ACLU calls for moratorium on religious, secular hospital mergers
Jun 4, 2013, 6:20 PM | Updated: Jun 5, 2013, 7:42 am
With so many religious and secular hospitals merging in our state, the American Civil Liberties Union and 10 other organizations are calling on Governor Jay Inslee to impose a six-month moratorium.
In a letter to Inslee, the groups argue mergers could prevent people in the community from getting much needed health care.
The letter notes most hospital mergers involve Catholic organizations subject to the ethical and religious directives of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, which prohibit abortion and euthanasia.
“Religious doctrine can end up limiting patient access to lawful and medically appropriate health care,” said ACLU spokesman Doug Honig.
“Specifically it can limit reproductive healthcare, it can limit end of life healthcare including respect for end of life directives and it can even effect healthcare for LGBT people.”
Honig says they’re asking for a study looking into the communities health needs and the potential mergers impact on access to all patient services.
Other organizations signing the letter include Planned Parenthood Votes Northwest, NARAL Pro-Choice Washington, and Compassion in Choices, Washington.
The organization Merger Watch says up to 45 percent of all hospital beds in Washington state and 100 percent of beds in 10 of 39 counties could be controlled by Catholic health systems by the end of the year if all the proposed mergers went through.
