A bill passed by the Arizona Senate would allow patients to sue health care providers for denying care based on vaccination status. It now goes to the House.
Republican Sen. Janae Shamp said she sponsored the bill after hearing from Arizonans denied care.
“I’ve gotten numerous emails where people are being denied surgery,” Shamp said. “They’re being denied life saving transplant surgeries if they are not up to date on what the facility is determining as current vaccinations.”
Shamp says the purpose of the bill is to provide equal care to all citizens regardless of vaccination status.
Critics say the bill will jeopardize the health of immunocompromised patients by forcing health care providers to care for unvaccinated patients.
Democratic Sen. Lauren Kuby opposes the bill, and said it poses a public health safety risk.
“This would have the effect of requiring say a pediatric practice to accept unvaccinated patients, who in turn can spread diseases, which vaccinated patients cannot spread,” Kuby said. “And it would turn routine medical appointments into higher risk situations for those vulnerable children.”
Kuby said her claims are guided by research from the Arizona Medical Association.
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