[Michigan] State Senate approves ‘moral objection’ bill that would allow providers to deny health care 12/6/12

Health care providers could use a “moral objection” or “matter of conscience” standard to refuse service to patients under a bill passed by the state Senate today.

By a 26-12 vote, the Senate approved the bill, which would allow health care providers — as a matter of conscience — to decline services they object to. It also would allow employers to refuse to pay for services for their employees that “violated the payer’s conscience.”

The state already has a conscientious objection clause for abortion services, but the new law also could give the green light to doctors to refuse to write birth control prescriptions and opens the door to a refusal of service for all sorts of ailments, said state Sen. Roger Kahn, R-Saginaw.

Kahn, a cardiologist who was the only Republican to join most of the Democrats to vote against the bill, said it shouldn’t be up to health care providers to refuse service based on their own moral beliefs.

“I don’t know how this doesn’t violate the oath I took, when I promised to resuscitate someone with TB or treat someone with AIDS,” he said.