Bush’s Prescription for Bad Health Care

Planned Parenthood / August 8, 2008 [Go here for the original article.]

A new Health and Human Services rule has been proposed by the Bush administration that would put radically anti-choice ideology above women’s health care needs. The rule deliberately confuses many types of birth control with abortion and would allow health care providers to deny patients basic services and information on the basis of personal bias.

In practical terms, that means that critical sexual health information could be left unsaid, and prescriptions for basic birth control left unwritten. When more and more families are uninsured and having difficulty accessing health care at all, implementing a rule that will limit access to health services is unconscionable and just plain wrong.

This rule will only hurt the women who most need help at times when they are most vulnerable, and we must do everything in our power to stop it from taking effect. We need you to speak out. Please let President Bush know that this change is wrong.
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Press Statements & News Releases

• Planned Parenthood: HHS Secretary Leavitt Blogs, but Misses the Point (8/08/2008)
• Planned Parenthood joins 56 other organizations in opposing draft HHS rule (07/22/2008)
• Planned Parenthood Joins Senator Hillary Clinton and Congresswoman Nita Lowey In Criticizing Bush Administration Plan on Women’s Health (07/18/2008)
• Planned Parenthood: Proposed HHS Rule Would Compromise Women’s Health Care (7/15/2008)

Already, the public has reacted strongly in opposition to this draft HHS rule. Members from professional community groups across the country have drafted letters urging HHS Secretary Leavitt to reject this rule. These groups include

Medical Professionals

• Letter from a coalition of medical, public health, religious, advocacy, and research groups
• Letter from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists
• Letter from the American Medical Association
• Letter from the medical community and professional groups

Clergy

• Clergy Advisory Board Statement in Opposition to Proposed HHS Rule
• Letter from clergy members and religious groups

Members of Congress

• Letter from members of the United States Senate
• Letter from members of the United States House of Representatives
• Follow-up letter from members of the United States House of Representatives
• Letter from Republican members of Congress

Newspapers across the country have also run editorials and columns speaking out against the rules.

• Ashbury Park Press, Plan redefines birth control as form of abortion
• Boston Globe, A new attack on birth control
• Chicago Sun-Times, Stealth attack on women’s rights exposed
• Florida Today, Rights at risk: Shelve arrogant White House push to redefine birth control as abortion
• Hartford Courant editorial: Put Patients First
• The Hill.com, Clinton, Murray slam Bush official on abortion proposal
• The Houston Chronicle, Redefining Abortion
• Minneapolis Star Tribune, Playing politics with women’s health care
• The Oregonian, An Affront to Women and Families
• Roanoke Times, Don’t let Bush restrict access to birth control
• San Jose Mercury News, Editorial: Defeat Bush’s last stand against abortion
• Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Birth Control: They’re at it again
• Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Family Planning: Striking Plan
• Seattle Times, An anti-abortion ploy
• Waco Tribune-Herald, Shell game on women’s health
• Washington Post, Birth Control Fears Addressed

Take Action Today
You can get involved and help Planned Parenthood stop Bush’s politically motivated plan to radically change HHS rules. Join in the public outcry against this outrageous proposal.

1. Tell President Bush what you think of his rule.
   More than 33,000 people just like you have already sent letters of protest to the White House. Join them today!
2. Make an emergency donation.
   It’s going to take all that we’ve got and then some to fight these regulations. Any amount that you can give will help.

Tagged as: George W Bush