

The potential scope of this thing has me learning the Canadian anthem.

[neadods]

the person who mops the floor or washes the linens or answers the phones

Or not answers the phones.

I have also heard of, although I don't have solid links for, people "losing" appointments for abortions so that the patient shows up but won't be seen because the information was never recorded.