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As politicians continue to debate the new health care bills, religious organizations around the country express specific concerns regarding some of the language in the bill currently under discussion in the senate, and whether or not it truly serves the best interests of the American people. Disability advocates at Joni and Friends (JAF) Christian Institute on Disability (CID), first and foremost, question the decision-making authorities behind patient care. Issues they would discuss include:
- Vague language regarding gatekeepers and patient-care decision makers
- Comparative Effectiveness Research Center
- Absence of a conscience clause
- Physician requirement to perform abortions or other medical decisions that would not sustain life
- Provider integrity
Joni Eareckson Tada is the Founder and CEO of Joni and Friends and a signatory of the recently announced “Manhattan Declaration,” which includes the following language expressing the attitude of Joni and Friends team regarding the bill. “We are especially troubled that in our nation today the lives of the unborn, the disabled and the elderly are severely threatened,” and “The rights of conscience could be jeopardized by those who would use the instruments of coercion to compel persons of faith to compromise their deepest convictions.”
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