ACLU: Catholic hospitals deny women critical care

[cleanhippie]

A new ACLU report shares their firsthand accounts and uncovers discrimination and harm caused by Catholic hospitals across the United States. These hospitals adhere to a set of religious rules — written by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops that prohibit abortion or tubal ligation — "getting your tubes tied" — even when a patient’s life or health is in jeopardy.

Today, one in six hospital beds in the United States is in a hospital that abides by Catholic restrictions. Catholic hospitals receive billions in taxpayer dollars. Why are they getting away with turning away patients in emergencies and other patients seeking critical reproductive health services?

In America, religious freedom is a fundamental right. But it does not grant hospitals the right to force their religious beliefs on patients or discriminate by closing the door to patients.

Demand oversight. Ask the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to step in and tell Catholic hospitals across the country to stop the harm and discrimination.

https://action.aclu.org/secure/care-denied?redirect=af-care-deniedFB&ms=fb_160503_religiousrefusals_catholichospitalsaffiliates

SIGN THE PETITION!

[AtheistCrusader]

1. All regional hospitals in the Seattle area, save Overlake, are now affiliated or owned by the church

All of them. Even the University Of Washington UW Physicians has a joint operating agreement with them. And that means, catholic rules apply now. To get around this, UW Physicians funds a women's clinic across the street.

PeaceHealth is the catholic network in this case:
http://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/uw-medicine-catholic-health-system-to-have-lsquostrategic-affiliationrsquo/

This is the Roman Catholic Church's strategy to end-run around Roe vs. Wade in the United States. Forget making it illegal, they'll just acquire ALL the hospitals, and make it unavailable.

[trotsky]

5. And the PR arm makes use of ignorant footsoldiers...

who cover for the destruction of women's healthcare options by assuring us that it's an acceptable loss, because if not for the wonderful church there would be no hospital at all.

And besides, a woman in danger of dying from a pregnancy can just drive 6 hours or so to another hospital while she's in septic shock. No big deal, right?

[cleanhippie]

8. It's a disaster.

[McCamy Taylor]

2. Tubal ligation is not critical care. An abortion can be and needs to be offered if needed.

The issue with tubal ligation is if you are getting a repeat C-section it is easier and cheaper to get the tubes tied during the procedure than to do it later. And insurers want those tubes tied.

I have never been comfortable with sterilization of women who have just had a child. I see them change their minds later.

[mainer]

4. Tubal ligation isn't a spur of the moment decision while in labor

usually women have already told their doctors ahead of birth that they want their tubes tied.

Catholic doctrine is forcing them to undergo another medical procedure at a later date, with the extra risk it entails.

[Lordquinton]

6. I see women forced to give birth even when it may take their life

I see women who have made the conscience choice to not have children past a certain point forced to do so.

[Act_of_Reparation]

9. Wha???

That's nonsense.

Point the first: It isn't just cheaper and easier to perform a tubal ligation while the patient is already under for a C-section, it's also safer. So there's that.

Point the second: Some women have or develop conditions whereby pregnancy or childbirth could kill them or the child. In such situations is not uncommon for doctors to recommend tubal ligation. Seeing as the decision for these patients is "sterilization or probably death for you and the child", there's little chance they're going to regret not dying and taking their unborn baby with them. There's nothing spurious or unreasonable about the recommendation...

... in contrast to hospitals' refusal to perform them because the owners -- not the doctors, mind you -- think an invisible father figure in the sky gets angry when people fuck without producing a child.

[niyad]

3. posted about this some time back, a bit more information:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/11521695

[BlancheSplanchnik]

7. Kick.

Why so little public attention to this?
It's FEMICIDE.

[skepticscott]

10. Because the mainstream media and the government defer endlessly to the RCC

They treat it with kid gloves, and avoid publishing criticism of it whenever they can.

[BlancheSplanchnik]

11. But even here, on DU

It's predictable. Dire threats against women don't get much response. I don't get it.