FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 30, 2013
CONTACT:
Erik Houser, Planned Parenthood Votes Northwest, (425) 308-7700
Doug Honig, ACLU of Washington, (206) 624-2184
Robb Miller, Compassion & Choices of Washington, (206) 256-1636
Mary Kay Barbieri, People for Healthcare Freedom,
CONCERNED GROUPS SAY DOH ACTION ON RELIGIOUS HOSPITAL MERGERS IS A STEP FORWARD BUT MORE CHANGES ARE NECESSARY
Accountability and enforcement mechanisms still lacking
[Washington] — On Monday, December 23rd, the Washington State Department of Health filed a state code rule revision that will subject all hospitals that are being taken over by another hospital to the DOH’s Certificate of Need review process and require hospitals to reveal their policies on issues such as reproductive and end-of-life care. While this step will increase transparency for hospital mergers, concerned groups say that much more action is needed to ensure that patients have access to key medical services without religiously based restrictions.
“We are pleased with this initial step forward to improve transparency, but it’s clear that far more comprehensive solutions are needed to protect all Washingtonians’ access to care,” said Jennifer Allen, Director of Public Policy for Planned Parenthood Votes Northwest. “We call on the Governor and the state of Washington to ensure that publicly funded hospitals provide access to a full range of care.”
Frequent mergers between publicly funded secular and religious hospitals are resulting in a series of restrictions on access to services for patients in Washington. It has been estimated that soon fully half of all hospital beds in the state will be owned or controlled by Catholic-affiliated health care systems.
As mergers continue, we need to ensure they do not result in decreased access to a full range of care and that medical providers will be held accountable, through monitoring for compliance and the imposition of fines or other sanctions. These rule changes neither create an accountability mechanism nor prevent hospitals from restricting their services.
"Significant changes are necessary to ensure that religious restrictions do not limit patients' access to best care medical services," said Leah Rutman, ACLU-WA Policy Counsel. "A comprehensive review and revision of state health regulatory regimes and programs is necessary to ensure that the State of Washington is upholding its significant responsibility to provide access to affordable medically appropriate health care to all its residents."
It’s important that DOH not just ensure that the public is made aware of which hospitals are impacted by religious restrictions, but that it also publicize which hospitals are constrained, in what ways their services are restricted, and the alternatives for patients who need access.
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Planned Parenthood Votes Northwest (PPVNW) is an independent, nonprofit, nonpartisan organization educating Alaskans, Idahoans, Washingtonians and policy-makers about reproductive health issues. PPVNW lobbies and educates to advance Planned Parenthood's mission and also engages in limited electoral activities.
The ACLU of Washington is a nonprofit membership organization that works to defend and extend civil liberties and civil rights for all people in Washington.
December 30, 2013
CONTACT:
Erik Houser, Planned Parenthood Votes Northwest, (425) 308-7700
Doug Honig, ACLU of Washington, (206) 624-2184
Robb Miller, Compassion & Choices of Washington, (206) 256-1636
Mary Kay Barbieri, People for Healthcare Freedom,
CONCERNED GROUPS SAY DOH ACTION ON RELIGIOUS HOSPITAL MERGERS IS A STEP FORWARD BUT MORE CHANGES ARE NECESSARY
Accountability and enforcement mechanisms still lacking
[Washington] — On Monday, December 23rd, the Washington State Department of Health filed a state code rule revision that will subject all hospitals that are being taken over by another hospital to the DOH’s Certificate of Need review process and require hospitals to reveal their policies on issues such as reproductive and end-of-life care. While this step will increase transparency for hospital mergers, concerned groups say that much more action is needed to ensure that patients have access to key medical services without religiously based restrictions.
“We are pleased with this initial step forward to improve transparency, but it’s clear that far more comprehensive solutions are needed to protect all Washingtonians’ access to care,” said Jennifer Allen, Director of Public Policy for Planned Parenthood Votes Northwest. “We call on the Governor and the state of Washington to ensure that publicly funded hospitals provide access to a full range of care.”
Frequent mergers between publicly funded secular and religious hospitals are resulting in a series of restrictions on access to services for patients in Washington. It has been estimated that soon fully half of all hospital beds in the state will be owned or controlled by Catholic-affiliated health care systems.
As mergers continue, we need to ensure they do not result in decreased access to a full range of care and that medical providers will be held accountable, through monitoring for compliance and the imposition of fines or other sanctions. These rule changes neither create an accountability mechanism nor prevent hospitals from restricting their services.
"Significant changes are necessary to ensure that religious restrictions do not limit patients' access to best care medical services," said Leah Rutman, ACLU-WA Policy Counsel. "A comprehensive review and revision of state health regulatory regimes and programs is necessary to ensure that the State of Washington is upholding its significant responsibility to provide access to affordable medically appropriate health care to all its residents."
It’s important that DOH not just ensure that the public is made aware of which hospitals are impacted by religious restrictions, but that it also publicize which hospitals are constrained, in what ways their services are restricted, and the alternatives for patients who need access.
Quote
###
Planned Parenthood Votes Northwest (PPVNW) is an independent, nonprofit, nonpartisan organization educating Alaskans, Idahoans, Washingtonians and policy-makers about reproductive health issues. PPVNW lobbies and educates to advance Planned Parenthood's mission and also engages in limited electoral activities.
The ACLU of Washington is a nonprofit membership organization that works to defend and extend civil liberties and civil rights for all people in Washington.
