Sample Letter on a Current Issue
Support Health Care Providers' Conscience Protections
Oppose President Obama's Plan to Rescind the Health Care Providers' Conscience Rule
Letter to the Department of Health and Human Services 9
(based on NCHLA, National Committee for a Human Life Amendment, talking points)

Even after April 9, 2009, it's still not to late to make a difference on this issue.

Please put the below letter in your own words or use it as is, and mail or e-mail your letter to the Department of Health and Human Services (addresses below). This letter is based on the full USCCB comments to HHS.

Also, using the below letter or the other sample letters on this issue and the other resources related to it, please put a letter in your own words (or use a sample letter as is), and mail it to your federal House representative and your two federal senators as well as President Obama. It's much better to send a form letter than not to send a letter at all. Also, let's flood the White House comments line on this issue.

Note: HHS will make available for public viewing all comments and the personal information (e.g., name and address) included in them.

Pro-life comments to the HHS might include the following:

Examples or information about medical professionals having been pressured into participating in abortions or other acts against their consciences;
How the current/final rule resolves those problems (see rule summary, see rule text, see more);
Refutations of abortion advocates' claims that the conscience rule reduces access to information and health care services, particularly by low-income women;
How the December 19, 2008 final rule provides sufficient clarity to minimize the potential for harm resulting from any ambiguity and confusion that may exist because of the rule;
Why the objectives of the conscience rule can't be accomplished only through non-regulatory means, such as outreach and education;
Other reasons that the conscience rule is necessary.

Mail (one original and two copies):
Office of Public Health and Science
Department of Health and Human Services
Attention: Rescission Proposal Comments
Hubert H Humphrey Building
200 Independence Ave SW Room 716G
Washington DC 20201

E-mail:
proposedrescission@hhs.gov
(Attachments to e-mail to HHS should be in Microsoft Word, WordPerfect, or Excel. HHS prefers Microsoft Word.)

Phone:
HHS comments line voice mail: 202-205-5445

Ninth Sample Letter to the HHS

Source:
http://www.nchla.org/actiondisplay.asp?ID=271 (The below has been edited.)

[Note: HHS will make available for public viewing all comments and the personal information (e.g., name and address) included in them.]

John Doe
12345 Main St
Minneapolis MN 55418-3209

Date

Office of Public Health and Science
Department of Health and Human Services
Attention: Rescission Proposal Comments
Hubert H Humphrey Building
200 Independence Ave SW Room 716G
Washington DC 20201

Dear HHS:

Subject: Please Do Not Rescind the Conscience Rule

Please retain the current conscience rule intact. Rescinding it for any reason would only weaken health care provider conscience protections and serve the purposes of citizens who mistakenly believe that a mother has a right to kill her pre-born child.

Religious liberty and freedom of conscience have been building blocks of our society since its founding. We respect conscientious objection for those opposed to war, physicians opposed to taking part in capital punishment, and others who object to involvement in the taking of life. We can do no less in the context of abortion.
Conscience protection does not threaten access to health care. Allowing health care providers to serve the public without violating their consciences protects and enhances access to health care by ensuring continued participation by some of our most dedicated health professionals. Catholic and other faith-based providers are specially called to serve the poorest and most vulnerable, from the inner city to remote rural areas. If they are driven away, who will replace them?
Abortion, in particular, cannot be seen as "standard" health care. Many, if not most, physicians, nurses, and hospitals choose not to provide abortion, and the Hippocratic Oath that established medicine as a profession has rejected abortion for many centuries. Forcing health professionals to be involved in abortion against their consciences shows a distorted sense of priorities -- one that will irreparably damage the healing professions and undermine efforts to work together for health care reform.

Thank you for your consideration of my comments and requests.

Sincerely,

[Signature]
John Doe

Home and Main Menu - Resources - More - Search - About - Help - Contact

CatholicAnew.com