Federal investigation underway on Michigan health system over alleged religious rights violation
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights said it has launched an investigation into a Michigan health system over an alleged religious beliefs violation.
The department did not release the name of the health system under investigation. However, Michigan Medicine confirmed on Tuesday that it received a compliance review from HHS and is "examining the request and will cooperate fully."
HHS says an organizational health care provider within the health system is accused of firing a medical professional after she requested an exemption from certain employment practices due to religious beliefs. Those practices included using a patient's preferred pronouns and assisting in "sex trait modification procedures," according to a news release.
The department says the investigation will be conducted under conscience protection laws known as the Church Amendments and examine whether the health system has policies that comply with the amendments. The prohibit government or government-funded entities from discriminating against individuals, health care entities and providers because of religious beliefs and moral convictions.
"OCR (Office for Civil Rights) is committed to enforcing Federal conscience laws in health care," said director Paula M. Stannard in a statement. "Health care workers should be able to practice both their professions and their faith."
HHS claims the investigation is the third under President Trump's second term "to determine an entity's compliance with Federal laws that safeguard health care professionals' conscience rights in health care." The department opened investigations in and into two other hospitals in the United States.
In 2019, HHS issued a finalized "Conscience Rule" that protected health care professionals who refused to provide care that violates their religious beliefs.
