Protections for Utah Providers Who Object to Medical Services Come with Risks, Too
Utah’s Senate Bill 174, named the “Exercise of Religious Beliefs and Conscience Amendments,” protects healthcare workers who decline to provide medical services to patients because the services conflict with their religious or moral beliefs. Medical professionals who want to opt out of certain practices in their workplace should:
- Feel empowered in their professional choices, but ALSO
- Make sure they understand the limits of SB-174’s protections
If you’re a healthcare worker in Utah or any state with similar conscientious objector protections planning to decline participation in a professional service — or facing pushback from your licensing board for having done so — the Professional License Defense Team at the LLF National Law Firm can help you navigate the requirements and defend your license. Call us at 888-535-3686 or send us a message, and we’ll get started.
How Does the Utah Law Protect Healthcare With Moral Objections?
Doctors, nurses, physical therapists, and other licensed medical professionals who refuse to provide a medical service that violates their religious, moral, or ethical beliefs are legally allowed to opt out, thanks to Utah lawmakers.
Specifically, the law is straightforward about its purpose as a shield for providers who won’t participate in abortion services:
- SB-174 “permits a health care provider, on the grounds of religious belief or conscience, to refuse to perform or participate in the disposal of remains from the termination of a pregnancy.”
The law also protects providers who deny a patient medical care on religious or moral grounds from retaliatory or disciplinary action, and limits their liability in civil, criminal, or administrative complaints.
What Are the Risks for Provider Licenses Under the Utah Law?
Utah’s “Religious Beliefs and Conscience” law offers broad protections, but providers who want to claim them should be aware of a few key restrictions. SB-174:
- Prohibits providers from refusing medical screenings or stabilizing treatment in the emergency department.
- Requires healthcare providers who intend to refuse participation in a patient’s medical care to submit advanced notice at the institution where the services will be performed.
- Does not exempt providers from meeting professional standards: abandoning patients, falsifying records, and other forms of misconduct are still prohibited.
- Doesn’t prevent patients, coworkers, employers, or facilities from filing complaints with the licensing board. SB-174 only offers providers with a legitimate legal defense when those complaints arise.
With SB-174 in place, Utah’s medical licensing boards are likely to experience an increase in complaints about providers — complaints that, in many cases, providers will be able to parry using the new law.
When Should I Contact the Professional License Defense Team?
Florida, Alabama, Tennessee, and Idaho already have laws on the books similar to Utah’s, and in Kentucky, there’s one working its way through the legislature. Additional states have more limited protections related to abortion services.
In every state, the laws governing the rights of providers who object to abortions and other medical services are complex, and failure to use them correctly could spell the end of your career.
Contact the LLF National Law Firm’s Professional License Defense Team if you’re planning to opt out of a service on religious or moral grounds, and we’ll make sure you stay in faithful compliance with your state’s rules. If you’re facing allegations of wrongdoing, an investigation by your licensing board, or disciplinary action, we’ll help you put forward the right defense.
Protect your hard-earned license now by calling the Professional License Defense Team at 888-535-3686, or send us a message today.