Media

Live Action Applauds U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Protecting Pro-Life Health Care Professionals

Washington, D.C.  –  Today, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Office for Civil Rights (OCR) issued a final rule to strengthen enforcement of federal protections for pro-life individuals and health care entities. The final “Conscience Rights in Health Care” rule seeks to protect individuals and entities in HHS funded programs from discrimination on the basis of their conscience.

Background:

• The rule enforces approximately 25 provisions passed by Congress protecting longstanding conscience rights in healthcare.
• The rule replaces a 2011 rule that has proven inadequate, and ensures that HHS implements the full set of tools appropriate for enforcing the conscience protections passed by Congress.
• These federal laws protect providers, individuals, and other health entities from having to provide, participate in, pay for, provide coverage of, or refer for, services such as abortion, sterilization, or assisted suicide. It also includes conscience protections with respect to advance directives.

Statement from Live Action Founder and President, Lila Rose:

“Our country has long protected the rights of conscientious objectors. It is crucial we honor and respect the fact that our citizens still think for themselves. We need more medical professionals to acknowledge the scientific reality that life begins at fertilization, and that medicine should be used to heal and not harm  We applaud President Trump and HHS Secretary Azar for this rule ensuring that pro-life professionals will not face intimidation or professional repercussions because they refuse to participate in sterilization or ending human lives through abortion or assisted suicide.”

Live Action is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to exposing the truth about abortion and affirming the life of every child. Live Action exists to change hearts and minds about abortion through compelling educational media, human interest stories, and investigative reporting that exposes the lies and corruption in the abortion industry. With the largest online following in the pro-life movement, Live Action’s videos reach millions of people every week. Find out more at http://www.liveaction.org.

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