Under strict religious directives, Catholic hospitals refuse to help a woman carry out a miscarriage until the fetal heartbeat stops on its own. They also prevent doctors from performing tubal ligation—also known as getting your tubes tied—even if the procedure would benefit the woman’s health.
On behalf of women denied care in the name of those directives, the American Civil Liberties Union announced that it is suing Trinity Health Corporation, one of the largest Catholic health systems in the country. The formal complaint is based on the health system’s “repeated and systematic failure to provide women suffering pregnancy complications with appropriate emergency abortions as required by federal law,” according to an ACLU press release.
“We’re taking a stand today to fight for pregnant women who are denied potentially life-saving care because doctors are forced to follow religious directives rather than best medical practices,” Brooke A. Tucker, an ACLU of Michigan attorney, said in a release.
Those directives are set by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, which consider abortion and sterilization “intrinsically evil.” Catholic hospitals, which constitute more than 12 percent of hospitals in the U.S., have applied those rules to women in life-threatening circumstances.
One of those women is Jessica Mann, whose Michigan Catholic hospital refused to perform a tubal ligation despite recommendations from her doctors. Mann has a dangerous brain tumor, and getting pregnant again could pose serious health threats. In September, ACLU of Michigan sent a letter to the hospital urging them to reconsider the refusal. The hospital stood by their decision, citing the Ethical and Religious Directives for Catholic Health Care Facilities.
“Rejecting us seems arbitrary and cruel,” Mann’s husband wrote in an essay published on Refinery 29.
In December 2013, ACLU sued the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops on behalf on Tamesha Means, whose water broke when she was 18 weeks pregnant. Instead of terminating the pregnancy and safely completing the miscarriage, Means said the Catholic hospital gave her false hope that the fetus could survive. After getting sent home twice, enduring “excruciating pain,” and developing an infection, Means finally miscarried the fetus in a painful, prolonged delivery, according to the lawsuit. That case is currently on appeal.
Greta Weber http://www.slate.com/blogs/xx_factor/2015/10/01/aclu_sues_catholic_hospitals_for_refusing_pregnant_women_health_care.html
Yeah, let's sue more hospitals, shut them down and make care more expensive and less available. Good plan! A tubal ligation is not "life saving" care. Catholic hospitals have been saving the lives of women for years. What absolute Bullschit.
Yeah, let's sue more hospitals, shut them down and make care more expensive and less available. Good plan! A tubal ligation is not "life saving" care. Catholic hospitals have been saving the lives of women for years. What absolute Bullschit.
We had a similar story recently where a tubal ligation was exactly that. If a woman's doctor recommends it, because of her medical history, that's enough for me.
Yeah, let's sue more hospitals, shut them down and make care more expensive and less available. Good plan! A tubal ligation is not "life saving" care. Catholic hospitals have been saving the lives of women for years. What absolute Bullschit.
We had a similar story recently where a tubal ligation was exactly that. If a woman's doctor recommends it, because of her medical history, that's enough for me.
flan
Good enough for you meaning what? A tubal ligation is not a life saving procedure. Big deal. Go somewhere else. Instead, let's bring in a bunch of lawyers and shut the place down. What idiocy. Sorry, the whole world doesn't have to revolve around what you want.
Yeah, let's sue more hospitals, shut them down and make care more expensive and less available. Good plan! A tubal ligation is not "life saving" care. Catholic hospitals have been saving the lives of women for years. What absolute Bullschit.
We had a similar story recently where a tubal ligation was exactly that. If a woman's doctor recommends it, because of her medical history, that's enough for me.
flan
Good enough for you meaning what? A tubal ligation is not a life saving procedure. Big deal. Go somewhere else. Instead, let's bring in a bunch of lawyers and shut the place down. What idiocy. Sorry, the whole world doesn't have to revolve around what you want.
What if there is no other hospital in the area?
It's actually NOT what I "want," it's what her DOCTOR has deemed necessary.
In my area, it's easy for a woman to just go to another, non-religious hospital. Not so in much of the Untied States.
A dilemma that's been talked about all of my lifetime is a situation where a medical decision has to be made to either
(1) save the life of the pregnant woman, or
(2) try to save the fetus/baby.
The answers I've always heard have been ...
in a Catholic hospital, save the baby and lose the mother;
everywhere else, save the mother if at all possible.
If we look back a couple of lifetimes ago, losing the mother almost ALWAYS meant that the baby would die. Now, not so much.
Another factor is that a woman losing a 14 week fetus can spontaneously abort, and without proper medical care might not be able to have another baby later.
With proper care, she likely would be able to bear more children.
I don't like the idea of suing hospitals. The Catholic hospitals have been the backbone of medical care for much of the country for much of it's history.
But this suit is another in the series of attempts to secularize medical care. As someone who is not Catholic and has lots of options, I just can't figure out what my opinion is.
__________________
The Principle of Least Interest: He who cares least about a relationship, controls it.
Yeah, let's sue more hospitals, shut them down and make care more expensive and less available. Good plan! A tubal ligation is not "life saving" care. Catholic hospitals have been saving the lives of women for years. What absolute Bullschit.
We had a similar story recently where a tubal ligation was exactly that. If a woman's doctor recommends it, because of her medical history, that's enough for me.
flan
Good enough for you meaning what? A tubal ligation is not a life saving procedure. Big deal. Go somewhere else. Instead, let's bring in a bunch of lawyers and shut the place down. What idiocy. Sorry, the whole world doesn't have to revolve around what you want.
What if there is no other hospital in the area?
It's actually NOT what I "want," it's what her DOCTOR has deemed necessary.
It's a private hospital. They can do what they want. It's highly unlikely that it's the only hospital in the area.
In a rural area? I think it's likely.
flan
So, drive elsewhere. It's an ELECTIVE surgery. Doh! We have a Catholic hospital in my area. Everyone with a brain knows they don't do tubals or abortions. Geez.
Yep. It's a private hospital. They can set their own policies.
The ACLU does more to stifle civil liberties than help.
__________________
A flock of flirting flamingos is pure, passionate, pink pandemonium-a frenetic flamingle-mangle-a discordant discotheque of delirious dancing, flamboyant feathers, and flamingo lingo.
Yeah, let's sue more hospitals, shut them down and make care more expensive and less available. Good plan! A tubal ligation is not "life saving" care. Catholic hospitals have been saving the lives of women for years. What absolute Bullschit.
We had a similar story recently where a tubal ligation was exactly that. If a woman's doctor recommends it, because of her medical history, that's enough for me.
flan
Except for the fact that her life would only be threatened by an action SHE CHOOSES to undertake. And she and her husband can hold off having sex until they find a hospital that will perform the surgery.
I have personally assisted someone in this very situation get a referral from her HMO to go to an out of network hospital because her local, in-network hospital was Catholic.
__________________
“One day, you will be old enough to start reading fairytales again.”
C.S.Lewis
Yeah, let's sue more hospitals, shut them down and make care more expensive and less available. Good plan! A tubal ligation is not "life saving" care. Catholic hospitals have been saving the lives of women for years. What absolute Bullschit.
We had a similar story recently where a tubal ligation was exactly that. If a woman's doctor recommends it, because of her medical history, that's enough for me.
flan
Who cares if it is "enough for you"? Your opinion is rather irrelevant. Not only is it not medical, but you don't own or manage the hospital, either.
__________________
I'm not arguing, I'm just explaining why I'm right.
Well, I could agree with you--but then we'd both be wrong.
Yeah, let's sue more hospitals, shut them down and make care more expensive and less available. Good plan! A tubal ligation is not "life saving" care. Catholic hospitals have been saving the lives of women for years. What absolute Bullschit.
We had a similar story recently where a tubal ligation was exactly that. If a woman's doctor recommends it, because of her medical history, that's enough for me.
flan
Then she can go to a hospital that doesn't object to them. And sorry, but unless the clients are dead people, they were not denied "life-saving" care.
__________________
LawyerLady
I can explain it to you, but I can't understand it for you.
Yeah, let's sue more hospitals, shut them down and make care more expensive and less available. Good plan! A tubal ligation is not "life saving" care. Catholic hospitals have been saving the lives of women for years. What absolute Bullschit.
We had a similar story recently where a tubal ligation was exactly that. If a woman's doctor recommends it, because of her medical history, that's enough for me.
flan
Who cares if it is "enough for you"? Your opinion is rather irrelevant. Not only is it not medical, but you don't own or manage the hospital, either.
I am obviously NOT a doctor. That's why I included the judgment of HER doctor.
A tubal ligation is an elective surgery - ALWAYS. If getting pregnant would kill you - the hospital's refusal to give you a tubal would not be the deciding factor - you having sex would be.
__________________
LawyerLady
I can explain it to you, but I can't understand it for you.
And if she was married, the husband could get a vasectomy in half the time and at absolutely no danger to her.
Private businesses have the option of setting their own policies.
__________________
A flock of flirting flamingos is pure, passionate, pink pandemonium-a frenetic flamingle-mangle-a discordant discotheque of delirious dancing, flamboyant feathers, and flamingo lingo.
Yeah, let's sue more hospitals, shut them down and make care more expensive and less available. Good plan! A tubal ligation is not "life saving" care. Catholic hospitals have been saving the lives of women for years. What absolute Bullschit.
We had a similar story recently where a tubal ligation was exactly that. If a woman's doctor recommends it, because of her medical history, that's enough for me.
flan
Who cares if it is "enough for you"? Your opinion is rather irrelevant. Not only is it not medical, but you don't own or manage the hospital, either.
I am obviously NOT a doctor. That's why I included the judgment of HER doctor.
flan
Then she can go to any one of thousands of other hospitals to have it done.
__________________
I'm not arguing, I'm just explaining why I'm right.
Well, I could agree with you--but then we'd both be wrong.
The article says the hospital is part of a big network. It is probably in a large city. Even if not she can go elsewhere. Her DH can get a vasectomy in the Dr. office.
I find it really interesting that people want to force businesses to provide a service they don't want to. This is not discrimination. This is demanding that a private business cater to your whims.
__________________
America guarantees equal opportunity, not equal outcome...
People don't seem to understand that, for now at least, private business is different from government business.
Of course I've had someone try to tell me that if it is a business serving the public, it doesnt matter.
But obviously those people failed civics class.
__________________
A flock of flirting flamingos is pure, passionate, pink pandemonium-a frenetic flamingle-mangle-a discordant discotheque of delirious dancing, flamboyant feathers, and flamingo lingo.
Medical care is one of those areas where I think it should only be between the patient and his or her doctor. As long as the procedure is legal, a hospital should not be able to deny the service. The Catholic church didn't have to go into the hospital business, they chose to do so. That choice should come with the requirement to allow legal procedures that the patient and doctor agree are in the best interests of the patient.
This is just like Ms Davis' situation. Religion is being mixed with the rights of others. We should all be worried when that happens. We may support it now, because it's Christianity that's steering the boat, but what happens when a different religion is the majority and precedent has already been set that majority religion can make the rules?
Most hospitals were run by churches from their inception.
Without the churches, we wouldn't have most of our hospitals.
__________________
A flock of flirting flamingos is pure, passionate, pink pandemonium-a frenetic flamingle-mangle-a discordant discotheque of delirious dancing, flamboyant feathers, and flamingo lingo.
there is a world of difference between an elective procedure and a miscarriage. allowing someone to go home after the miscarriage has started is cruel.....no matter what the stance.
__________________
Minds are like parachutes, they work best when open
Medical care is one of those areas where I think it should only be between the patient and his or her doctor. As long as the procedure is legal, a hospital should not be able to deny the service. The Catholic church didn't have to go into the hospital business, they chose to do so. That choice should come with the requirement to allow legal procedures that the patient and doctor agree are in the best interests of the patient.
This is just like Ms Davis' situation. Religion is being mixed with the rights of others. We should all be worried when that happens. We may support it now, because it's Christianity that's steering the boat, but what happens when a different religion is the majority and precedent has already been set that majority religion can make the rules?
It's funny how you are all soooo worried about Kim Davis. Well WHO compels you to follow them with? Christianity doesn't compel anyone. However, our own GOVT and ISIS compel you to comply. Wow.
You misunderstand. I'm all for Christianity and following the tenets of it as a personal choice.
What I do not and will not support is it being forced upon others through government channels. Once the precedent is set, there's no way to back off of it when Christians are no longer in the majority. What happens if Muslims replace Christians as the majority? If we have already set the precedent of "majority rules, and separation of Church and State be damned", then we have no grounds to deny their implementation of Sharia Law.
I also believe that people are supposed to come to God because they want to, not because we forced them to.
there is a world of difference between an elective procedure and a miscarriage. allowing someone to go home after the miscarriage has started is cruel.....no matter what the stance.
REALLY? I went home after my 14 week miscarriage started. I went to the ER (it was a Sunday), they confirmed that the baby was not alive. I called my doctor the next morning. I went in for a D&C on Thursday.
__________________
America guarantees equal opportunity, not equal outcome...
there is a world of difference between an elective procedure and a miscarriage. allowing someone to go home after the miscarriage has started is cruel.....no matter what the stance.
REALLY? I went home after my 14 week miscarriage started. I went to the ER (it was a Sunday), they confirmed that the baby was not alive. I called my doctor the next morning. I went in for a D&C on Thursday.
And your experience (and mine) is vastly different from this:
In December 2013, ACLU sued the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops on behalf on Tamesha Means, whose water broke when she was 18 weeks pregnant. Instead of terminating the pregnancy and safely completing the miscarriage, Means said the Catholic hospital gave her false hope that the fetus could survive. After getting sent home twice, enduring “excruciating pain,” and developing an infection, Means finally miscarried the fetus in a painful, prolonged delivery, according to the lawsuit. That case is currently on appeal.
So, the word of Doctors is "good enough for you". But, the word of Doctors who told her that the fetus may survive (although it didn't, Doctors are also not God), the word of those Doctors wasn't not good enough for you? Oh ok. I have never seen any Catholic hospitals that would endanger any patient.
