Protect Health Provider's Right to Follow Conscience

Dear United States Health and Human Services Dept and President Obama:

We, the undersigned citizens, urge you to NOT RESCIND the health care provider %u201CConscience Regulation%u201D issued by your department on December 19, 2008.

The regulation enables health care providers and health care facilities to %u2018opt out%u2019 of participating in medical procedures that they find morally objectionable, like abortion and sex-change operations.

The ability to %u2018opt out%u2019 in response to the dictates of one%u2019s conscience without loss of employment or governmental retribution must remain in place for the following reasons:

1.  A county%u2019s citizens must always be allowed, without negative consequences from the government, to act in accord with their conscience.  This is a basic human right %u2013 one supported by the constitution of the United States and the United Nations in its Charter for human rights.
2.  The U.S. government has no legal authority to penalize its citizenry for acting in accord with their moral beliefs.
3.  A wise government understands that it cannot legislate every action and MUST rely on its citizens to exercise their innate moral beliefs to ensure an upright society.
4.  There is strong historical precedent for allowing citizens to opt out of activities that run counter to their consciences, for example, Conscientious Objector status for military duty.
5.  Rescission of the Conscience Regulation will DECREASE women%u2019s access to health care, due to conscientious providers who will choose to leave their employment rather than participate in procedures they deem immoral, like abortion and sex-change operations.
6.  Faith-based health facilities, many of whom are located in underserved areas where health care options are minimal, may be forced to close rather than provide services that they deem immoral.  This will further exacerbate this country%u2019s health care access problems in poor or underserved areas where no for-profit medical services exist.
7.  Finally, rescission of the Conscience Regulation will unfairly discriminate against women, who make up almost 80% of the health care worker force, thereby leading to unemployment or underemployment of those female health care providers who choose to abide by their conscience rather than participate in a procedure they deem immoral.

For these reasons, we most strongly assert our desire that the Conscience Regulation NOT BE RESCINDED.

Thank you for your attention to our concerns.