In the last days of his presidency, George W. Bush and his administration have been busy issuing new federal rules and regulations. One of the most recent regulations issued by his administration is one that protects health-care providers from discrimination if they refuse to perform certain procedures, such as abortion or providing contraception.Personally, I'm conflicted on how I feel about this new regulation. On one hand, I want health-care providers to be protected when they morally object to a procedure. But on the other hand, I fear that those seeking hotly debated procedures, such as abortion, will find themselves with no options whatsoever if every health-care provider in their health plan turns them down.
The new regulation, which was issued by the Department of Health & Human Services on Thursday, December 18, allows health-care providers to withhold information about a patient's health-care options as well. If a hospital is found discriminating against those workers, from doctors to janitors (yeah, janitors.), they risk losing federal funding.
While protecting the men and women who work in the health care industry is important, protecting the patient is just as important, and protection includes giving all information and options to patients that need it. If there's going to be a change in the number of unwanted pregnancies, young families on welfare, or in the number of those with STDs/STIs, we have to be sure that they can get the preventative help they need, such as contraception. I can understand being morally against abortion, but objecting to the provision of contraception (which could prevent the need for abortion!) is just stupid.
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