The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Office for Civil Rights (OCR), announced investigations into thirteen states for allegedly coercing health care entities to provide coverage of, or pay for, abortion contrary to conscience.
The actions are based on the Weldon Amendment, a federal law that protects the conscience rights of health care providers, insurers, and plan sponsors by prohibiting discrimination for refusing to participate in abortion.
Paula M. Stannard, OCR Director, stated that the investigations address confusion or disregard of federal conscience protections and emphasized that health care entities are legally shielded from being forced to facilitate abortion.
National Right to Life praised the investigations. President Carol Tobias said Americans should not be forced to violate deeply held moral or religious convictions, calling the OCR action a necessary enforcement of federal law.
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