[PAA-Discuss] Compassion & Choices: ACTION ALERT!

[juli3 at aol.com]

Stop Proposed HHS Regulations


Take Action!




We urge you to let the Bush administration know you are opposed to the proposed regulations.



 



Compassion & Choices has been monitoring a proposed regulation from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) called “Ensuring That Department of Health and Human Services Funds Do Not Support Coercive or Discriminatory Policies or Practices in Violation of Federal Law.”  This proposed regulation would require any entity receiving federal funds to certify that every employee can refuse service based on a “right of conscience” for any procedure that would violate his or her “religious belief or moral conviction”. 
 

Much of the proposed regulation is directed at entities involved in reproductive choices.  However, we believe the language of this proposed regulation is so broad, it allows a right of refusal for health care employees – doctors, nurses, supporting staff, janitors, etc. – for any procedure an employee opposes. The regulation’s sweeping refusal clause will require DOH, HSD, all of the subcontractors, grantees and any other entity that carries out any part of any health service program or research activity funded even in part by HHS to allow individuals to refuse to participate in any part of such a program if doing so “would be contrary to his religious beliefs or moral convictions.”  
  
This languag
e raises particular concerns about honoring end-of-life decisions by patients and their surrogate decision-makers and raises questions about how this clause will be interpreted in relation to existing law in many states.  This is particularly worrisome for patients at the end of life who are often unaware of their options and hesitant to initiate conversations with their providers about certain of those options. Compassion & Choices has filed an official comment opposing this proposed regulation, and encourages members to do the same.  



We urge you to let the Bush administration know you are opposed to the proposed regulations. We have provided a sample letter to help you get started. 
  















If you no longer wish to receive e-mail from us, please click here. 

 

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://paa-tx.org/pipermail/discuss_paa-tx.org/attachments/20080923/d73d5982/attachment.htm>