AZ Senate Passes Bill Allowing Doctors To Not Inform Women Of Prenatal Issues To Prevent Abortions

[Galraedia]

It’s called a “wrongful birth” bill and it’s all about preventing women from having an abortion, even if it kills them. The Arizona Senate passed a bill this week that gives doctors a free pass to not inform pregnant women of prenatal problems because such information could lead to an abortion.

In other words, doctors can intentionally keep critical health information from pregnant women and can’t be sued for it. According to the Arizona Capitol Times, “the bill’s sponsor is Republican Nancy Barto of Phoenix. She says allowing the medical malpractice lawsuits endorses the idea that if a child is born with a disability, someone is to blame.” So Republicans are banning lawsuits against doctors who keep information from pregnant women so as to prevent them from choosing to have an abortion.



This bill is actually more disturbing than the Republicans seem to realize. Giving doctors such a free pass risks the lives of both the expectant mother and the fetus she carries. Prenatal care isn’t just for discovering birth defects and disabilities. It is also for discovering life threatening issues such as an ectopic pregnancy which often requires an abortion to save the life of the mother. With rare exceptions, ectopic pregnancies are not viable anyway, but Republicans are allowing anti-abortion doctors to keep life threatening information from pregnant women all because they are obsessed with stopping any and all abortions. Women may not know they have a life threatening condition until they die on the emergency room table. And the doctor couldn’t be sued.

Read more: http://www.addictinginfo.org/2012/03/07/arizona-senate-passes-bill-allowing-doctors-to-not-inform-women-of-prenatal-issues-to-prevent-abortions/

[uppityperson]

1. "let women die" bill indee.

[duhneece]

2. Did I wake up in BizzaroLand...again?

I cannot wrap my brain around the fact that all AZ women are not up in arms, protesting.

[cynatnite]

3. I feel sick to my stomach. n/t

[jillan]

4. Anyone in Arizona~ There is a group that is forming and will be protesting - please join......

Huge protest on 4/28

http://www.facebook.com/groups/WOWAR/

[Thinkingabout]

5. The Az Senate and governor needs brain transplants.

Just like the Santorum thinking, I knew years ago the anti-abortion group wanted to expand and control our every lives and now the truth is coming to the surface. This is an overreach, Brewer needs to put the finger in the face of senators and clear their mind. I also see where they want to change the gun free school zone, what are they thinking. Sharia law is ongoing in AZ

[jmowreader]

49. You're kidding, right?

Jan Brewer is probably champing at the bit to get this bill on her desk, where she will sign it with the greatest of pleasure.

Legal types, let me ask you this: If a woman died because of her pregnancy and her doctor knew she could die from it but withheld that information in an attempt to prevent an abortion, could the survivors sue Jan Brewer, every member of the Arizona Legislature who voted for the bill, the Arizona Republican Party and whatever church the doctor attends?

[Manifestor_of_Light]

6. That is unethical for a doctor to not inform the patients of risks & benefits of a medical procedure

The Repukes are busy telling doctors what they can and cannot say. Wasn't there a Supreme Court case about freedom of speech of doctors, and legislators interfering with the doctor-patient relationship???



I am a lawyer but am too lazy to look up the case.

[global1]

9. Talk About "Death Panels"......

what is wrong with the Repugs in Arizona and the people that elect them?

[sinkingfeeling]

12. Old retired people don't have any concerns about conception. It's all those

brown skinned people that are having those 'anchor babies' that this is aimed at.

[sammytko]

25. wouldn't they want the anchor babies aborted?? n/t

[sinkingfeeling]

29. Won't have to abort if the woman carrying the fetus is dead.

[tech3149]

16. Exactly!

No ethical medical professional would ever put a patient at risk by withholding information. Anyone who did should be driven from the profession.

[liberalhistorian]

63. The AZ AMA should make clear to its members

that any one of them who withhold such information will be investigated for revocation of their medical license, regardless of any state "law." While the legislature can pass all of these such laws it wants, it DOES NOT and CANNOT any control whatsoever over the profession's own code of ethics and conduct and the AMA rules. Those are entirely separate from any legislative ordinances and control. And the deliberate withholding of medical information, particularly when it involves a potential or direct threat to lives such as an ectopic pregnancy, is a gross violation of the most basic code of professional conduct that doctors are sworn to uphold.

Therefore, any doctor who tries to hide behind the protection of any legislative rule such as this may be shielded from state criminal prosecution and civil suits by any affected patients, but he or she WILL NOT be shielded from professional discipline itself. The AMA needs to make this absolutely crystal clear to state physicians. And if a patient dies as a direct result of their deliberate withholding of information, then their license must be immediately revoced, with no possibility of reinstatement.

[Initech]

7. WTF. Are they trying to take us back to the dark ages???

[SammyWinstonJack]

62. Just us women.

[sinkingfeeling]

8. So, the GOP is now for adding more unbearable medical costs and heartbreak.

Suppose a woman is carrying a fetus with Trisomy 18, and unlike the Santorum's, would choose to abort and isn't given the information. Will the good GOP sponsor, Nancy Barto, be willing to pay out the several hundreds of thousand of dollars annually to provide the same around the clock care that Bella Santorum gets? If not, who will?

[atreides1]

21. Nancy Barto only does what her religious and political masters tell her to do!

She sold out her gender to keep her seat in the State legislature!

Don't you realize that with the Republicans, life begins at conception and ends at birth!

[HockeyMom]

22. Who exactly is right. A burger flipper would have the money

to pay for and support a child with this condition for the rest of their life? I mean even AFTER the parents themselves are dead. Then they want to cut Medicade too? Bring back State run Asylums? Bring back Willowbrooks? That is what happened in the past when parents could no longer care, physically, emotionally, or financially, for these kids.

I worked with one Willowbrook "graduate" who was in her 50s. She could not talk, walk, feed, or toilet herself. Her parents put her in that institution as a little girl, and wanted nothing more to do with her. No, nobody ever adopted these SEVERELY physically and mentally disabled children. Her parents passed away years ago. Her only living relative was a younger sister. When the agency tried to contact her sister about her care, her sister wrote, "Do not contact me ever again about my sister's care." "I only wish to be contacted when my sister has passed away and I need to make arrangements for her burial."

I wonder what Saint Rick would have to say about that? What is his SOLUTION for the care of these disabled children who MUST BE BORN, cared, and supported, for the rest of their lives by parents who don't have the MONEY he does?

[HockeyMom]

10. When my doctor diagnosed my ectopic

He got on the phone IMMEDIATELY and got me a bed in a hospital. You cannot wait on this because they cannot know when it will RUPTURE. If the doctor cannot tell you to go immediately to a hospital or you will DIE, they cannot be sued for malpractice and WRONGFUL DEATH?

What don't these morons understand that not ALL pregnancies are VIABLE????

[Scuba]

11. Jeezus H. Keerist in a basket, those people are nuts down there!

[Arugula Latte]

13. Holy Shit. This is from The Handmaid's Tale, right?

[pokerfan]

14. So much for the Hippocratic Oat...

I will prescribe regimens for the good of my patients according to my ability and my judgment and never do harm to anyone.

[sinkingfeeling]

19. Yep, the AZ Senate has just over-ridden the Hippocratic Oath .

[Marrah_G]

15. WTF?

That cannot be legal. omg

[w8liftinglady]

17. I can't imagine any self-respecting physician actually doing this

The docs I work with are anal-retentive about listing EVERY imaginable side effect/complication...that includes radiologists(who would be the ones reading the sonograms)Every woman should insist on a complete copy of their radiological report.It is your right to have a copy of your medical record.
Failure to report a possible complication is called "negligence".

[liberalhistorian]

64. The problem is, it doesn't matter if it's

negligence because the woman-hating idiots sponsoring it made sure to include provisions forbidding doctors who withhold any such information from being sued as a consequence of that withholding.

However, this is not at all in line with medical ethics and professional code of conduct and ethics supercedes any state law. Any doctor who does this should have his license revoked immediately and permanently by the profession's governing board.

[Historic NY]

18. Is that even morally & medically ethical??

[hifiguy]

24. IMO, it is definitely not in line with medical ethics

and may run directly contrary to a physician's ethical obligations to his or her patient.

[surrealAmerican]

20. Why see a doctor at all ...

... if they can withhold any information they gather?

[hifiguy]

23. Any doctor that would withhold this information from a patient

is unfit to practice any sort of medicine whatsoever. Have these medieval asshats ever heard of the Hippocratic Oath?

[cynatnite]

28. I've never met a doctor willing to withhold health information...

I can't imagine any of the doctors I know that would be okay with this sort of thing.

[nashville_brook]

36. i have. plenty, too.

you see things from the marketing side of the business that would make you sick. no pun intended.

[The Wielding Truth]

26. Republicans mandate"Big government"control our lives while decrying big government. Perfectly them.

[sammytko]

27. I read more at another link and that is not exactly what it intends to do

http://azcapitoltimes.com/news/2012/03/06/senate-approves-bill-on-wrongful-births/

It doesn't force doctors not to tell their patients about any health concerns of the fetus. It says that if a doctor mis diagnoses and fails to inform the parents, the parents can't sue.

I guess there is the chance that some whacko doctor could take advantage of this, but the bill isn't telling the doctor NOT to tell the woman of any complications.

[cynatnite]

30. That doesn't make it any better..

If a doctor fails to correctly diagnose a condition the parents of a fetus should have the right to sue.

[BadgerKid]

31. This is really over the top.

They've found their wood splitter topic and are sledgehammering away. I fear this may open up a whole lot of non-legal remedies should a woman die from this.

[louslobbs]

32. And the attack on Women continues, in the attack state of Arizona. No surprises here. When will

the sane Republicans step up and stop the madness? There are sane Republicans, aren't there?
Lou

[Liberal_in_LA]

33. omg. time to form our own country.

[truebrit71]

34. That goes against the hippocratic oath though...the doctors are OBLIGATED to tell the patient...

..of ALL known risks...

Right?

Love the continued display of 'small government' by the rethuglicans...

Is it the fact that there's too much sun out there that melts their brains, or is it something in the water, because those fuckers be crazy...

[pansypoo53219]

35. LIBERTARIAN, excpt for the ladies. it's a boyz club. now girls have to shut up.

CAUSE MEN KNOW WHAT BEST.

[Cerridwen]

38. "I didn't attend the funeral, but I sent a nice letter saying that I approved of it."

I didn't attend the funeral, but I sent a nice letter saying that I approved of it.
Mark Twain
US humorist, novelist, short story author, & wit (1835 - 1910)

And I just killed my chance of being on your jury. *sigh*

[braddigan]

39. It's simply the truth

Hey don't be mad at me for simply stating the truth

[Cerridwen]

41. Who's mad, sweetums?

I enjoy a good exposé.

Bless your heart.

[Major Nikon]

44. Truth my ass

You're simply posting the text of the bill (which has already been read) and applying the wingnut spin I could just as easily get in freepersville. What wingnuts can't seem to comprehend is people have a CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHT to an abortion for whatever reason they deem necessary. This bill simply subverts that CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHT. So spin it any way you want, but you haven't changed that reality.

Enjoy your brief stay here.

Cheers!

[Major Nikon]

40. Wingnuts are best alerted with the TOS option

This expedites their pizza.

[Cerridwen]

43. I'll leave it for the 'less-sensitive' among us.

I'm far too sensitive to deal with this type of issue.

*faints dead away*

[Major Nikon]

46. Here's the results...

ALERTER'S COMMENTS:

"your liberal spin?"

JURY RESULTS

You served on a randomly-selected Jury of DU members which reviewed this post. The review was completed at Thu Mar 8, 2012, 11:30 PM, and the Jury voted 5-1 to HIDE IT.

Juror #1 voted to HIDE IT and said: No explanation given
Juror #2 voted to HIDE IT and said: Please, 'liberal spin' tips your hand. If you disagree, you can do it without the pejorative comment 'liberal spin'.
Juror #3 voted to HIDE IT and said: This is hugh. From Rush's lips to his ears. HIDE IT. And order a pizza.
Juror #4 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE and said: No doubt the poster is a putz and soon will have pizza for dinner, BUT-- in this case he is attempting to interpret the law, albeit somewhat insultingly, and that's the sort of thing that shouldn't be hidden but be argued in the light of day.

Juror #5 voted to HIDE IT and said: If at first you don't succeed, try left field.
Juror #6 voted to HIDE IT and said: Rightwing crap.

[Cerridwen]

47. Thank you! Again.

Juror #4 needs an enema. Just my opinion of course.

"obviously a troll but the 'letter of the law' says troll stays and the spirit of the law is long ago exorcised and I don't have the mental ingenuity to think beyond the bounds of the letter of the law".

Side note: Hi, jury members. Juror #4 is a putz and would turn in escaped slaves because "IT'S THE LAW!!!!111!!!!!"

[Major Nikon]

48. The wingnut has been exorcised already

Pizza is a dish best served cold.

[Cerridwen]

50. And after only 2 posts.

How cool is that?

But, I expect my reply to be alerted and the jury called to duty to tell me how I shouldn't pick on "DUers".

Meh.

I do, very seriously, appreciate you posting the results. Thank you.

[hootinholler]

51. Personally I kind of agree with Juror #4

The post was mildly insulting (certainly no worse than what you say about juror #4) and earned a pizza, but not really hide worthy.

[Cerridwen]

52. Then I suggest you recalibrate your BS meter. n/t

[hootinholler]

54. There's nothing wrong with my BS meter

Nothing at all wrong with it.

Pizza worthy and hide worthy are two very different things.

[Cerridwen]

55. Welcome to the war.

If you had gone 'toe to toe' and 'in your face' with 'these people'; in real life, you would have a different take on these matters.

Arguing the "Marquis de Queensbury" rules as they beat you about the head and face with it, would alter your perceptions greatly.

Keep 'turning the other cheek' and you will no longer have a face, nor jaw, nor eyes, nor life.

[hootinholler]

57. ROFLMAO!

You say that with no knowledge of whom I've gone toe to toe with (not my fighting style anyway, but hey I'll use the metaphor).

I didn't argue to turn the other cheek either. Just pointed out that juror #4 is not an outlier nor in need of an enema.

Before you come back with more advice, please consider to whom you are speaking.

[Cerridwen]

58. I say that with plenty of knowledge.

You are 'turning the other cheek' because it makes you feel better.

Congratulations! You have the moral high ground.

Six feet of it.

eta: Oh, Wait! Was that a threat?! Nice job. Very subtle.

[hootinholler]

59. So subtle I didn't realize it could be taken that way

I didn't mean that in a threatening way at all and apologize that you could validly take it that way, because yes it could be read that way.

The link was to point out that you are ascribing things to me that don't belong to me while giving me advice on how to deal with trolls. It shows how trolls are dealt with.

My point was that you can't have knowledge of my experiences dealing with right wingers in real life and I meant to imply that really isn't germane to whether or not juror #4 needs an enema.

[Cerridwen]

60. Walked you back you a bit?

Now you've learned about subtleties. That is what the PPRd puke didn't get and what juror #4 didn't get.

Subtlety.

You were the one who PPRd the idiot but you weren't the sole decision maker; I've been assured hosts don't work alone.

Congratulations! You take the credit for the group. I have a boss like you.

Juror #4 has a stick up their ass and is married to THE LAW and THE RULES and was a frustrated hall-monitor.

Based on your response to this derail...were you Juror #4? Don't answer. It truly...seriously...it doesn't matter. I don't care. I just type fast. *snort*

The rest of my thoughts I can't post because of the TOS of the...'underground'.

Edit for grammar to make some sense. Or...maybe not.

[hootinholler]

61. Ok then

I'll just let you live in your world of make believe. You seem so happy there.

[Major Nikon]

53. That might be true if this came from a genuine DUer

The best way to alert on a wingnut is by using the TOS option, but if someone is going to do a jury alert on a wingnut, I'm always going to vote to hide it. If I wanna see freeper crap, I'll go to freeperville.

[hootinholler]

56. Your prerogative

But sometimes hiding it draws more attention to it.

[Cerridwen]

45. Wow! I am impressed.

THAT was truly expeditious.

LOL

Oh...my smelling salts worked.

I'm baaaaaaack.

[ohheckyeah]

42. Are you serious?

The bill simply protects a doctor from not disclosing birth defects and being sued because apparently people in Arizona are horrible enough that if their child has a birth defect, they want to abort it.

Simply protects? Whose going to pay for the child care of children with horrible birth defects if the family can't afford the care? You and the Republicans? That's a laugh. Ever been around a child that need 24/7 care? One that couldn't see, hear, talk, walk or do anything but lay in bed? And you think that life is more compassionate than an early abortion?