Freedom of choice (medical professionals need not apply)

[banzai]

Does the freedom to choose extend to medical professionals? Or should such choices only be afforded to those with less medical training and experience? And, if that's the case, is anyone starting to notice how ludicrous this is? As expected, the Obama administration has waited just over a month after the inauguration to begin weighing in on the

Comments

[ext_132043]

I talked with a doctor I work with recently, and learned it does extend to medical professionals.

[banzai]

Yes: the linked story from the Tribune says it extends to medical professionals now, but suggests that policy is set to be changed by the current administration. Does that match the account given by your doctor? Or did your conversation lead you to believe something different from what the article suggests? I'm interested to hear the connection.

[jeney]

I'm certainly not surprised by any of this - but gosh, am I saddened by it.

[banzai]

What stuns me is that I think there will be people who are surprised, and I don't understand how that's even possible. From a policy perspective, this was far from a hidden agenda-agree or disagree, this has been on the table the whole time. So to not see it coming only seems possible if one is willfully ignoring the policy stances of this administration.

[jeney]

I have heard from a lot of Obama supporters that they just hoped he wouldn't do it. They just...hoped he wouldn't. I guess they hoped he was lying? But no - that can't be. DOT DOT DOT.

I mean, he was all about hope. He was filled and covered with it. But still - to just "hope he won't" seemed a bit naive to me. And sure enough! It was.

[joneric]

I've got to disagree with you on this one. The "Conscience Rule" has only been in place since mid-January. It was thrown together at the last minute by the previous administration and it was poorly written. It needs to be revised.
http://www.webmd.com/news/20081219/new-conscience-rule-controversy

[banzai]

Reading the WebMD article doesn't raise any new concerns for me about the "Conscience Rule"-I was familiar with its timing, and none of the implications mentioned are problems that seem (to me) to require federal intervention (I'm sure people who disagree said the same when the Bush administration implemented the rule).

I don't want to be critical of a policy that hasn't been yet been fully crafted, and I know we're not there yet. So, we'll see. But it'd require more ignorance than I have to believe the Obama administration doesn't have a strong leaning in one direction that's been both articulated and demonstrated on numerous occasions. I'm not a fan of that direction's implication on people like chippa's wife. If medicine were socialized, then I could see the federal government taking a more direct approach. But in a free market, not to mention under the rallying cry of "choice," I don't like the possibility of limiting the choices available to the most trained professionals in order to support the current administration's stance.

[joneric]

I don't want to Chippa's wife or my sister to be forced to perform any procedure they object to either. Call me naive, but I don't believe that to be the administration's intent with a revision of this rule.

[banzai]

I agree-I don't think either administration intended/intends harm. I wish intent was all it took.

[its_nin]

and God will still be sovereign then...

... and maybe a little pissed.

[banzai]

Hopefully we won't soon lose our freedom to mention that possibility. Lord, have mercy.

[unblinkable]

Niiiiiice.

[chippa]

Thanks for posting this, Lee.