By David Eggert, Associated Press

LANSING (AP) - For 35 years, Michigan law has protected health care providers who refuse to perform an abortion on moral or religious grounds.

Hospitals and clinics cant be sued. Doctors and nurses cant lose their jobs for objecting to terminating a pregnancy.

Legislation that could be voted on as early as this week in the Republican-led Legislature would extend the same legal protections for any medical service such as providing contraception or medical marijuana, or taking someone off life support. Employers and health insurers not just medical providers also could opt out of paying for services as a matter of conscience.

Supporters say the legislation protects religious freedom and is needed particularly in the wake of the federal health care law mandating employer-provided birth control in their health plans. Opponents counter that the bill is an overreach that wrongly lets health workers and organizations impose their beliefs on patients, putting their treatment at risk.

We feel like its the right balance between patient care and the rights of individuals who work in that field to have a clear conscience, said Sen. John Moolenaar, a Midland Republican and sponsor of the bill pending on the Senate floor.

While he acknowledged the state cannot override the federal health law, Moolenaar said Michigan needs a framework to proactively safeguard health providers from possible mandates from state government or their employers.

The legislation would require health facilities, doctors and pharmacists to adopt a policy for situations in which an employee objects to a service as a matter of conscience. Employers would be prohibited from asking prospective employees about their objection to a health service unless it is a regular or substantial portion of the duties for the job.

To critics, the bill is too broad inviting the potential for abuse and unnecessary.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan said it is on the front lines of protecting peoples right to practice their religion and it gets few complaints from health workers about not being accommodated for their religious views.

Read this article:

Bill Allows Refusal Of Health Care On Moral Basis