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The
Bush administration is circulating a draft of proposed Health and Human
Service (HHS) regulations that would gut state laws and rob patients of
the ability to receive the full information they need to make responsible
health care decisions and deny them access to health care, including common
forms of birth control.
This is out of step with the American electorate - 73% of whom support
policies that make it easier for women at all income levels to obtain
contraceptives. This
proposed rule offers yet another example of this Administration overreaching
in its final year; challenging Congress with interpretations of federal
law that go far beyond original intent.
Overly Broad Definition of Abortion Sweeps in Other Family
Planning Services
The
draft proposed rule includes a definition of abortion which is extraordinarily
broad. The proposed regulation defines abortion as “any of the various
procedures—including prescription, dispensing, and administration
of any drug or the performance of any procedure or any other action—that
results in the termination of the life of a human being in utero between
conception and natural birth, whether before or after implantation.”
The definition could be interpreted to include some forms of birth control,
including emergency contraception, intra-uterine devices (IUDs), and other
forms of hormonal contraceptives. This expanded definition could allow
any provider who wants to deny women birth control pills to claim protection
based on a personal belief that such pills fit this definition of abortion.
Threatens to Undo Hard Won Protections for Women’s Health
at the State Level
States across the nation have passed laws to ensure patient access to
basic health care. The proposed regulations interfere with states’
willingness or ability to enforce their own laws protecting and expanding
access to health care. Currently, 34 states have laws and policies that
would be jeopardized by these proposed regulations.
Devastating
for the Health Care Industry At-Large
The proposed rule would allow an employee to refuse to provide any health
care service for which they were hired to perform. For example, a health
center staff person opposed to birth control who was hired to schedule
patient appointments could refuse to schedule patients seeking those services.
This refusal undermines a health care provider’s ability to provide
the very services for which they are funded under HHS, as well as a patient’s
ability to access those services. Health care providers must be able to
appropriately screen and hire individuals capable and willing to perform
the core services required of the job.
Yet
Another Example of Administration Over-Reaching
It has been the practice of this administration to abuse its authority
by pressing its own ideological and political agenda at the expense of
its citizens' health care. The proposed regulation is yet another example
of this administration using the regulatory-process to stretch beyond
Congress’ intent and undermine health care access in the process.
We urge you to speak out against this ideological attack on
women’s health immediately and write your letter to the editor today!
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