HB 434 -- Health Care Rights of Conscience Act

Sponsor:  Stevenson

This bill establishes the Health Care Rights of Conscience Act to
protect the religious, moral, or ethical principles held by a
health care provider, health care institution, or health care
payer.  The bill:

(1)  Specifies that a health care provider is not required to
participate in a health care service which violates his or her
conscience.  Any individual declining to participate in a service
will not be civilly, criminally, or administratively liable and
will not be discriminated against in any manner for refusing to
participate;

(2)  Specifies that a health care institution is not required to
participate in a health care service which violates its
conscience.  Any health care institution that declines to provide
or participate in a service will not be held civilly, criminally,
or administratively liable if the patient signs a consent form
before admission that he or she has been notified of the
institution's right;

(3)  Specifies that any person, employer, health care
institution, association, corporation, or other entity attempting
to establish a new health care institution or operating an
existing institution will not be discriminated against for
declining to participate in a service which violates a policy of
the institution;

(4)  Specifies that no public official, agency, institution, or
entity will deny aid or assistance because the institution has
declined to participate in a health care service contrary to its
policies;

(5)  Specifies that a health care payer will not be required to
pay for or arrange for the payment of any health care service or
product that violates a policy of the payer;

(6)  Specifies that no person, association, corporation, health
care payer, or other entity that owns, operates, supervises, or
manages a health care payer will be held civilly, criminally, or
administratively liable for declining to pay for or arrange for
the payment of any health care service that violates a policy of
the payer;

(7)  Specifies that no person, public or private institution, or
public official will discriminate against any health care payer
or any person, association, corporation, or other entity
attempting to establish a new health care payer or operating an
existing health care payer in any manner for declining to pay for
or arrange for the payment of any health care service that
violates a policy of the payer;

(8)  Specifies that no public official, agency, institution, or
entity will deny aid or assistance because the health care payer
declines to pay for or arrange for the payment of any service
that violates a policy of the payer;

(9)  Allows any individual, association, corporation, entity, or
health care institution to sue for damages and injunctive relief;
and

(10)  Specifies that no enrollee of a health benefit plan
providing pharmacy benefits will be denied, restricted, or
refused coverage for any reason other than failure to pay the
premium.

Missouri House of Representatives
94th General Assembly, 1st Regular Session
Last Updated July 25, 2007 at 11:19 am