Religious Restrictions

Religious restrictions are increasingly limiting women's access to reproductive health care, as institutions such as hospitals, HMOs, and employers and individuals impose their beliefs on women. We’re working to end these restrictions and to protect women’s vital health services.

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Reports & Toolkits | Duty First: Towards Patient-Centered Care and Limitations on the Right to Refuse for Moral, Religious, or Ethical Reasons

March 31, 2011

This article provides an overview of the harm to patients caused by refusals to provide health care based individuals’ or institutions’ religious, moral or ethical beliefs.  The article argues that any law or policy allowing health care providers to refuse services to patients must emphasize providers’ duty to their patients.   The article examines existing refusal laws, and describes how they contravene medical ethics and undermine established principles of quality medical care.  The article concludes with recommendations for heightened patient protections which limit the burden of refusals currently imposed on patients.

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Legal Briefs & Testimony | Complaint filed with Arizona Attorney General’s Office in Hospital Merger Case

March 29, 2011

In April 2010, the Sierra Vista Regional Health Center in southern Arizona entered into an affiliation with a Catholic health system, and agreed to stop providing comprehensive reproductive health services.  The Center filed this complaint with Arizona Attorney General’s Office, alleging that the Board violated its duty to the community when it entered into a deal that limited access to health care.  We are pleased to report that while the complaint was pending, the Board of the Hospital decided to end the affiliation, restoring comprehensive health care access to this rural community.

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Fact Sheet | HHS Rescinds Portions of Health Care Refusal Rule that Threatened Women’s Health

February 18, 2011

The Department of Health and Human Services partially rescinded a regulation entitled, “Ensuring That Department of Health and Human Services Funds Do Not Support Coercive or Discriminatory Policies or Practices in Violation of Federal Law,” which went into effect under the Bush Administration.  These changes restore critically important protections for patients.

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Fact Sheet | Fleming H.R. 1 Amendment Will Jeopardize Patient Access to Health Care Services and Information

February 16, 2011

Representative John Fleming (R-LA) has filed an amendment to H.R. 1 that would prevent the Obama Administration from rescinding or modifying a regulation finalized during the waning days of the Bush Administration that undermines patient access to medical care and information.

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Reports & Toolkits | Assessing Hospital Policies & Practices Regarding Ectopic Pregnancies & Miscarriage Management

January 20, 2011

This national qualitative study looks at how ectopic pregnancies and miscarriages are managed in Catholic hospital settings.

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