First Quarter 2006 Progress

Dear CMF Friends:

I am writing to update you on the significant progress the Christus Medicus Foundation (CMF) made in the first quarter of 2006 and appeal for much needed financial help. For a donation of $50, you become a member helping us in this most urgent work. Thanks to God's grace and many prayers CMF continues to provide leadership creating a "Culture of Life" within the healthcare industry:

• Collaborated together with Right to Life of Michigan, Michigan Catholic Conference and Rep. Scott Hummel to get the Michigan House Insurance Committee on March 23 to take up and report out H.B. 4745-46, bills to amend 1980 PA 350 and 1956 PA 218, "The insurance code of 1956". These bills will protect a health insurer who decides not to cover certain treatments based on religious or moral principles. Given the growing number of states mandating that health providers and insurers participate in ethically controversial treatments, this legislation is needed to pre-empt such action in Michigan.
• Spearheaded and facilitated on January 20, a Healthcare Right of Conscience Working Group Conference at the Family Research Council in Washington, D.C. to unite a virtual Who's Who of support for parental rights, personal freedom and conscience in healthcare. Attending were: Richard Doerflinger, USCCB; Fr. Thomas Berg, L.C., Ph.D., Executive Director, The Westchester Institute; Richard Doerflinger, Deputy Director of the Pro-Life Secretariat, USCCB; Jonathan Imbody, Senior Policy Analyst, Christian Medical Association; Bill Saunders, Center for Human Life and Bioethics, Family Research Council; Sam Casey, President, Christian Legal Society; Grace V. Smith, The Heritage Foundation; Andy Cannon, Culture of Life Foundation; Michael Schwartz, Sen. Tom Coburn's office; Ed Martin, Americans United for Life; Kim Daniels, Thomas More Law Center; David Wilson, CEO, ValuSure Corporation; and Derek Baker, the Republican Study Committee spokesperson for Rep. Shadegg's Health Care Choice Act (H.R. 2355). At this conference:

• Michael Schwartz articulated the urgency to make policymakers aware of the threat to America's children by the U.S. legal system denying parents information on health services, which include abortion, morning after pills, IUD's RU 486, condoms, etc. He also explained that Sen. Tom Coburn (S. 1279) and Rep. Todd Akin (H.R. 3011) introduced bills in the Senate and House that would require parental involvement in family planning services provided to children under Title X.
• Fr. Thomas Berg and Richard Doerflinger reported the progress being made with adult stem cells and "pluripotent stem cells" as alternatives to destroying human embryos.
• Derek Baker described how Rep. John Shadegg's Health Care Choice Act, H.R. 2355 would allow cross-state purchasing of health insurance, which would override state contraceptive and other ethically and morally objectionable state mandates. This bill creates a window of opportunity to protect personal freedom and right of conscience in health plans nationwide. For example, individuals and families that reside in Illinois, California, New Jersey or New York could purchase a health plan from Indiana, a family friendly state that does not undermine parental rights by requiring contraception or other morally objectionable coverage in health plans. It is expected to be brought to the House floor in May.
• I reinforced the urgency for legislation like H.R. 2355 and addressed the urgent need for leadership and unity in educating and motivating religious leaders, healthcare professionals and policymakers to evaluate and support federal legislative initiatives that proactively counter the 29 state mandates for contraception, 17 state mandates for in-vitro fertilization and the Oregon mandate for euthanasia.
  
  I then summarized three additional bills that are currently being considered by Congress and will have a significant impact on the freedom to choose health coverage that reflects one's ethical or moral values, physicians who respect one's values and medical treatment that supports those values. Those bills are:

• The Small Business Health Fairness Act (H.R. 525 and S. 406). The bills allow individuals and small business to pool their resources together in Association Health Plans to take advantage of large numbers and better spread of insurance risk. This bill, that has already passed the House, would also override state mandates and protect personal freedom and right of conscience for individuals and small employers.
• Senator Michael B. Enzi's Health Insurance Market Place Modernization Act of 2006 (S.1955). This bill will require a Small Business Health Plan (SBHP) that offers policy options that do not comply with state mandates to also offer at least one enhanced option that complies either with state law or matches the coverages offered to state employees in one of the 5 most populous states (at this time, they are FL, NY, CA, TX, and IL). This proposed legislation is a violation of parental rights, conscience and personal freedom. It will force Catholics, other Faith-based insurers and owners of a SBHP, who do not want to comply with state mandates, to cooperate in evil by providing confidential coverage (which includes children at any age) for contraception (chemicals and devices that induce abortion), and sterilization in all fifty states. If either NY, CA, NJ or IL is selected, invitro-fertilization will also be included.
• Senator Rick Santorum's Healthcare Tax Relief for the Uninsured (S.978). This bill allows for tax deduction of premiums, refundable credit for contributions to health savings accounts of small business employees, and tax credit for the purchase of health insurance for low-income individuals.

CMF continues to be active in other arenas:

Every other Tuesday morning, I continue to co-host with Mary Dudley Michigan Catholic Radio 1090 AM, Fight for life creating a healthcare "Culture of Life". Since January 1, 2006, we have hosted Sen. Rick Santorum, Grace Marie Turner, President of Galen Institute; Ed Martin, Americans United for Life; Frank Manion, America Center for Law and Justice; Robert Mylod, Chairman, and David Wilson, CEO, of ValuSure Corporation. I have also been a guest on Indiana Catholic Radio and plan to be a frequent guest in the future.

CMF has its work cut out for us in this second quarter. Contributions of $100, $500, $1,000 are also needed. Please be as generous as you can. Online donations are also available for your convenience at http://www.christusmedicus.com/. We will be putting together three declarations educating the religious community on healthcare reform legislation that protects conscience, parental rights and assists the uninsured and underinsured to purchase health insurance. Our goal is to first get the USSCB, the Catholic Health Association and the Catholic Medical Association to support our declarations. Our next step will be to get all leaders in the religious and pro-life/pro-family community to sign.

I know this is a very ambitious goal but through prayer, your financial assistance, anything is possible with God. Thanks for your cooperation. CMF needs all the help we can get to create a healthcare "Culture of Life"!

Your friend for life,
Michael J. O'Dea
Executive Director