AN ACT RELATING TO HEALTH AND SAFETY -- MEDICAL ETHICS DEFENSE ACT

SB 2483, the "Medical Ethics Defense Act," grants healthcare providers (like doctors, nurses, and pharmacists), healthcare institutions (hospitals, clinics), and healthcare payers (insurance companies, health plans) the right to refuse specific medical services or procedures that conflict with their ethical, moral, or religious beliefs. The bill protects these entities from civil, criminal, or administrative liability and prohibits discrimination - including termination, loss of licensure, or denial of contracts - when they decline to participate in or pay for services based on conscience. It explicitly states this right applies only to specific services violating conscience, not to refusing all care, and excludes insurance negotiations from discrimination claims. The bill does not require providers to offer alternative care for services they refuse.