Health Care, Health Insurance, Health Regulations

Re: 2012 Senate Bill 975 (Recognize health care payer and provider exercise of conscience )

Judy — Fri, 07 Dec 2012 17:47:31 GMT

Senator Moolenaar’s statement is as follows: I rise before you today to encourage my Senate colleagues to support Senate Bill No. 975, the Religious Liberty and Conscience Protection Act. The intent of this legislation is to help protect religious freedom while still ensuring patients receive the best medical care. Senate Bill No. 975 allows a process for an individual or entity to assert a conscientious objection to a specific health care service without fear of repercussions. This legislation would require health care payers, health facilities, and health providers to implement a system that addresses the right to decline, provide, or pay for certain health care services that might conflict with an individual’s conscience or moral beliefs. In this legislation, “conscience” is defined as follows: A sincerely-held conviction arising from a belief in God or the tenets of an established religion or from the ethical or moral principles of a generally recognized philosophy or belief system that an individual asserting those convictions can reference as a basis for those convictions. For purposes of this act, the conscience of an entity shall be determined by reference to existing or proposed religious, moral, or ethical guidelines, mission statement, constitution, bylaws, articles of incorporation, or regulations adhered to by the entity. We have worked diligently with a broad range of stakeholders from the medical community to find a policy that will best fit their needs. It is important to note that this legislation would not allow for the refusal of care to a group of individuals. This legislation before you today only applies to health services. Further, this legislation would still require that even if a doctor or nurse does not perform a service because of a conscientious objection, they are required to inform the patient of their options. Under this legislation, no one will be denied care. In emergency situations, care must be provided, even if the provider objects as a matter of conscience. This legislation before you today will establish a solid, yet workable, framework for protecting the fundamental rights for all Michigan citizens. I welcome my Senate colleagues’ support on this important legislation.

Re: 2012 Senate Bill 975 (Recognize health care payer and provider exercise of conscience )

Judy — Fri, 07 Dec 2012 17:46:31 GMT

Senator Warren’s statement, in which Senators Gregory, Whitmer, Young, Anderson and Johnson concurred, is as follows: I stand before you in opposition today to Senate Bill No. 975. While I share the belief of our good colleague who just spoke that we should do what we can to protect an individual health care provider’s right of conscience, this bill goes way beyond that. This is not just individual health care providers we’re talking about. We’re talking entire health care facilities, health care systems, and health care payers who can now under Michigan law, should this bill pass, evoke a right of conscience. While I understand that under certain circumstances narrow refusal clauses may be appropriate to protect the autonomy of individual medical providers, broad refusal clauses, like the ones in this bill, deny patients access to essential medical care information and referrals. Legislation like this burdens patients who are dealing with time- sensitive medical issues and diminishes the quality of care for all of us. As a practical consideration, I just want to underscore the fact that Michigan has had conscience clause protections for health care providers when it comes to abortion care services for more than a decade. This bill is not about abortion. If this bill is not about abortion, it doesn’t take us very long to think about the number of different health care procedures and access to health care services which could be swept up into a package like this. Concerns that I have include many religions have beliefs like same gender health care providers are the only ones who should be able to take care of you. If you’re a woman and you are in an emergency room, there are no women on staff, would you get taken care of? Some religions don’t believe in blood transfusions. If you have a health care condition where you need a blood transfusion and you have no one on staff who is willing to give that to you, where do you stand? Some religions are opposed to giving treatment to folks with HIV/AIDS. Although there was the thought raised that whole groups of people might not be able to be discriminated against, one person at a time could certainly be discriminated against. So I have grave concerns about how this could be possibly implemented and have a schedule such that we have health care providers working who can provide essential medical care and treatment which folks need. I encourage my colleagues to vote “no” on Senate Bill No. 975 as I will be doing when the board is open.

Re: 2012 Senate Bill 975 (Recognize health care payer and provider exercise of conscience )

TaterSalad — Sat, 03 Mar 2012 19:40:37 GMT

We, the taxpayers do not want to pay for your "lifes experiences":

http://therealrevo.com/blog/?p=68386

Re: 2012 Senate Bill 975 (Recognize health care payer and provider exercise of conscience )

gypsy — Sat, 25 Feb 2012 02:16:02 GMT

Think child support. It's kind of like a tax.

Re: 2012 Senate Bill 975 (Recognize health care payer and provider exercise of conscience )

right to do bussiness — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 19:34:42 GMT

more the merrier i will remember if they speak romani.

Re: 2012 Senate Bill 975 (Recognize health care payer and provider exercise of conscience )

gypsy — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 21:49:20 GMT

You should also remember to use it. You wouldn't want any unwanted offspring of yours running around, now would you?

Re: 2012 Senate Bill 975 (Recognize health care payer and provider exercise of conscience )

right to do bussiness — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 20:22:59 GMT

No as long they remember to use it im not time for you to love a catholic. next thing they will be calling it Undocumented Sex. Gotta Love that gypsy.

Re: 2012 Senate Bill 975 (Recognize health care payer and provider exercise of conscience )

gypsy — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 20:06:59 GMT

So you're not against birth control as long as you get to choose who uses it, eh? I don't hate Catholics. Some of my best friends are Catholics. JFK was our first Catholic President. I don't hate Muslims either, although I don't know any personally. "I have decided to stick with love. Hate is too great a burden to bear." Martin Luther King, Jr.

Re: 2012 Senate Bill 975 (Recognize health care payer and provider exercise of conscience )

right to do bussiness — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 19:07:38 GMT

you are definetly twisted gypsy keep reading your books to bad somebody didnt use birth control before you were born what a stronger place this forum would be. you definetly hate catholics that put you in a muslim category how can you read the screen through the vail and the hairy legs. - sexy wonder if taters knows.

Re: 2012 Senate Bill 975 (Recognize health care payer and provider exercise of conscience )

gypsy — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 17:59:36 GMT

Certainly the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act brought this on. It's goal is to give every citizen, and that includes women, access to medical treatment and care. Seems the Catholic church can't even convince it's own members to not practice birth control, (98% of Catholic women use birth control) so now they want the government to help them by allowing them to discriminate against women.

Re: 2012 Senate Bill 975 (Recognize health care payer and provider exercise of conscience )

right to do bussiness — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 15:30:25 GMT

its your Obama Care that brought this on. The bill was introduced in response to an Obama administration ruling that Catholic and other religious institutions and social service agencies must include coverage for contraception, sterilization and “morning after” pills in any health care benefits they provide to employees. Note: Under current constitutional law, if enacted the bill would not prohibit the federal government from violating its provisions.

Re: 2012 Senate Bill 975 (Recognize health care payer and provider exercise of conscience )

gypsy — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 14:04:47 GMT

This bill would allow your employer, or the insurance company your employer hires, to decide which medical benefits you can use based on his religious or moral believes, with no regard to the individual's personal believes. This is a blatant attack on our freedoms. I oppose this bill.

2012 Senate Bill 975 (Recognize health care payer and provider exercise of conscience )

Votes Admin — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 13:59:06 GMT

Introduced in the Senate on February 16, 2012

Click here to view bill details.