Pediatrician Refuses To Care For Baby With Lesbian Mothers In Michigan

[Razgovory]

but how do you prevent the trend if you don't prevent the individual act?  everyone will point back that that clinic and say "it's allowed".

Of course, one doctor is hardly a problem, and she found them a replacement.  But I see a disturbing trend here, with medical care being applied according to one's religion.

Do you really want to be treated by a doctor who doesn't want to treat you?

We should do better at screening racists/homophobes out of the medical education system on the front end. I don't think the answer is for the government to prevent doctors from exercising discretion with regard to which patients they will and will not see.

I'm on medicaid, that's all I get.

[Fate]

but how do you prevent the trend if you don't prevent the individual act?  everyone will point back that that clinic and say "it's allowed".

Of course, one doctor is hardly a problem, and she found them a replacement.  But I see a disturbing trend here, with medical care being applied according to one's religion.

Do you really want to be treated by a doctor who doesn't want to treat you?

We should do better at screening racists/homophobes out of the medical education system on the front end. I don't think the answer is for the government to prevent doctors from exercising discretion with regard to which patients they will and will not see.

I'm on medicaid, that's all I get.

Yeah, it sucks. You may see better results seeking care at academic hospitals where residents are trained rather than private practice. Residents don't care what insurance you have because they don't see any money from the care they provide - we're salaried by Medicare.

What's your income level? If you made ~14,000 a year you could get a BlueCross/BlueShield plan with massive (nearly 100%) subsidy.

[Razgovory]

I'm on disability.  I get no non-government income.

[Fate]

Well, shit. Go work 40 hours a week at Walmart as a greeter or something. That should be enough to earn 101% of the federal poverty level so that you can qualify for your free Obamacare bronze plan or your $25/month Obamacare silver plan.

[Razgovory]

I'll see what I can do. 

[crazy canuck]

Once again Marti fails at being a lawyer.  The article he posted states that Michigan is not one of the states which prohibits a doctor from refusing to provide service on the grounds of sexual orientation.  In fact Marti bolded that line.  Marti should be venting his anger at the legislative body which permits the doctor to make this decision not the Doctor who is conducting themselves within their legal obligations.

[alfred russel]

Once again Marti fails at being a lawyer.  The article he posted states that Michigan is not one of the states which prohibits a doctor from refusing to provide service on the grounds of sexual orientation.  In fact Marti bolded that line.  Marti should be venting his anger at the legislative body which permits the doctor to make this decision not the Doctor who is conducting themselves within their legal obligations.

What is tragic is that Crazy Canuck wasn't there to explain to William Wallace's men that they shouldn't vent anger at the lords who exercised their right of primae noctae, since it was within their legal prerogative.

[Ed Anger]

I blame Brady Hoke.

[viper37]

Do you really want to be treated by a doctor who doesn't want to treat you?

It's a general principle.  A doctor should treat anyone, without bias at race, gender, sexual orientation or such.  An army doctor will treat ennemy combattant made prisoners.  A prison doctor will treat the rapist & the killers.  I don't expect him to like all his patients, I expect him/her to do his work. 

We should do better at screening racists/homophobes out of the medical education system on the front end.

Agree.  There was an interesting case in Nova Scotia not long ago, in a dental faculty.

I don't think the answer is for the government to prevent doctors from exercising discretion with regard to which patients they will and will not see.

Doesn't the government already does this for many private businesses?  If the owner's religion believe being gay or black is a sin, is he really allowed to refuse employment or service to that person?

[grumbler]

It's a general principle.  A doctor should treat anyone, without bias at race, gender, sexual orientation or such.  An army doctor will treat ennemy combattant made prisoners.  A prison doctor will treat the rapist & the killers.  I don't expect him to like all his patients, I expect him/her to do his work. 

Well, when you become a lawyer or doctor or other professional, go ahead and apply this "provide service regardless of all other considerations" approach.  Just don't hope that all professionals will follow your example.

Doesn't the government already does this for many private businesses?  If the owner's religion believe being gay or black is a sin, is he really allowed to refuse employment or service to that person?

Sure, lawyers can refuse to accept clients on any basis or none, unless the law prohibits.  So do any other services or businesses not providing a public accommodation.  Sometimes they have to be disingenuous about their reasons...

[Kleves]

I wonder if stories like this don't hurt the cause of equality more than help it. At some point, meaningless slights like this should be let go rather than parlayed into national outrage and a witch hunt. There is still impactful discrimination out there, but stories like this can just drown it out.

[Kleves]

We should do better at screening racists/homophobes out of the medical education system on the front end.

Is it really better to have a worse doctor*, or no doctor at all, rather than a doctor who will only accept certain patients (assuming they're not like an emergency room physician or something)?


*I assume that if you kick out the bigoted medical student, you would be replacing them with someone they beat out to get into medical school.

[Fate]

There are far more qualified applicants than there are medical school spots. The health of our society would be no worse off if such individuals were screened out. Being a decent human being is just as important as a high MCAT score or undergraduate GPA. Even if we can't put a standardized number next to it.

[viper37]

Well, when you become a lawyer or doctor or other professional, go ahead and apply this "provide service regardless of all other considerations" approach.  Just don't hope that all professionals will follow your example.

I do.  So long as the client pays, I provide services.  I don't care if the project is a waste of public funding or my client is a drug dealer, so long as I expect to get paid, I will provide the services I am required.

[crazy canuck]

Once again Marti fails at being a lawyer.  The article he posted states that Michigan is not one of the states which prohibits a doctor from refusing to provide service on the grounds of sexual orientation.  In fact Marti bolded that line.  Marti should be venting his anger at the legislative body which permits the doctor to make this decision not the Doctor who is conducting themselves within their legal obligations.

What is tragic is that Crazy Canuck wasn't there to explain to William Wallace's men that they shouldn't vent anger at the lords who exercised their right of primae noctae, since it was within their legal prerogative.

What is even more tragic is that Dorsey cant distinguish between laws enacted in a democratic nation with a supervisory court and laws enacted and enforced by feudal lords.