Before slinking out of office, the Bush administration is trying to institutionalize a regulation that would allow any healthcare provider to refuse to deliver medical services that violate the worker's moral beliefs. The report was based on a draft of a rule being prepared by the Department of Health and Human Services.
The 39-page document spells out a regulation that could have an effect on pharmacies, clinics, doctors' offices, hospitals and other workers and facilities in the broad healthcare network receiving federal money.
Because I am a person with moral values, I would never dream of doing the following....BUT....I worked as a blood banker for a number of years. What if I told my employer that I could not prepare blood products for say, a Mormon, because I find their gender-associated bigotry unconscionable. This rule change would give me the right to refuse service wouldn't it?
I'm thinking religious conservatives might just want to be careful what they wish for. They may get more than they bargained for in the long run. Any thoughts?