August 12th, 2009
By Moe Wosepka, Executive Director of the Montana Catholic Conference

The US Catholic Conference of Bishops (USCCB) and The Catholic Health Association (CHA) are leading proponents of health care reform legislation. In the midst of much debate over the value or lack of value of universal health coverage, there are many who question why Catholics are leading the charge.   This shouldn’t be a surprise, since the Catholic Church has been a health care leader in this country for over 200 years. The very first privately operated Catholic Hospital was opened by the Ursuline Sisters in New Orleans in 1728.  Catholic health care has expanded greatly to include health care clinics, hospitals, nursing homes, and a host of other ministries. Currently, one out of six patients in the US is treated in a Catholic hospital.

There are valid concerns with the current proposals. Will reform cost too much? Will it require abortions be performed in all health care facilities or payment for abortion made with tax dollars? Will reform violate current medical conscience protections and will care be rationed? 

Bishop Williams F. Murphy, Chairman of the USCCB Domestic Justice and Human Development Committee, wrote a letter to members of Congress on behalf of the US Catholic Conference of Bishops outlining the Bishops’ priorities for genuine health care reform.  They are as follows: 

1. A truly universal health policy with respect for human life and dignity;
2. Access for all with a special concern for the poor and inclusion of legal immigrants;
3. Pursuing the common good and preserving pluralism including freedom of conscience and variety of options; and
4. Restraining costs and applying them equitable across the spectrum of payers.

He reiterates that the Church puts special emphasis on a health care plan that respects human life and dignity and a plan that offers access for all.

The Church has strong opposition to the inclusion of abortion as a service in the plan, as well as use of tax payer money to fund abortion services.  He also says the Church demands that Congress respect the rights of health care providers, hospitals, and/or insurers who decline to participate in abortion or abortion related services.

Bishop Murphy also states that, “access…should not depend on their stage in life, where or whether they or their parents work, how much they earn, where they live, or where they were born. The Bishops’ Conference believes health care reform should be truly universal and it should be genuinely affordable.” (emphasis is his).

Representatives from USCCB offered a recap of their lobbying efforts during a recent meeting of State Catholic Conference Directors in Chicago.  They reported that all the proposals were moving targets and the language in the bills changed by the minute. Thus it was difficult to report on the specifics in a bill when it was changed before any alert was sent out. However, they told us that due to the line the Catholic Bishops have taken on the four major principles, calmer heads in Congress understand that it is unlikely that genuine reform could pass without the Catholic and other pro-life support.

Bishop Murphy sums up the importance of health care to Church:

“Health care is not just another issue for the Church or for a healthy society.  It is a fundamental issue of human life and dignity.  Health care is a critical component of the Catholic Church’s ministry.  The Church provides health care, purchases health care and picks up the pieces of a failing heath care system.  The Catholic community encounters and serves the sick and uninsured in our emergency rooms, shelters, and on the doorsteps of our parishes….Genuine health care reform that protects the life and dignity of all is a moral imperative and a vital national obligation.”

For the complete text of Bishop Murphy’s letter: http://nchla.org/datasource/idocuments/071709USCCBhealthcareltr.pdf