“Refusal of Care” Rule: Guttmacher Institute Comments to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Abstract / Summary

In January 2018, the federal government proposed a rule that sought to interpret and enforce more than 20 federal statutory provisions related to “conscience and religious freedom.” The Guttmacher Institute submitted a comment letter opposing these changes. The proposed rule would interpret statutes in ways that grant broad powers to individuals and organizations in the health care field and beyond to refuse to provide or be involved with services, information and referrals to which they have religious or moral objections. The proposed regulations and steps to enforce them have real potential to undermine existing legal and ethical protections for patients’ access to sexual and reproductive health information and services, and other critical care.