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A Nebraska bill that would allow medical providers to deny care when it conflicts with their beliefs was largely rebuked as a discriminatory measure that would protect doctors at the expense of patients. LB655, from Sen. Dave Murman of Glenvil, would allow medical professionals and health care insurance providers to deny elective medical treatment it it violates their religious, ethical or moral beliefs.
"At the end of the day, LB655 is about protecting the rights of providers," Murman said. Murman In all, eight people testified in favor of LB655 at a Friday public hearing before the Legislature's Health and Human Services Committee, while 16 were opposed and one was neutral. Additionally, 63 people submitted written comments supporting the bill, while 280 people submitted comments opposing it.
Murman introduced and prioritized a similar bill in 2023, but it did not make it out of committee. The bill would not allow providers to deny emergency care, or treatment outlined in contractual obligations. People are also reading.
.. Murman cited a 2019 poll from a Christian medical group, which reported that of the health care professionals surveyed, 32% said they felt pressured or punished for stating religious objections to providing treatment, and 20% did not pursue a specific specialty because the attitudes within those fields opposed their own.
With Nebraska facing a shortage of health care workers, Murman argued LB655 is necessary to retain medical students and professionals who may be wary of practicing within the state for fear of retribution. Sen. Merv Riepe of Ralston, a committee member and former hospital administrator, said he doubted that is the problem Murman claimed.
He said in the 40 years of his career, he couldn't think of one example of a moral objection being an obstacle. Most physicians are aware of what's involved in their area of practice, he said. Omaha orthopedic surgeon Paul Esposito, however, with the medical field ever-changing, it's important to clarify the rules that are in place.
Creighton professor Edward DeSimone added that over the past 30 years, several pharmacists have been fired for refusing to fill prescriptions they believe would harm the consumer, particularly contraceptives. He argued the First Amendment protects freedom of religion, which extends to medical professionals. Omaha internal medicine physician Carolyn Manhart recounted one instance where she refused to prescribe her patient cross-sex hormones based on her personal beliefs.
She said she continues to see that patient, who receives hormone treatment from a different provider. While that situation was resolved amicably, Manhart said patients are becoming increasingly "brazen" and litigious, expecting treatment when it's legal and available. She said a physician who do whatever a patient asks of them is not a physician, but a "vending machine.
" "People that have a conscience want to be a part of health care," Manhart said. LB655 would not protect doctors if patients sue them, however. All the protections are focused on retribution providers may face within their professional institutions.
Supporters of LB655 included doctors, a medical student, a professor, as well as the Nebraska Catholic Conference, Nebraska Right to Life and the Nebraska Family Alliance. Opponents of LB655 also included doctors, a nurse, a medical student, a mental health clinician, social workers, as well as the Nebraska Hospital Association, the Nebraska Medical Association, the Nebraska Association of Social Workers, the Nebraska AIDS Project, Reproductive Health Collaborative Nebraska, OutNebraska and the ACLU of Nebraska. John Trapp, vice president of medical affairs at Bryan Health, noted there are already multiple protections for conscience-based objections under federal law, and when rare cases of objections do arise, they are resolved seamlessly by shifting the treatment to a different physician.
Trapp criticized the bill for not including any requirements for professionals to notify their employers ahead of making an objection to care. LB655 only would require providers notify the patients upfront. "LB655 creates more challenges than it attempts to solve," Trapp said.
Leslie Spry with the Nebraska Medical Association added that standards of care ask that when a doctor has a moral objection to providing treatment, they should still give their patient information on the options available to them, at the very least providing them with a phone number to a medical organization like theirs. Spry said NMA would support LB655 if it included this step. However, committee member Sen.
Ben Hansen of Blair said that would violate the doctor's rights. Several opponents said the measure prioritized the needs of doctors over patients, arguing that patients are more vulnerable, and if doctors can't put their personal biases aside, they shouldn't be in the field. Opponents also argued that the bill would empower insurance providers to game the system and refuse to cover treatments they deem too expensive.
Kayley Anderson, who is pursuing a master's degree in public health, said LGBT people often resist seeking medical care fearing discrimination, and argued LB655 would make that problem worse. "I chose to pursue a medical degree," Anderson said. "People don't choose to be patients.
" Though Murman insisted that LB655 would not allow doctors to discriminate, opponents countered that denying care primarily used by a specific demographic of people — such as gender-affirming care for transgender patients — is discriminatory. Jessyca Vandercoy, executive director of the Nebraska Association of Social Workers, said LB655 justifies discrimination under the guise of moral rhetoric. Murman said the measure would benefit patients, because they would know what doctors to avoid.
However Tiffany Weiss, a Kearney mom of a transgender son, said there's only one pediatrician in her area that can care for her son, so they would be out of luck if they were ever denied. "This bill is just discrimination written into law," Weiss said. How a bill becomes a law in the Nebraska Legislature Meet Nebraska state senators making laws in 2025 District 49 Bob Andersen Omaha Elected 2024 402-471-2725 bandersen@leg.
ne.gov District 14 John Arch La Vista Elected 2018, 2022 402-471-2730 [email protected].
gov District 18 Christy Armendariz Omaha Elected 2022 402-471-2618 [email protected] District 21 Beau Ballard Lincoln Appointed 2023, elected 2024 402-471-2673 bballard@leg.
ne.gov District 25 Carolyn Bosn Lincoln Appointed 2023, elected 2024 402-471-2731 [email protected].
gov District 29 Eliot Bostar Lincoln Elected 2020, 2024 402-471-2734 [email protected] District 32 Tom Brandt Plymouth Elected 2018, 2022 402-471-2711 tbrandt@leg.
ne.gov District 9 John Cavanaugh Omaha Elected 2020, 2024 402-471-2723 [email protected].
gov District 6 Machaela Cavanaugh Omaha Elected 2018, 2022 402-471-2714 [email protected] District 2 Robert Clements Elmwood Appt.
2017, elected 2018, 2022 402-471-2613 [email protected] District 37 Stanley Clouse Kearney Elected 2024 402-471-2726 sclouse@leg.
ne.gov District 46 Danielle Conrad Lincoln Elected 2022 402-471-2720 [email protected].
gov District 10 Wendy DeBoer Bennington Elected 2018, 2022 402-471-2718 [email protected] District 40 Barry DeKay Niobrara Elected 2022 402-471-2801 bdekay@leg.
ne.gov District 30 Myron Dorn Adams Elected 2018, 2022 402-471-2620 [email protected].
gov District 19 Robert Dover Norfolk Appointed 2022, elected 2024 402-471-2929 [email protected] District 26 George Dungan Lincoln Elected 2022 402-471-2610 gdungan@leg.
ne.gov District 20 John Fredrickson Omaha Elected 2022 402-471-2622 [email protected].
gov District 7 Dunixi Guereca Omaha Elected 2024 402-471-2721 [email protected] District 1 Bob Hallstrom Syracuse Elected 2024 402-471-2733 bhallstrom@leg.
ne.gov District 16 Ben Hansen Blair Elected 2018, 2022 402-471-2728 [email protected].
gov District 48 Brian Hardin Gering Elected 2022 402-471-2802 [email protected] District 36 Rick Holdcroft Bellevue Elected 2022 402-471-2642 rholdcroft@leg.
ne.gov District 24 Jana Hughes Seward Elected 2022 402-471-2756 [email protected].
gov District 8 Megan Hunt Omaha Elected 2018, 2022 402-471-2722 [email protected] District 44 Teresa Ibach Sumner Elected 2022 402-471-2805 tibach@leg.
ne.gov District 42 Mike Jacobson North Platte Appt. 2022, elected 2022 402-471-2729 mjacobson@leg.
ne.gov District 5 Margo Juarez Omaha Elected 2024 402-471-2710 [email protected].
gov District 31 Kathleen Kauth Omaha Appt. 2022, elected 2022, 2024 402-471-2327 [email protected].
gov District 34 Loren Lippincott Central City Elected 2022 402-471-2630 [email protected] District 33 Dan Lonowski Hastings Elected 2024 402-471-2712 dlonowski@leg.
ne.gov District 41 Dan McKeon Amherst Elected 2024 402-471-2885 [email protected].
gov District 11 Terrell McKinney Omaha Elected 2020, 2024 402-471-2612 [email protected] District 17 Glen Meyer Pender Elected 2024 402-471-2716 gmeyer@leg.
ne.gov District 22 Mike Moser Columbus Elected 2018, 2022 402-471-2715 [email protected].
gov District 38 Dave Murman Glenvil Elected 2018, 2022 402-471-2732 [email protected] District 27 Jason Prokop Lincoln Elected 2024 402-471-2632 jprokop@leg.
ne.gov District 35 Dan Quick Grand Island Elected 2024 402-471-2617 [email protected].
gov District 28 Jane Raybould Lincoln Elected 2022 402-471-2633 [email protected] District 12 Merv Riepe Ralston Elected 2022 402-471-2623 mriepe@leg.
ne.gov District 3 Victor Rountree Bellevue Elected 2024 402-471-2627 [email protected].
gov District 45 Rita Sanders Bellevue Elected 2020, 2024 402-471-2615 [email protected] District 39 Tony Sorrentino Elkhorn Elected 2024 402-471-2885 tsorrentino@leg.
ne.gov District 13 Ashlei Spivey Omaha Elected 2024 402-471-2727 [email protected].
gov District 43 Tanya Storer Whitman Elected 2024 402-471-2628 [email protected] District 23 Jared Storm David City Elected 2024 402-471-2719 jstorm@leg.
ne.gov District 47 Paul Strommen Sidney Elected 2024 402-471-2616 [email protected].
gov District 4 R. Brad von Gillern Elkhorn Elected 2022 402-471-2621 [email protected].
gov District 15 Dave Wordekemper Fremont Elected 2024 402-471-2625 [email protected] Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter.
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