In America, we are free to believe, or to not believe, in whatever religious precepts we choose. What happens, though, when those precepts put limits on the medical decisions of people who do not share the same beliefs?
That dilemma is now hitting the headlines and grabbing the attention of the Legislature as more and more secular hospitals in Washington consolidate with Catholic health care operations. Currently, close to half of the state’s hospital beds are in Catholic-affiliated facilities, where the teachings of the Church inhibit — or prohibit — aid in dying, abortion, certain fertility treatments and contraception.
The issue is less of a big deal in Seattle, where there are a variety of hospital choices and, even at those with Catholic connections, there are adjacent clinics that can provide the services that might be denied in the main hospital. However, in outlying areas, there is often just a single hospital serving a large area and, if it is part of the Catholic medical system, people seeking banned treatments may be forced to travel significant distances to get the help they need.
Catholic hospitals have a right to tailor their business to accommodate church law, but the attorney general or the Legislature may need to step in to scrutinize hospital mergers. If too many citizens with alternative beliefs are being blocked from obtaining health care services that are completely legal in this state, something needs to change.
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