9-26-08, 9:22 am

More than 65,000 people submitted comments to the Department of Health and Human Services, rejecting new Bush administration rules that women's health care advocates believe could jeopardize women's access to quality health care. Among those commenting were a bipartisan group of state governors, including Governors Rod Blagojevich (D-IL), Christine Gregoire (D-WA), M. Jodi Rell (R-CT), and Ed Rendell (D-PA), according to a press statement from the Planned Parenthood Federation of America (PPFA).

The protests arose over a new Bush administration regulation handed down by Health and Human Services Secretary Michael Leavitt that allows health care providers to discriminate against women seeking prescription birth control devices or drugs from pharmacists. Leavitt's order allows pharmacists, for example, to refuse to provide birth control to women based on personal opposition to their use. The rule may also apply to hospitals, health care volunteers, and the like, women's health care advocates said.

Before the rule became finalized this week, Sens. Hillary Clinton (D-NY) and Patty Murray (D-WA) met with Secretary Leavitt and expressed grave concern over protections for women’s health care. They reportedly asked Leavitt to make changes to the final rule to ensure that patients do not lose access to health information or services when a health care provider or volunteer refuses to provide them. Leavitt refused to provide any concrete assurances.

'This regulation unconscionably ignores a patient’s right to receive the critical health care services and information she deserves,” said PPFA President Cecile Richards. “Our concern is that women going to their local hospital or doctor’s office can no longer trust that they will receive the information they need to make the health care decision that is right for them.”

The new aroused widespread anger after readings of the new rule suggested the Bush administration deliberately confused the definitions of contraception and abortion, allowing medical care providers to interpret or define either based on their personal beliefs rather than on commonly accepted medical terms.

Planned Parenthood estimated that the new rule could adversely affect as many as 42 million women. According to recent studies, about 98 percent of women use some form of birth control during their lifetimes.

More than 100 members of Congress have also expressed opposition to the rule.