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- Slide: 1
- Hi Senator Luck! I've read up on HB25-1255, Health-Care Provider right to exercise conscience. I see that it would provide protections for health care providers against administrative adverse actions if they choose to abstain from a service or procedure which would violate their ethical or religious beliefs, outside of the provision of emergency services or services agreed to in a contract ahead of time. Are physicians facing issues when they abstain from providing medical services that violate their ethical or religious beliefs?
- There seems to be the trend in our state legislature towards restricting conscientious objection. For example, there has already been a move to require abortion training in CME requirements for continued licensure.
- Hm. I can think of many procedures or services from which physicians of certain creeds or beliefs would be need to abstain. Also, would it truly be in the best interests of a patient to receive care from someone unwilling to provide it?
- Slide: 2
- Opponents of the bill worry that if conscientious objection is protected in medicine, certain services will not be available in remote or rural areas.
- I think the instinct behind that concern in valid. However, using your previous example of abortion, look at what has happened in states where conscience provision has not been protected. States with recent laws banning or restricting abortion care now have unprecedented difficulty filling residency spots in OB/GYN programs, for example. These physicians are moving to states where they can practice in line with their beliefs. Don't you think we would see a similar effect if conscientious objection is not maintained in our state, i.e.: an efflux of physicians to a place where they can practice medicine in a manner consistent with their ethical and/or religious identity? Wouldn't this result in a net decrease in the supply of physicians in, for example, rural Colorado, if those who cannot provide abortion, but who can provide many other services, have to leave?
- Slide: 3
- Exactly. Sadly, we are almost certain this bill will immediately be shot down, given the very partisan nature of our current political moment.
- I hate politics
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