New rule to undermine women's rights

[Sylph]

The comment period ends Sept 25! Please send a message now opposing this proposed rule.

LAST month, the Bush administration launched the latest salvo in its eight-year campaign to undermine women’s rights and women’s health by placing ideology ahead of science: a proposed rule from the Department of Health and Human Services that would govern family planning. It would require that any health care entity that receives federal financing — whether it’s a physician in private practice, a hospital or a state government — certify in writing that none of its employees are required to assist in any way with medical services they find objectionable.
Laws that have been on the books for some 30 years already allow doctors to refuse to perform abortions. The new rule would go further, ensuring that all employees and volunteers for health care entities can refuse to aid in providing any treatment they object to, which could include not only abortion and sterilization but also contraception.
Health and Human Services estimates that the rule, which would affect nearly 600,000 hospitals, clinics and other health care providers, would cost $44.5 million a year to administer.
Individual health care providers could decide on their own that birth control is the same as abortion.
An emergency room doctor could deny emergency contraception to a rape victim, or a pharmacist could decide not to refill a birth control prescription.

https://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/19/opinion/19clinton.html


The comment period to the Dept. of Health Services expires Sept. 25.
Go to: https://www.regulations.gov and search HHS 0011.Click on the comment section. The title of the proposal is "Ensuring that Department of Health and Human Services Funds Do Not Support Coercive or Discriminatory Policies or Practices In Violation of Federal Law." For more information google HHS Employee Opt Out Family Planning.
Here's the link to comment:
https://www.regulations.gov/fdmspubl...2008-0011-0001