Digital News Report- The Bush Administration has issued regulation that would change women’s health care and make it potentially more difficult for many to receive abortions and other services. The regulations would enable health care professionals, organizations, pharmacists and insurance companies to refuse to provide health care services, information or referrals based on moral or religious reasons.
“With these regulations, the Bush Administration is allowing ideology to trump good health care,” said Dorothy Mann, Executive Director, Family Planning Council. “President Bush has waited until the very last month of his Presidency to take draconian and unnecessary measures that will profoundly change health care for women.”
The regulations interpret three Federal laws that give individuals and institutions, which receive Federal funding, the ability to refuse to provide any type of service related to abortion for moral or religious reasons. This can include IUDs and emergency contraception in some cases.
In response, Speaker Nancy Pelosi issued a statement saying that by, “issuing this midnight regulation, the Bush Administration has once again rejected medical and sound science in favor of misguided ideology that has no place in our government. The Administration has ignored the opposition of the American Medical Association, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the American Hospital Association, Members of Congress, and hundreds of thousands of concerned citizens and practitioners who made their informed views known to Health and Human Services.
“Make no mistake: this is a direct assault on women’s health care and may jeopardize patients’ rights to receive quality, comprehensive health care services. Congress will work with President-elect Obama to reverse this rule.”