The New York Civil Liberties Union has strongly condemned regulations proposed by the Bush administration that could jeopardize access to basic health care services for millions of women in New York and across the country. The regulations expand the ability of health care providers and institutions to refuse to provide health care services, and even information and referrals, to patients.
“These regulations once again show this administration’s willingness to put ideology ahead of patients’ health care needs,” NYCLU Executive Director Donna Lieberman said. “At a time when Americans are struggling to pay their bills and the entire health care system is in crisis, the president should be making it easier, not harder, to get health care.”
The regulations, which apply to three federal laws governing the use of federal funds by states and health care facilities, expand the types of services that providers can object to on moral or religious grounds. These regulations are written to allow anyone working within the medical field (this would include not just doctors and nurses, but everyone from lab technicians to the hospital’s janitorial staff) to refuse to participate in or provide information about medical care that does not agree with their ideology.
The rule leaves open the possibility that -- based on religious beliefs -- institutions and individuals can deny women access to birth control. It also permits individuals to refuse to provide information and counseling about basic heath care services. And it expands existing laws by permitting a wider range of health care professionals to refuse to provide even referrals for abortions.
Congress passed the Real ID Act and President Bush signed it into law in May 2005. It was tacked onto a “must-pass” spending bill to pay for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and provide relief for victims of the 2005 Indian Ocean tsunami.
The Real ID Act contains five sections, most of which address immigration issues. The first provision revises the procedure for granting asylum status. The third attempts to strengthen border security. The fourth and fifth provisions amend rules for allowing temporary workers to enter the country. Ofer explains that :
*The Real ID Act is a REAL threat to privacy . Real ID threatens privacy in two ways. First, it consolidates Americans’ personal information into a network of interlinking databases accessible to the federal government and bureaucrats throughout the 50 states and U.S. territories. This national mega-database would invite government snooping and be a goldmine for identity thieves. Second, it mandates that all driver’s licenses and ID cards have an unencrypted “machine-readable zone” that would contain personal information on Americans that could be easily “skimmed” by anybody with a barcode reader. * A Real ID will become a REAL necessity for everyday life. The use of a Real ID driver’s license will not be limited to boarding an airplane or entering federal buildings. The Bush administration has already stated that Real IDs will become necessary for “everyday transactions,” such as receiving government benefits, voting, or applying for a job. The private sector will also begin mandating a Real ID card for everyday purposes. Despite what the DHS claims, Real ID is a real national ID card. * The Real ID Act will be a REAL bureaucratic nightmare. New Yorkers will pay for Real ID through higher fees and bureaucratic hassles. In addition to slower service, longer lines, increased technical glitches and repeat visits to the DMV, many New Yorkers will be unable to provide the documents required to obtain a Real ID. This will leave many New Yorkers, particularly the poorest and most vulnerable in our society, unable to obtain critical government services or fully participate in American civic life. * The Real ID Act is a REAL economic disaster. The Real ID Act is an unfunded mandate that would cost billions of dollars to implement. Most of the cost would be siphoned from cash-strapped state budgets and out of drivers’ wallets through higher fees. The DHS originally estimated that the law would cost $23.1 billion. The final regulations slash this estimate to $9.9 billion over 11 years by relying on the ridiculous premise that only 75 percent of licensed drivers will seek to obtain a Real ID. As of February 2008, Congress had set aside only $80 million to help pay for implementing Real ID across the entire country. * The Real ID Act makes DMV's REAL immigration enforcement agencies. DMV agents will have to make complicated judgments about a person's lawful status in the Untied States. This is an inappropriate and dangerous function for state government. Regulating immigration is a federal responsibility. Moreover, restricting immigrants' access to driver's licenses is a bad public safety policy as it sends immigrants further into the shadows and keeps them distanced from public safety and law enforcement officials. *And it won’t stop terrorists. Identity-based security is not an effective way to stop terrorism. Driver’s licenses do not reveal evil intent, and Real ID will force many who may have valuable intelligence information further into the shadows.
Read More | Here| from the NYCLU on the Real Problem that is REAL ID.
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