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There is an effort underway to reform the way Americans receive health care in the United States.  The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops has long called for a health care reform effort that offers accessible, affordable and quality health care that protects and respects life and dignity from the moment of conception until natural death.

The Church believes in three essential principles for health care that are necessary in any proposal to reform health care in the United States:

• Support life at every stage and protect taxpayers from use on immoral medical procedures such as abortion.  Health care reform must not alter the protections under law from using  federal funds for abortion as contained in the Hyde Amendment or other provisions of law.
  
• A broad protection for the freedom of conscience that enables providers or insurers to act in a means that supports the moral and just foundations of their conscience.

• Must contain provisions that mandate or encourage life-sustaining treatment to the terminally ill, the chronically ill, or the permanently disabled.

In recent weeks, the Office for Life & Family has announced to parishes, deacons and all members of the Human Life Guild organization the urgency to take action by forwarding an Action Alert.  The Action Alert “Support Health Care Reform that Respects Life” pertained to three main health care reform bills – one in the House, two in the Senate. 

For your convenience and all that have Internet access, the Office of Communications has made available pertinent information from the U.S.C.C.B. on the diocesan website at  http://www.dioceseofprovidence.org/?id=341.  On this page stats, bishop’s letters, action alerts, press releases, other information, videos, frequently asked questions and how your parish community can get involved have been provided for your use.  As additional information is made available the page will be updated.

Faith in Action is the diocesan legislative network that falls under the umbrella of Bishop Tobin’s Human Life Guild.  It’s an invitation to all  “people of life” and to participate in various ways to promote and defend human life at every stage and condition.  For more information on how you and your parish community can become more involved and respond to the call to political responsibility, call the Office of Life and Family Ministry at 421-7833 ext. 118 (English) and 421-7833 ext. 120 (Spanish).