New Federal Rule Permits Withholding of Medical Treatments, Information

[BridgeTheGap]

The Bush administration has approved a new "conscience protection" rule that allows health care workers to opt out of administering any form of medical care they feel is objectionable on moral or religious grounds. The new rule will permit emergency room workers to withhold information from rape victims about access to emergency contraception, and will allow doctors in federally-funded clinics to refuse to tell a pregnant woman that her fetus has a severe abnormality. A press release on the Department of Health and Human Services Web site says the law will "protect health care providers from discrimination." DHHS secretary Michael Leavitt said that doctors have a duty only "to provide care that they are comfortable providing." The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops praised the new rules, saying medical workers "should not be required to take the very human life they are dedicated to protecting." The rule is scheduled to take effect the day before President Bush leaves office. Democratic House Representatives Diana DeGette of Colorado and Louise Slaughter of New York plan to introduce a Congressional resolution rejecting the Bush administration's last-minute rules.

http://www.prwatch.org/node/8082

[Ian David]

1. My consicence prevents me from providing assistance to Republicans and Conservatives.

"Can you breathe? Can you talk? No? Okay, I'll do the Heimlich maneuver, but first, blink once if you voted for Obama, twice if you voted for McCain..."

[TechBear_Seattle]

2. I'm not advocating harm to the President, but if Bush were ever in a car crash

(And with his drinking, you know it is only a matter of time) I really hope he gets a pair of Christian Science EMTs who, as a matter of conscience, insist on praying over him because, you know, harm and injury are only physical manifestations of sin. And when he gets to the hospital, I would love it if the doctor-in-charge is a Jehovah's Witness who "opts out" of allowing a blood transfusion because the procedure would be a violation of his religious doctrines.

[Lerkfish]

3. I wonder what will happen if the worker is a jehovah's witness and the patient needs a transfusion?

:shrug:

[Mumble]

4. When I am paying the bill...

...I expect all medical assistance to be available to me. Otherwise, the medical advisor should be fired for neglecting their duty to me and I shouldn't be billed at all.

[MadMaddie]

8. Mumble that is a great point....

What * and the rest of the idiots don't realize is that they will be impacted by this stupid rule one day. It may be their kids or their grandkids being denied service.

This is more of the same of pushing religion down Americans throats. If these people are so offended by treating certain patients then maybe they need to lose their licenses or go work for a Catholic Hospital or something.

Welcome to DU!:hi:

[Warren Stupidity]

5. Let's reach out and embrace this shit too.

After all we don't want to make fundaloons unhappy.

[Chulanowa]

9. Okay, chucklehead

You want to compare some cocksmack preacher giving an invocation on TV for two minutes, to laws permitting medical practitioners to deny treatment to someone based on religious grounds?

Is that really what you're saying here? Your two minutes of embarassment is equal to some woman enduring god knows what from a rape because an EMT thinks that she's a whore? You think two minutes of this dumbass slobberjawing on your TV is equal to a doctor telling a gay person "sorry, you're fucked, I don't help queers, get the fuck out of my office"

I know that so many people here are too busy screaming up their own asses about Rick Warren to give a flying fuck about reality, but I'll tell you something you selfish little snot. THIS is an issue that will actually affect your life, your friend's lives, your family's lives. It's not some piddleshit TV spot to someone you dislike, this is "I'm a Christian with a medical license, go die"

Well knock yourself out, but it's a little too damn ridiculous for me.

[Warren Stupidity]

13. Yeah actually I do want to compare them.

Since some of us believe we should coddle the fundaloons why not coddle them on this too? Why stop with just a token front and center place of honor at the inauguration? I'm told that this coddling is a brilliant strategy and I've been convinced. Let's not settle for half measures here.

[ThomCat]

6. It is now legal to discriminate if your "conscience" tells you to.

x(

They have passed a law for the sole purpose to making it legal to DENY healthcare! :wtf:

How can this been good?

Will observant religious Jewish or Muslim male doctors be alowed to refuse to treat any women because their conscience forbids them from touching women?

How long until people start deciding that they can't in good conscience treat anyone who doesn't share their religious beliefs? Health care will now be available only by religion and by sect.

Will some straight doctors decide not to treat LGBT people?

This law is a nightmare. How much of a nightmare, we will see only over time, but only if someone does some research to track this and if the media reports on it. But no good can come from this.

[undergroundpanther]

7. I hope this

leads to lots of dead right wing pigs and asshole control freak fundies.I admit it.I like the idea of letting them suffer and die.
I wish they'd all kill themselves.The world would be better without fundamentalists and conservative assholes.

I morally object to helping ANYONE who is fundamentalist or conservative.That now is my right. Wish I was a doctor.I would deny every foaming fundie and conservative asshole treatment,I'd let them die and not give a shit.

As for you, bush I hope one day, you have an accident somehow,I dunno fall off a segway and get a sucking chest wound or something,or choke on a pretzel,and have to go to a hospital and Wham! YOU are denied treatment because the doctor treating you finds your beliefs objectionable and he refuses to treat monsters like you..And as you die,you have to face the other side of the stupid religious asshole laws you make. Know this I DO hate fundamentalist christianity It is EVIL.I wish it to DIE, go AWAY,and fade into obscurity.I wish more people saw fundamentalists as THE PROBLEM,saw them as dangerous ,and treated them like the narcissistic assholes they are.
My conscience tells me conservatives, fundie christians, Ceo's and sociopaths,abusive bullies, narcissists and sociopaths should not be helped.To me the moral thing to do is to let them all DIE OFF!

[Wednesdays]

10. Relax...it's a shitty law, but remember there's a new Prez coming

Good Lord, this law will be repealed by Obama before the ink on it is even dry.

[formercia]

11. Codifying the Dominionist agenda.

What's next, xtian only rest rooms?

[GuvWurld]

12. I *might* be okay with this if...

there was a general amnesty for conscientious objectors to leave the military.

double standard much?