Breaking: Calif. high court rules doctors can't withhold care to gays based on religious beliefs.

[Kadie]

Breaking News 10:14am US/Pacific -
California's high court rules doctors can't withhold care to gays based on religious beliefs.
http://cbs13.com/

edited to add..


Aug 18, 2008 10:17 am US/Pacific
Calif. Court: Doctors Cannot Withhold Care To Gays
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) ― California's high court has ruled doctors cannot withhold care to gays or lesbians based on religious beliefs.

The case stems from a San Diego-area lesbian's claim that a private fertility clinic refused to inseminate her because of her sexual orientation.

A unanimous state Supreme Court said that California's civil rights law barring sexual orientation discrimination extends to medical care.

http://cbs13.com/health/doctors.gay.care.2.797855.html

[liberalmuse]

1. Anyone who would withhold medical care to anyone...

based on religious beliefs, or any beliefs for that matter, goddamned well better not be a doctor. :mad:

[MotorCityMan]

19. And what kind of religion would expect that of it's followers?

Deny care to someone in need? Damn, they have really gotten away from Christ's teachings.

[GreenPartyVoter]

2. As the case should have been all along

[wtmusic]

3. GLBTs who seek care from homophobes

are making a mistake, regardless of what the law says.

[Bluenorthwest]

4. Yeah, that's how it works...

GLBT folk seek out the homophobes. Jeez man. How exactly do you recommend the pre-interviews be conducted, and please give special emphasis to emergency situations.
The 'phobes don't hang up signs. The best I can do is filter out the openly religious as a way of hedgeing my bets.

[Ian David]

14. If your doctor has a Jesus Fish in his yellowpage ad... n/t

[Terran]

7. D'oh!

*smacks forehead* Why didn't *I* think of that?! Next time I'll ask first.

[Ian David]

13. This too is true. But the emergency room is no place to have that argument.

And you don't want your surgeon walking away from the operating table when they notice you have a pink triangle tattoo.

[wtmusic]

22. An MD walking away from an emergency case

is risking not only malpractice but losing his license.

From personal experience, I know that it is very possible for a doctor to "artificially inseminate" with plain old water and make a lot of money at it, with very little risk.

[Ian David]

28. In this particular case, the woman's health insurance had an exclusive contract with this clinic.

There was no where else she could have gone.

And to make matters worse, they put her through (and billed her) for months of powerful treatments and an unnecessary surgery, waiting until the last minute to let her in on their little joke-- that after all they put her through, they would not impregnate her.

[wtmusic]

31. Ah ok.

I'm surprised they even let on.

This seems to be a relatively common occurrence (for straight couples too) at fertility clinics.

[backscatter712]

18. It would be nice if we all knew which doctors were cool and which ones were the fundie homophobes.

In the meantime, I don't think it's unreasonable to insist that doctor's treat all of their patients, regardless of race, religion, politics, sexual orientation, HIV status, etc. by the same high standard of care.

[Ian David]

29. The law in California only applies to for-profit practices.

"Catholic" hospitals and other "charities" apparently remain free to practice their bigotries while tax-exempt at our expense.

[Warpy]

5. It'll be nice when they apply that to WOMEN, too

because we're on the front lines of having the religiously prissy doctors and pharmacists refuse to address our health issues.

[Ian David]

15. Absolutely true too. n/t

[MountainLaurel]

20. Amen, Warpy

I have an appointment with a new GYN next week and am planning to ask her whether her dogma will be trumping my health, so that I can kick her to the curb now.

[MichiganVote]

6. But refusing legal birth control for religious reasons for women is probably still allowed

Country is full of a bunch of frickin' morons.

:eyes:

[Spangle]

8. What is the difference from that and meds?

Seriously??

If they can see the stupidity of allowing for the Doctors, it's the same reasoning with the pharmacy. Yet pharmacist can refuse to fill a dr's script based upong their relgious views.

[Akoto]

9. Although the ruling is obviously common sense ...

If you are GLBT and your doctor has to be forced to treat you, I would really consider finding your medical care elsewhere. That's not a practitioner I'd expect to receive adequate care from.

[Ian David]

16. True. But with this law, you can change doctors on YOUR timetable, not theirs. n/t

[MountainLaurel]

21. Unfortunately sometimes you have little choice

If you want your health insurance to pay for it (which was, I believe, the circumstances in the case decided today), if you're in a small town that is medically underserved, or if you're seeking emergency medical care.

[Proud Liberal Dem]

10. Good!

Good for the courts standing up to the fundie nutjobs on this one. It would seem that the courts are pretty much all that's left standing in the way of a "Christian" theocracy in this country.

[erpowers]

11. Goes Against Their Oath-Not Treating People

I guess insemination cases might be different, but it seems that oath doctors take upon becoming doctors prevents them from refusing to care to anyone. I think a doctor is supposed to give care to Osama Bin Laden if he needed; if he dosen't I think he would be breaking his oath. Is there any type of punishment for breaking that oath.

[Ian David]

12. Anyone who denies care to someone based on their orientation should lose their license or go to jail

[RB TexLa]

17. Should read "poor gays," you wave enough money at a doctor and they do whatever you want.

[kwenu]

23. I had no idea they were doing that. Thanks for posting.

[Hepburn]

24. Excellent decision!

Proud of my state! :applause:

[bluesmail]

25. 'First do no harm'.

[dsc]

26. I actually disagree with a general application of this principle

but these facts were problematic. If the doctors had refused to treat from the beginning instead of what they did, the likely wouldn't have been sued at all. That said, in a non emergency purely elective situation, I think consistently applied views should be honored.

[Ian David]

30. If they feel so strongly about it, they should quit the profession. It's a small price to pay...

... for their immortal soul.

Aren't cHristians the ones who hold so high the idea of martyrdom and self-sacrifice?

Jesus died on the cross for them, but they won't give-up their license or go to jail or pay a fine to save their own soul?

Martin Luther King, Jr. and those who marched with them paid with blood, sweat, tears, jail time, and sometimes their lives for their rights, yet these hypocrites want the state to shield them from the consequences of their bigotry, when they believe their immortal souls are at stake?

The State should not allow someone to hide behind godwashing their bigotry.

[Canuckistanian]

27. With the price of healthcare, denying basic care seems criminal

Imagine if you were gay and you had to spend precious time and money "shopping" for a doctor that would serve your health needs because the ones your wanted "didn't like your lifestyle".

I'd be pissed, to say the least.

[supernova]

32. I hope this is the beginning of the end

of "MDs" thinking they can play favorites with patients and reward those they approve of with care and punish those they don't by withholding care.