New Health Guidelines from HHS Trample on Conscience

Heritage  "Forcing private insurance plans to pay for morally controversial offerings such as contraception, sterilization, and abortifacients raises obvious questions regarding freedom of conscience. Federal law requires respect for the conscience of health care providers on many of these issues. Unfortunately, the new HHS guidelines show disrespect for freedom of conscience."

....

The new HHS guidelines contain a conscience protection, but it is offensively narrow. Only “certain religious employers” qualify for the protection, and the guidelines make clear that a religious employer is only one that:

• Has the inculcation of religious values as its purpose;
• Primarily employs persons who share its religious tenets;
• Primarily serves persons who share its religious tenets; and is a non-profit organization under particular provisions of the Internal Revenue Code.

" There are at least four serious problems with this “protection” for conscience."....