The Right to Discriminate Against a Patient — Tennessee’s vague conscience protections offer an avenue for legal discrimination – Chloe Nazra Lee/MedPage Today

“Having recently realized she was pregnant, she sought out a physician for prenatal care — but was denied service. ‘That provider told me that thanks to (the 2025 Medical Ethics Defense Act), they were not comfortable treating me because I am an unwed mother and that goes against their Christian values.’ She revealed she must now cross state lines for basic prenatal care…”

Under the wording of this law, doctors could arguably refuse to provide care on this basis of a sincere belief in maximizing profits. In functional terms, “capitalism” is at least as prevalent a belief system and object of worship as values offered by “Christianity” in the US medical profession and culture. The TN statute allows denial of medical care that violates “conscience,” defined as “the sincerely held ethical, moral, or religious beliefs or principles held by a healthcare provider.”

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