Protecting Access for Poor Patients, CMA Physicians Support Conscience Provisions in Alternative Healthcare Bill

The 16,000-member Christian Medical Association (CMA, www.cmda.org), the nation's largest association of faith-based physicians, today voiced support for the conscience-protecting provisions in the "Empowering Patients First Act," a bill introduced by Rep. Tom Price (R-GA 6th). CMA contended that the protections are needed to avoid a potentially catastrophic loss of faith-based healthcare on which millions of poor patients depend.

In a letter sent to Rep. Price today regarding the bill (HR 3400), CMA CEO Dr. David Stevens noted, "The Christian Medical Association is very concerned that some in Congress and the White House appear to be pursuing a conscience-hostile approach to healthcare legislation, opposing amendment after amendment that would provide solid--not rhetorically deceptive--conscience protections.
"Lawmakers must realize that threatening or minimizing conscience protections holds the potential to create a catastrophic shortage of healthcare access, especially for poor patients. Our national polling (available online at www.Freedom2Care.org) reveals that 95 percent of faith-based physicians are prepared to leave medicine altogether rather than violate their conscientiously held ethical convictions."

Dr. Stevens wrote, "As you know, President Obama has announced plans to rescind the relatively new federal provider conscience regulation, which also provides for such a reporting mechanism. It is imperative, therefore, to enact legislation that protects conscience rights from the whims of any administration that might minimize the opportunity to address civil rights violations related to conscience."
Dr. Stevens thanked Rep. Price for recognizing the need for strong, true and broad conscience protections.

"The bill [Sec. 106 Part (d) of HR 3400] also provides a critical component of conscience protections. Many healthcare professionals encounter pressure to violate ethical codes on many issues besides abortion. HR 3400 addresses this reality by offering appropriately broad conscientious protection 'to accommodate the conscientious objection of a purchaser or an individual or institutional health care provider when a procedure is contrary to the religious beliefs or moral convictions of such purchaser or provider.'"

In his letter, Dr. Stevens also noted the benefit of designating the Office of Civil Rights at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services as a reporting outlet for healthcare professionals experiencing discrimination for their conscientious stance on ethical issues.

"Besides protecting any individual or institutional health care entity from discrimination 'on the basis that the health care entity does not provide, pay for, provide coverage of, or refer for abortions,' the bill also provides the crucial implementation avenue needed to make such protection effective."

~ Via Christian Newswire.

Obamacare: The Perfect Way to Promote and Increase Abortion

"President Obama says he wants fewer abortions. Obamacare would lead to more because they would be federally funded. Rather than have the bill do the dirty work, he would have the Secretary in the regulatory process pull the abortion coverage trigger. Different approach, same result."

~ Wesley J. Smith in Obamacare: Federal Money Would Fund Abortion

"Here is where I come down: A healthy pregnancy is not an illness because the baby is unwanted.  Tens of millions of people should not have to help fund an elective medical procedure not related to protecting physical health that they find morally abhorrent. "

~ Wesley J. Smith in Obamacare: Zeal to Cover Abortion Could Kill the Bill 

Obama Czar: The Government Must Fund Abortion

TEL AVIV – The government should be required to fund abortion in cases such as rape or incest, argues President Obama's newly confirmed regulatory czar, Cass Sunstein. 

"I have argued that the Constitution ... forbids government from refusing to pay the expenses of abortion in cases of rape or incest, at least if government pays for childbirth in such cases," Sunstein wrote in his 1993 book "The Partial Constitution."  Read the entire story.

WSJ: Health-Care Overhaul: Abortion, Public Option & Young Adults

Here are a few of the stories on the health-care overhaul that caught our eye this morning:

Abortion continues to play a role in the health care debate, the New York Times reports. The issue is dividing Dems, the article says. Some argue that the current health-care bills already prohibit using federal funds to pay for abortions, while others say more explicit prohibitions are needed for those who would receive government subsidies to purchase health insurance. For more on the subject, see this WSJ story from last month, and this WSJ.com column from Steven Waldman on how to keep the health-care overhaul neutral on abortion.

Read the entire story here.

Obamacare Hits New Lows

Only 41% of Voters Support Obama Socialist Health Care, while Only 16 Percent of Seniors Want Obama's Socialist Health Care.

Obama's Socialist Health Care Creates 8 NEW TAXES!

TAKE ACTION TODAY: STOP OBAMACARE

1) Contact the Senate Finance Committee Members via phone/fax/email. Tell them NO Government-run healthcare! Exert extra pressure on Republican members (especially Senator Snowe) and remind them NO compromise… NO healthcare negotiations… absolutely NO form of government health care!

DEMOCRAT SENATE FINANCE COMMITTEE MEMBERS

- Max Baucus (MT-D) http://baucus.senate.gov/contact/index.cfm
- Jay Rockefeller (VA-D) http://rockefeller.senate.gov/contact/email.cfm
- Kent Conrad (ND-D) http://conrad.senate.gov/contact/
- Jeff Bingaman (NM-D) http://bingaman.senate.gov/contact/
- John F. Kerry (MA-D) http://kerry.senate.gov/contact/office.cfm
- Blanche Lincoln (AR-D) http://lincoln.senate.gov/contact/index.cfm
- Ron Wyden (OR-D) http://wyden.senate.gov/contact/
- Charles E. Schumer (NY-D) http://schumer.senate.gov/new_website/contact.cfm
- Debbie Stabenow (MI-D) http://stabenow.senate.gov/contact.htm
- Maria Cantwell (WA-D) http://cantwell.senate.gov/contact/
- Bill Nelson (FL-D) http://billnelson.senate.gov/contact/email.cfm
- Robert Menendez (NJ-D) http://menendez.senate.gov/contact/contact.cfm
- Tom Carper (DE-D) http://carper.senate.gov/

REPUBLICAN SENATE FINANCE COMMITTEE MEMBERS

- Chuck Grassley (IA-R) http://grassley.senate.gov/contact.cfm
- Orrin G. Hatch (UT-R) http://hatch.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Offices.Home
- Olympia Snowe (ME-R) http://snowe.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=ContactSenatorSnowe.DistrictOffices
- Jon Kyl (AZ-R) http://kyl.senate.gov/
- Jim Bunning (KY-R) http://bunning.senate.gov/public/
- Mike Crapo (ID-R) http://crapo.senate.gov/contact/contact.cfm
- Pat Roberts (KS-R) http://roberts.senate.gov/public/
- John Ensign (NV-R) http://ensign.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Contact.ContactForm
- Mike Enzi (WY-R) http://enzi.senate.gov/public/
- John Cornyn (TX-R) http://cornyn.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Contact.Home

2) Next, contact your 2 US Senators with same message. Every Senator needs to hear from America now! Use this website for quick contact information: http://www.congressmerge.com/onlinedb/index.htm

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ARE YOU USING TWITTER?

Go to Operation Senate Overload on Healthcare and tweet your message to Senators today: http://tinypaste.com/657ac

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EXACTLY WHY DO I NEED TO CONTACT SENATORS TODAY? READ ON...

- Senate’s 4-Step plan to ram government health care into our lives "Passing a Shell of A Bill:" http://blog.heritage.org/2009/09/22/passing-a-shell-of-a-bill-how-congress-plans-to-ram-through-health-care-reform/

- Senate Finance Committee Democrats vote against health care legislation transparency: "Read the Bill! What Bill?" http://blog.heritage.org/2009/09/23/read-the-bill-what-bill/

- One year in jail if you fail to meet health care Individual Mandate: "Ensign receives handwritten confirmation" http://www.politico.com/livepulse/0909/Ensign_receives_handwritten_confirmation_.html?showall

- Transparency shenanigans are going on in the House of Representatives as well: "Dem Leadership Tries to Crush Petition on Allowing Americans to Read Bills Before Vote" http://republicanleader.house.gov/blog/?p=628

- Need clarification of health care terms? Read this: "Obamacare Translator Glossary" http://www.freedomworks.org/publications/freedomnotes-obamacare-translator
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AND PRAY... 

Prayer for our Nation’s Health Care Reform

Lord Jesus, you are the Divine Physician,
And the source of all life and health.

Guide our nation at this critical moment,
As our government seeks health care reforms.

Give our elected officials the humility to know
That they are servants, not masters.
Give them the wisdom to realize
That every life has equal value.
Give them the strength to resist the idea
That some lives can be sacrificed to save others
Or that killing the unborn is a part of health care.

Give your people the courage to speak up
And to hold public officials accountable for their actions.

Save us, Lord Jesus, from a culture of death,
And let every reform in our public policy
Be based on the reform of our hearts and minds
In the light of your Gospel,
For you are Lord forever and ever. Amen.


~ Via Fr. Frank Pavone at Priests for Life.