White House seeks to protect health-care workers who object to abortion

[EV_Ares]

A Bush administration proposal aimed at protecting health-care workers who object to abortion, and to birth-control methods they consider tantamount to abortion, has escalated a bitter debate over the balance between religious freedom and patients' rights.

The Department of Health and Human Services is reviewing a draft regulation that would deny federal funding to any hospital, clinic, health plan or other entity that does not accommodate employees who want to opt out of participating in care that runs counter to their personal convictions, including providing birth-control pills, IUDs and the Plan B emergency contraceptive.

Conservative groups, abortion opponents and some members of Congress are welcoming the initiative as necessary to safeguard doctors, nurses and other health workers who, they say, are increasingly facing discrimination because of their beliefs or are being coerced into delivering services they find repugnant.

Story continues below @ link;

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25940818/

[fasttense]

1. Gee, I didn't get protected in the Navy, when I didn't want to kill people.

Seems if you sign on with a profession, you have to take the good with the bad.

[Kutjara]

2. Great! I can't wait to end up with a doctor...

...who objects to giving me a blood transfusion on religious grounds, or a nurse who won't look after me because my dietary habits are, in her eyes, "unclean."

If it starts with abortion, where does it stop? How many people will die because they were unlucky enough to have a paramedic who believes everything should be left to the will of God?

[Historic NY]

4. I agree, either do the job or quit.

[mediaman007]

3. Lets protect the math teacher that doesn't like algebra, the English

teacher that doesn't like compound sentences, the cook that doesn't like fried food, the auto mechanic that won't check tire pressure.

Wow! Bush*, how can we be so lucky that these new rules weren't in place in his first term!

[treestar]

5. Mostly for show

How many people does this involve? Hard to imagine fundienuts becoming doctors or nurses. They either don't have the brains to pass or they'd shy away from the whole thing to start.

[Mr. Blonde]

7. Dr. Tom Coburn

It is dumb to dismiss people who don't agree with you for whatever reason as dumb.

I agree that I can't imagine a lot of people would seek a job where what I have to assume is a pretty basic and common part is something they don't agree with, but apparently they are out there.

And of course there are people who have changes of heart about an issue later in life.

[dembotoz]

6. will they protect the soldier who refused to shoot???????

bastards

[JerseygirlCT]

8. This is nonsense. They're easily protected: get another job.

They don't have a right to be paid for doing half of a job. If they cannot perform the job to offer the best medical care to their patients, then they need a new job.