To protect the freedom of conscience for patients and the right of health care providers to serve patients without violating their moral and religious convictions.

SA 828. Mr. COBURN (for himself, Mr. Wicker, Mr. Vitter, and Mr.
Inhofe) submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by him to the
concurrent resolution S. Con. Res. 13, setting forth the congressional
budget for the United States Government for fiscal year 2010, revising
the appropriate budgetary levels for fiscal year 2009, and setting
forth the appropriate budgetary levels for fiscal years 2011 through
2014; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

On page 31, strike lines 3 through 7 and insert the
following: ``cans;
(8) maintain long-term fiscal sustainability and pays for
itself by reducing health care cost growth, improving
productivity, or dedicating additional sources of revenue; or
(9)(A) subject to subparagraph (B), protect the freedom of
conscience for patients and the right of health care
providers to serve patients without violating their moral and
religious convictions, which includes, but is not limited to,
prohibiting--
(i) discrimination on the basis of a provider's objection
to perform or participate in specific surgical or medical
procedures or prescribe certain pharmaceuticals;
(ii) legal coercion against a provider who expresses a
conscience objection to perform or participate in specific
surgical or medical procedures or prescribe certain
pharmaceuticals; and
(iii) government coercion of patients to enroll in specific
health insurance plans or see pre-selected health care
providers; and
(B) require the principles described in subparagraph (A)
shall not be construed to authorize or shield from liability
the denial, on the basis of a patient's race or present or
predicted disability, of a surgical or medical procedure or
pharmaceutical that a provider offers to others;''.
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