Politics? In MY doctor’s office?
Posted by crisfdez on 8 April, 2009
If you haven’t already heard, President Obama has begun taking steps to overturn a Health and Human Services regulation put in place by former President Bush that essentially limits a person’s right to receive complete health care and accurate health information from which they can make informed choices. In some cases, the patient may be denied care without even realizing it (e.g. not being informed that certain treatments or services were available). Why? Because the doctor or health provider may have moral objections to it. In terms of women’s health, the definition of abortion was broadened to include oral and emergency contraception, even though neither of those options result in terminating an existing pregnancy. So if your particular doctor is pro-life and believes that your Ortho Evra patch falls under the category of abortion, then you’re out of luck! I have heard of stories where women had been denied Plan B, even after a sexual assault, because of this.
Personally, I was appalled that such a regulation could even pass to begin with. What good could come from such a policy? The people who are suffering most are those who are low-income or from areas where it is already difficult enough to have access to health care. I pasted the following text from PlannedParenthood.org:
President Obama has begun the process of overturning the Bush administration rule that limits the rights of patients to receive complete and accurate reproductive health information and services. The Bush rule is a huge threat to women’s health, and this is our best chance to reverse it.
In order to overturn the Bush administration rule, Obama has to allow 30 days for the public to comment on what he proposes to do. THE OFFICIAL COMMENT PERIOD ENDS ON APRIL 9 AT MIDNIGHT. We need to show our support NOW to make sure his proposal to reverse the rule succeeds.
I want to make sure that doctors and hospitals aren’t allowed to use their personal biases as an excuse to withhold health care information and services from their patients. That’s why I joined Planned Parenthood in speaking out in support of President Obama’s plan to undo this dangerous rule.
Will you add your voice? Here’s the link with all the info you need: http://www.plannedparenthoodaction.org/campaigns/453.htm
If you want to add your name/voice to the opposition of the HHS “Midnight Regulation”, click here. You can choose to customize your letter or just go with the default, but please take advantage of this opportunity to make yourself heard.
