Referred to the Board of Trustees for Action 2017-25
RESOLUTION
Subject: Submitted by: Referred to:
Neutral Policy Language on Abortion Greater Louisville Medical Society Reference Committee
WHEREAS, Kentucky providers who do not wish to participate directly or indirectly in an abortion procedure are not required to do so; and are protected from discrimination in that decision; and
WHEREAS, pre- and post-abortion counseling are state-mandated and must include: alternatives to abortion, an in-person or a real-time visual telehealth meeting with the physician at least 24 hours prior to the procedure, and informed consent from the patient; and
WHEREAS, the standards of the medical profession ensure that health care practitioners provide patients with accurate and unbiased information regarding the risks and benefits of their various treatment options; and
WHEREAS, the issue of support of or opposition to abortion is a matter for members of the Kentucky Medical Association( KMA) to decide individually, based on personal values or beliefs. This should not influence the care they provide to patients or their role in providing accurate and unbiased information to their patients; and
WHEREAS, KMA already has in place a policy“ to encourage physicians to strive to constantly improve their care of patients by the means they find most effective, within the standards of accepted and prevailing medical practices,” making specific facility recommendations for termination of pregnancy- but not other outpatient surgeries- unnecessary and overly specific; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, that the Kentucky Medical Association rescind the policies found under the heading“ Pregnancy, Termination of,” within its Policy Manual and replace them with the following:“ The Kentucky Medical Association( KMA) supports the right of physicians to practice medicine in a manner consistent with their conscience and the best interest of their patients. KMA opposes any policy that would compel a physician to practice in a way they believed to be unethical, or perform a service they believed to be immoral. KMA further opposes any policy, law or regulation that seeks to impede patient access to safe, appropriate, and legal medical care.”
KMA House of Delegates August 2017