The Doctrine Will See You Now
In the U.S., 1 in 6 hospital beds is Catholic-owned or affiliated. The people in those beds often can’t access lifesaving care, all because of restrictions set by the church. The bishops prohibit healthcare services including contraception, vasectomies, tubal ligations, end-of-life care, and gender-affirming care.
Wondering if your healthcare is compromised? Take our quiz!
Types of Care Banned at Catholic Hospitals
Catholic healthcare facilities are subject to the Ethical and Religious Directives for Catholic Health Care (ERDs), a set of directives written by Catholic bishops.
The directives severely restrict or outright prohibit the following:
- Abortion in all cases, including treatment for life-threatening ectopic pregnancies and timely care for pregnancy loss
- Contraception to prevent pregnancy, including tubal ligation after giving birth
- Emergency contraception for survivors of sexual assault
- In Vitro Fertilization and other assisted reproductive technologies
- Aid-in-dying care for people making end-of-life decisions
- Gender-affirming care for queer and trans people, including hysterectomies, top surgery, and hormone replacement therapy
Catholic Healthcare’s Expanding Reach
But surely you would know if your hospital was Catholic, right? Not necessarily. You may find yourself in a hospital you’ve used for decades that only recently merged with a Catholic healthcare institution, and options you had once exercised are no longer available to you.
Care for Some, Not for All
Although many Catholic healthcare institutions were founded by Catholic women religious (nuns and sisters) to serve the poor and marginalized, today the situation has changed. Charity care only accounts for 2.9% of Catholic hospital expenses, but they receive about 33% of their revenue (via $48 million in taxpayer dollars) for charity care annually. Instead, Catholic healthcare restrictions foster inequality against women and queer people, low-income communities, and people of color.
- Women of Color: In 19 out of 34 states, women of color are more likely to give birth at hospitals bound by Catholic healthcare restrictions.
- Rural Communities: 52 regions rely solely on a Catholic hospital as their only acute care facility within 35 miles.
- Queer and Trans People: The bishops may expand the Ethical and Religious Directives to include the explicit prevention of gender-affirming care such as hormone replacement therapy, hysterectomies, bedside manner that affirms the patient’s identity, and more.
Catholics for Choice believes hospitals should provide the full range of care their patients require, including reproductive healthcare services. Our work helps inform people of how the Catholic healthcare system restricts specific treatments and services. We connect people to materials, resources, and strategies to help advocate for healthcare that addresses patients’ needs and allows individuals to follow their consciences. We envision a world where patients and healthcare providers can exercise their consciences no matter what the bishops say.
Do you know if your local hospital is subject to Catholic restrictions? How do you feel about your healthcare being guided by the bishops’ interpretation of the Catholic faith, rather than by medical necessity or your own religious beliefs?