Press Releases and Correspondence
Statement on Funding for More Abortions in Military Hospitals
December 19, 2012
Bala Cynwyd, PA—For years, federal funding for abortion in military hospitals was prohibited for any reason except for procedures to save the life of a mother. Following passage of a final version of the defense authorization bill on Tuesday, December 18, 2012, which allows the Department of Defense to pay for abortions in cases of rape or incest as well, the Catholic Medical Association issued the following statement:
Statement on the 2012 Presidential Election Results
November 07, 2012
Bala Cynwyd, PA—The reelection of President Obama is a profound disappointment for many in the Catholic Medical Association, who were hoping for a real change in direction from the last four years. There is no doubt that achieving authentic healthcare reform and strengthening protection under the law for the right to life, respect for conscience, and the right of religious freedom will be more difficult in the days to come.
2012 CMA Conference an Outstanding Success
October 04, 2012
Bala Cynwyd, PA – The Catholic Medical Association (CMA) concluded its largest and most successful conference ever on Saturday, September 29, 2012, hosting a record number of medical students and passing two important resolutions, one on the HHS mandate and a second on traditional marriage.
The 81st annual educational conference of the Catholic Medical Association was held at Saint Paul, Minnesota, from September 27–29, 2012, with a record-setting audience of over 600 people. Doctors, healthcare professionals, priests, religious, and students from over 40 states came for a unique experience of faith, formation, and fellowship. Read more after the break!
Reckoning and Resolve: The Obama HHS Mandate
August 01, 2012
On August 1, 2012, President Obama’s HHS mandate took effect. We cannot let this day pass without a reckoning of what has been lost and without a statement of resolve to restore our freedom, rights, and security.
President Obama’s mandate constitutes a raw use of political power to subsidize services and organizations to which his Administration is ideologically committed. This unprecedented and intrusive federal mandate:
CMA Decries Supreme Court Ruling Upholding Obamacare
June 28, 2012
The Catholic Medical Association is disturbed and disappointed that the Supreme Court saw fit to uphold the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (Obamacare). This decision is both alarming and deeply wrong.
CMA Provides Comments on HHS Proposed “Accommodation”
June 20, 2012
The Catholic Medical Association filed public comments on the HHS Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on June 19, 2012. On March 21, 2012, the Departments of Health and Human Services, Labor, and the Treasury announced their intent to modify the HHS mandate to exempt some religious organizations from its provisions while maintaining the Obama administration's primary goal of forcing all insurance plans to fully subsidize abortifacient, contraception, and sterilization services for women. CMA's comments can be read after the break.
CMA Welcomes Lawsuits from Catholic Institutions
May 22, 2012
On Monday, May 21, 2012, over 40 Catholic institutions filed lawsuits in 12 legal jurisdictions across the United States to fight the injustice of President Obama's HHS mandate. In response, the Catholic Medical Association issued the following statement:
"The Catholic Medical Association (CMA) welcomes this array of lawsuits because they express the resolve of Catholic institutions to defend the rights of millions of American citizens, and the Constitution itself, against an unprecedented attack by the Obama administration. . . ."
Read the full statement after the break.
CMA Protests California Bill
May 07, 2012
Democrat State Senator Ted W. Lieu introduced Senate Bill 1172 into the California Senate which, if enacted, would ban psychotherapy to help minors dealing with same sex attraction and also heavily regulate even adult patients who seek such therapy. The Catholic Medical Association sent a letter to California Senate Judiciary Committee members, who will vote on the bill on May 8, urging them to reject the bill or to refer it for further study and revision. Read the letter after the break.
Political Asylum for Chen Guangcheng
May 03, 2012
The Catholic Medical Association (CMA) has issued the following statement regarding treatment of Chinese human rights lawyer and political refugee Chen Guangcheng:
"Chen Guangcheng and his family should be granted political asylum in the United States or another country committed to respect for human rights as soon as possible."
Read the full statement after the break.
Marking the Second Anniversary of Obamacare
March 23, 2012
It is now two years since March 23, 2010, when President Obama signed the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA, better known as Obamacare) into law. While the date may be little remembered, the law and its passage should live in infamy.
Read the statement of the Catholic Medical Association marking this anniversary after the break.
President Obama’s “New Compromise” Not Good Enough
February 10, 2012
On February 10, 2012, President Obama announced a "new compromise" to his rule that all employers, including Catholic institutions, must pay for abortifacients, contraceptives, and sterilization benefits. Unfortunately, his solution merely shifts the coercion from religious employers to insurance companies and to the people who pay premiums.
CMA Reacts to HHS “Compromise”
January 22, 2012
On January 20, 2012, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius declared that its final rule on preventive services for women will go into effect without any meaningful regard for the conscience rights of health care providers, a decision that will affect Catholic providers disproportionately. In response, the Catholic Medical Association has issued the following statement:
CMA Publishes Special Issue of the Linacre Quarterly on the Sexual Abuse Crisis
November 16, 2011
The Catholic Medical Association (CMA) recently released the August 2011 issue of The Linacre Quarterly, which provides an in-depth analysis of the sexual abuse crisis from a medical and psychological perspective.
CMA Joins Open Letter on HHS Preventive Services Mandate
October 11, 2011
The Catholic Medical Association joined the USCCB and 18 other organizations in an October 11 newspaper ad protesting the conscience-rights-denying HHS "preventive services" mandate. The statement can be viewed after the break.
CMA Provides Comment on HHS Definition of Religious Employer
September 30, 2011
On August 1, 2011, the Secretary of HHS effectively mandated that abortifacients, contraceptives, and sterilization be offered and subsidized by all insurance plans and issuers, and proposed to exempt only a narrow set of "religious employers," using a definition supplied by the ACLU and recognized in only 3 states. Today, the CMA submitted comments to HHS, criticizing this mandate and HHS's draconian approach to respect for religious freedom. CMA's comments can be read after the break.
CMA Criticizes HHS Mandate of Abortifacients and Contraception
August 05, 2011
The CMA issued the following statement in response to the August 1, 2011, decision of the Secretary of HHS to implement the recommendations of the Institute of Medicine, effectively mandating that abortifacients, contraceptives, and sterilization be offered and subsidized by all insurance plans and issuers.
CMA Criticizes IOM Recommendation on Mandating Contraceptive Coverage
July 20, 2011
The Catholic Medical Association released the following statement after the Institute of Medicine effectively recommended, on July 19, 2011, that insurance companies and plans be forced to subsidize "the full range of FDA-approved contraceptive methods":
CMA Welcomes USCCB Statement on PAS
June 17, 2011
Bala Cynwyd, PA – June 17, 2011 – The Catholic Medical Association (CMA) welcomes the recent statement of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) on physician-assisted suicide (PAS).
Statement on House Repeal Vote on PPACA
January 19, 2011
America still needs health care reform. Unfortunately, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (“PPACA,” widely known as ObamaCare), pushed through Congress in a slipshod, partisan manner and against the will of the American people, is not capable of delivering true reform of America’s health care financing and delivery systems. It must undergo substantial change so authentic reform measures can be enacted and implemented. If today’s vote is a part of a constructive process of change and improvement, it is worthy of support. . . .
Statement on Bishop Olmsted’s Action Regarding St. Joseph’s Hospital
December 23, 2010
In response to Bishop Thomas J. Olmsted’s declaration about St. Joseph Hospital in Phoenix on December 21, 2010, CMA President Leonard P. Rybak, M.D., Ph.D., issued the following statement:
The decree by Phoenix Bishop Thomas J. Olmsted that St. Joseph’s Hospital can no longer be considered authentically Catholic is a momentous moment in the history of the Catholic health care ministry in the United States. It represents a significant step by a bishop to exercise his legitimate role as teacher and defender of the faith in his diocese as well as an unfortunate refusal of hospital officials to respect the bishop’s role as a teacher and pastor.
Press Release on ACOG Reaffirmation of Opinion 385
December 14, 2010
Upon the news that ACOG had quietly reaffirmed the notorious Opinion 385, CMA issued a press release decrying this decision and linking it to other disturbing developments in law and public policy regarding respect for conscience rights. The full press release can be read after the break.
Press Release on Burris Amendment and Elective Abortions in Military
December 09, 2010
The Catholic Medical Association (CMA) issued a press release rejecting an attempt in the U.S. Senate, embodied in the Burris Amendment, to promote abortions in the U.S. military. The full text of the press release can be read after the break.
Statement on Health-Care Reform and Authentic Catholic Witness
March 18, 2010
As the Democrat party accelerates efforts to enact comprehensive health-care legislation before the Easter recess, the Catholic Health Association, leaders of women’s religious orders, and academics at Catholic institutions have endorsed Senate bill H.R. 3590 and called for the House of Representatives to pass this bill as-is. In so doing, they have intentionally and publicly contradicted the policy position of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB).
CMA Issues Open Letter to President Obama and Congress
February 22, 2010
Philadelphia, PA – February 23, 2010 – The Catholic Medical Association (CMA) issued an open letter to President Obama and Members of Congress to address the impasse in health-care legislation. As members of both political parties prepare for a summit this week, the letter provides CMA’s perspective on why legislation has stalled and how to move ahead constructively.
Press Release on Coakley Hostility to Conscience Rights
January 18, 2010
Philadelphia, PA – January 18, 2010 – In a statement released Monday, the Catholic Medical Association (CMA) condemned statements regarding respect for conscience rights made by Democratic Senate candidate Martha Coakley in an interview conducted on January 14. “In the course of the interview, Martha Coakley demonstrated hostility to conscience rights in general, and to the beliefs of faithful Catholics in particular,” stated John F. Brehany, Ph.D., S.T.L., executive director of the CMA.
CMA Supports Senator Ben Nelson’s Opposition to Abortion Funding in Senate Health Care Legislation
December 18, 2009
Philadelphia, PA – December 18, 2009 – The Catholic Medical Association (CMA), together with the Omaha Guild of the CMA, issued a statement of support for Senator Ben Nelson (D-Neb.) for his integrity in opposing federal funding of abortion in the Senate version of health-care legislation and called upon Catholic organizations to remain united in opposing federal funding of abortion.
Resolution on Health Care Reform
October 26, 2009
Philadelphia, PA – October 26, 2009 – The Catholic Medical Association (CMA) adopted a resolution on health care reform at its 78th Annual Educational Conference, held in Springfield, Illinois, from October 22-24, 2009.
The resolution calls upon Congress and President Obama “to ‘reset’ the effort to enact health care reform legislation, to reexamine their commitment to the principles of the current legislation, and to begin the process anew.”
CMA Issues New Statements on Health-Care Reform
September 22, 2009
Philadelphia, PA – September 21, 2009 – The Catholic Medical Association (CMA) has issued two new public statements as Congress prepares to return to work on health-care legislation: a letter to members of key congressional committees, and an open letter to Catholic organizations calling for unity and focus in the health-care reform debate.
Statement on Health Care Reform
July 29, 2009
The Catholic Medical Association (CMA) calls upon President Obama and Congress to “hit the reset button” in their attempts to address the serious problems in the nation’s health-care financing and delivery systems. The CMA is concerned that the bills that have emerged from House and Senate Committees to date are too flawed, and the process too rushed, to provide meaningful reform.
CMA Protests Obama Executive Order Funding Life-Destroying Embryonic Stem Cell Research
June 24, 2009
DATELINE March 10, 2009 – The Catholic Medical Association (CMA) protests President Obama’s March 9, 2009, executive order providing taxpayer funding for research that destroys the lives of human embryos. This decision demonstrates a disregard for human life, for the beliefs of millions of Americans, and for the lives and health of those suffering from devastating diseases and injuries.
Catholic Medical Association Deplores Assault on Conscience Rights by the Obama Administration
June 24, 2009
DATELINE March 3, 2009 – The Catholic Medical Association (CMA) deplores the decision of the Obama administration to overturn the HHS provider conscience rule (HHS Rule) enacted on December 20, 2008.
CMA Statement on SCHIP Reauthorization
June 24, 2009
DATELINE January 15, 2009 – Reauthorizing the State Child Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) is a high priority for the federal government and the American people, but the House of Representatives voted yesterday without adequate consideration. The Catholic Medical Association (CMA) advances the following recommendations to ensure that SCHIP truly serves the health of America’s children.
CMA Welcomes New Vatican Document on Bioethical Questions
June 24, 2009
DATELINE December 12, 2008 – The Catholic Medical Association (CMA) welcomes Dignitas Personae, the new Instruction from the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.
CMA Responds to ACOG and ABOG
June 24, 2009
DATELINE May 19, 2008 – The Catholic Medical Association (CMA) has reiterated its call to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) to rescind its Ethics Opinion #385. In addition, CMA has formally requested the American Board of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ABOG) to clarify that board certification decisions will not rely upon Opinion #385. While both ACOG and ABOG issued letters of clarification in March in response to the storm of protest about Opinion #385, CMA believes that additional clarification and action are necessary.
CMA Calls on ACOG to Rescind Ethics Opinion
June 24, 2009
DATELINE February 29, 2008 – The Catholic Medical Association (CMA) has called upon the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) to rescind an “ethics opinion” released last November by its Committee on Ethics. ACOG’s opinion demands that ob-gyns opposed to abortion provide referrals for, and even perform, abortions in certain situations, despite their conscientious belief that abortion involves the killing of an unborn child. In a letter to ACOG president Kenneth Noller, M.D., CMA’s president, Kathleen M. Raviele, M.D., F.A.C.O.G., said that the ethics opinion suffered from substantial flaws in ethical analysis; created guidelines that were too vague and contentious to be effective; and proposed solutions that were unjust, unworkable, and harmful to the profession of medicine.
CMA Issues Statement on Implementation of HPV Vaccine
June 24, 2009
DATELINE Jan. 18, 2007 -- The Catholic Medical Association (CMA) – the nation’s largest professional organization of Catholic doctors – has released a position paper on implementation of the new vaccine for HPV, Gardasil®. The CMA encourages the use of this safe, effective, and ethically acceptable vaccine but at the same time rejects efforts at the federal level, and in some states, to mandate that girls be vaccinated against HPV.
CMA Responds to Connecticut Plan B Law
June 24, 2009
DATELINE November 5, 2007 – The State of Connecticut recently passed a law (which took effect on October 1, 2007), intended for the benefit of rape victims, which unfortunately violates both professional integrity and religious freedom. The Connecticut law, “An Act Concerning Compassionate Care for Victims of Sexual Assault,” forces physicians, health care providers, and institutions to provide Plan B medications to victims of sexual assault at their request, without regard to the actual need for such medications and without respect for the rights of conscience and religious freedom of these providers and institutions.
CMA Statement on Maine Middle School Contraception Program
June 24, 2009
DATELINE October 31, 2007 – Anyone concerned with the well-being of children should be alarmed by the actions of the Portland School Committee, says Dr. Robert J. Saxer, M.D., a pediatrician for over 40 years and currently president of the Board of the Catholic Medical Association.
