Conscientious objection in health care is the refusal of a health care professional to provide or participate in the delivery of a legal, medically appropriate health care service to a patient because of personal beliefs. Federal conscience rights are contained in various federal statutes and regulations — the Church Amendments, Section 45 of the Public Health Act, the Weldon Amendment, the Affordable Care Act and Medicare and Medicaid regulations – that collectively protect the right of health care providers to object to performing certain medical procedures if doing so would be contrary to the provider’s religious beliefs or moral convictions.
