FAQ: What impact has the conscience-protecting regulation had so far?
What impact has the conscience-protecting regulation had so far?
Though the regulations just went into effect on January 20, 2009, the conscience-protecting regulation and the preliminary work that led to it may have already positively affected conscience-offending medical organizations.
For example, the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology (ABOG) Bulletin for 2009 Maintenance of Certification no longer lists violation of ACOG ethics requirements as a potential action that could cause a physician to lose board certification.
While some officials within the new administration and abortion advocates continue to assert that the conscience-protecting regulation will somehow decrease healthcare access, no one has produced any credible and significant evidence to provide credence to that claim. It is entirely counterintuitive, in fact, that simply enforcing existing federal conscience laws, which have been on the books for over three decades, would suddenly result in reduced access to contraceptive services or have any impact on legal abortion.
