JWI's statement on Federal Religious Rule

Yesterday, the Trump administration expanded the already devastating rule allowing health care providers and institutions involved in the delivery of health care to refuse services based on religious or moral convictions. Lori Weinstein, CEO JWI issues the following statement:

“Once again the Trump administration has used executive power to deny healthcare to our nation’s most at-risk citizens. By ignoring more than 200,000 public comments, including those from JWI and our supporters, health care providers, and medical experts, the administration has effectively denied millions of women and LGBTQ+ individuals the right to medically necessary care. It is unconscionable that these unethical and discriminatory practices not only exist in our country today, but have been expanded by the highest level of leadership. It should go against every medical and ethical standard that any person, regardless of gender, marital status, race, or religion, be denied needed medical care because of a physician’s personal religious beliefs. Already 46 of our 50 states have policies that allow providers to deny care based on ‘conscience claims’. This new expansion opens up the door to the denial of any medical care for LGBTQ+ individuals and is devastating to women seeking reproductive care – be it fertility treatments, contraception, or abortion. Women’s health care is health care. Reproductive care is health care.

“We are deeply saddened but we will not stop fighting. Discrimination and hate have no place in our medical system. Health care must be a right for all.”