What's Behind A Rise In Conscience Complaints For Health Care Workers?
A new rule expands protection for health care workers who refuse to provide certain care on moral grounds. The rule cites a sudden rise in religious discrimination complaints. What's fueling the rise?
When health care workers feel they have been forced to do something they disagree with on moral or religious grounds, they can file complaints with the Department of Health and Human Services' Office for Civil Rights. Some high-profile cases have involved nurses who objected to providing abortion services.
For a decade, the agency got an average of one of these complaints of conscience violations each year. The complaints can include doctors, nurses or other health care workers who feel a hospital or clinic that receives federal funds has discriminated against them because of their moral position. Groups of health care providers
