Dear Catholic healthcare providers,
The time has come for each and everyone of us to insist upon enactment of federal legislation protecting the conscience rights and religious liberty of physicians and all those involved in every facet of the delivery of health care.
By now, we are all familiar with the alarming trends revealing an unprecedented willingness on the part of both the state and federal government to deny the conscience rights and religious liberty of individuals and institutions involved in health care. Examples abound, including the Obama administration’s Health and Human Service’s contraceptive mandate, the state of California’s requirement that all health insurers include elective abortions in their health plans and the recent effort in multiple states to deny conscience exemptions for vaccinations.
Therefore, it is urgent to pass legislation protecting rights of conscience and religious liberty to ensure our freedom to deliver medical care in conformity with our firmly held ethical values and religious convictions.
Fortunately there is already a bill in the House of Representatives, HR 940, which provides the legal protection required to ensure our rights are upheld. Now it is imperative we work diligently to rally support for the bill and insist upon its passage.
Several steps should be taken:
1) Contact your Representatives and Senators urging passage of HR 940.
Email messages can be sent via the NCHLA Action Center at
http://www.nchla.org/actiondisplay.asp?ID=292 .
2) Encourage as many other associates and friends as possible to do the same.
3) Contact your Representatives and Senators by phone at the U.S.
Capitol switchboard 202-224-3121 and if you know them personally make an appointment to meet with them.
The urgency of the task before us is clear when you consider the potential consequences of being forced to comply with the following stipulation found in the Affordable Care Act, Section 1311(h) entitled ‘Quality Improvement’, “Beginning on January 1, 2015, a qualified health plan may contract with…(B) a health care provider only if such provider implements such mechanisms to improve health care quality as the Secretary may by regulations require”.
In order to build and sustain a culture of life in healthcare we must be free to practice in conformity with the principles of our Catholic faith.
Please pray. Then do everything you possibly can to promote the passage of this legislation.
On Behalf of the Board of Directors,,
Peter T. Morrow, M.D.
President Catholic Medical Association (USA)
