On Thursday, it was the last day for the people to comment on federal proposed rule that could allow the doctors and other health care workers to refuse to participate in abortions on moral grounds. Many medical associations including the American Psychiatric Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics and 13 state attorneys general have come out to oppose the rule

According to these associations doctors and nurses are already not required to carry out abortions or sterilizations. Doctors can refuse to do abortion but they have to inform the patients about all of their treatment options. If the medical professionals cannot provide this service, then they are ethically obligated to refer the patients to someone else who can do it in a timely manner

The medical association wrote, “Implementation of this regulation would effectively allow health care providers’ personal beliefs to override patients’ right to full disclosure of accurate information and available health care resources.” They also noted that existing laws already allow health care professionals to refuse on moral grounds to provide abortions.

“The proposed regulation completely obliterates the rights of patients to legal and medically necessary health care services in favor of a single-minded focus on protecting a health care provider's right to claim a personal moral or religious belief,” the attorneys general said in a letter to the Department of Health and Human Services.