HHS: Doctors can refuse to provide abortions

The Bush administration has proposed stronger job protections for doctors and other healthcare workers who refuse to participate in abortions because of religious or moral objections. Health and Human Services Secretary Michael Leavitt said that healthcare professionals should not face retaliation from employers or from medical societies because they object to abortion. The proposed rule would require as many as 584,000 employers ranging from major hospitals to doctors' offices and nursing homes to certify in writing that they are complying with several federal laws that protect the conscience rights of healthcare workers.