State legislators introduced bills to allow health care providers to deny service based on their consciences

Writer: Matthew Seaver
Published: Updated:
Senior woman having her blood pressure checked. Photo via CBS.
Senior woman having her blood pressure checked. Photo via CBS.

New bills in the Florida House and Senate would give health care providers the right to refuse service if they are passed.

Florida House Bill 747, sponsored by Florida Representative John Snyder, would allow for health care providers and health care payers to have the right not to participate in or pay for any health care services that violate their consciences.

Senate Bill 1820 is no different.

“I don’t think anybody should be denied, you know, medical payers, to cover them based on somebody’s feelings and emotions,” David Numa.

The bills would also prohibit a person from taking adverse action.

That concerns FGCU Adjunct Professor Jim Nathan. “The clinician has a responsibility to find other clinicians that would be comfortable to work with the patient, as opposed to just simply saying it’s my conscience that says I’m not going to deal with this person and forget it and walk away from that with no consequences.”

House Bill 747 provides immunity from civil, criminal, and administrative liability under certain circumstances.

Nathan said these bills are a slippery slope. “To just simply say, well, I’m not going to take care of these patients, because of my conscience. That makes absolutely no sense. And I think the legislature that touts itself in freedom should not be involved in this kind of issue, it should be the clinical people who have a responsibility to do the right thing on behalf of the patients and find the right solution.”

A1 Pharmacy Manager Jay Patel agrees. Patel said, “I will always think about the customer, patient health. That’s my first priority. And then I always explain them big before denying something, you know, okay, this is the consequence he happened if you’re not going to have these things.”

WINK News reached out to Florida Representative John Snyder, but he wasn’t available on Wednesday.

WINK News also reached out to Senator Thad Altman, who co-introduced the bill, and Senator Dennis Baxley, who sponsored Senate Bill 1820. Neither has responded.

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