Tom Coburn: “Mr. Chairman, let me quote from the bill: Nothing in this section shall exempt from the application of the antitrust…”

“Mr. Chairman, let me quote from the bill: Nothing in this section shall exempt from the application of the antitrust laws any agreement or otherwise unlawful conspiracy that excludes, limits, the participation or reimbursement or other otherwise limits the scope of services to be provided by any health care professional, or group of health care professionals, with respect to the performance of services that are within their scope of practice as defined by permitted relevant law or regulation. Well, let me tell my colleagues what that very slickly says. What that says is that health care providers have the right to retain services, but no right to exemption from antitrust laws to reduce services. So if a group, if a Catholic hospital buys a hospital that is presently performing abortions and under their conscience do not additionally want to offer that service, then in fact they will not be able to do that. ... But that is the result and the effect is that those hospitals in this country who consciously object to the taking of unborn life can in fact be forced to perform that.”