Whereas Comprehensive Health Care encompasses access to the full spectrum of reproductive health care services, including abortion, gender-affirming health care, alternative care health and end of life care;
Whereas faith-based health care systems are governed by Ethical and Religious Directives (ERDs) that could delay or deny patient care based on these directives;
Whereas due to the recent expansion and consolidation of faith-based health systems, ERDs are more impactful to increasing numbers of patients and comprehensive services are limited or not available in ever increasing areas in the state;
Whereas faith-based health care systems delay or deny medically necessary care due to governance of religious directives thus limiting and hindering comprehensive health care for conditions including but not limited to miscarriages, gender affirming care, death with dignity, and sterilization (tubal ligation, vasectomy), and referrals for the denied treatments are not provided to affected patients;
Whereas patients should be free of religious directives when seeking health care in Washington state;
Therefore, be it resolved, that the Washington State Democrats call on our elected representatives and senators in Olympia to pass legislation requiring faith-based health care systems not to prejudice the health care they provide due to ethical and religious directives and to prevent faith-based health care systems from withholding care that is otherwise legally available in Washington state.
