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Policies Allowing Providers to Refuse

STATE

REFUSAL

Abortion

Contraception

Sterilization

Individual Provider

Institution

Individual Provider

Pharmacist

Institution

Individual Provider

Institution

Federal Policy

X

X

 

 

 

X

X

Alaska

X

Private

 

 

 

 

 

Arizona

 X‡

 X‡

X

X

X

 

 

Arkansas

X

X

X

X

Private

X

X

California

X

Religious

 

 

 

 

 

Colorado

 

 

X

*

Private

 

 

Connecticut

X

 

 

 

 

 

 

Delaware

X

X

 

 

 

 

 

Florida

X

X

X

*

 

 

 

Georgia

X

X

 

X

 

X

X

Hawaii

X

X

 

 

 

 

 

Idaho

X

X

X

X

 

X

X

Illinois

X

X

X

*

X

X

X

Indiana

X

Private

 

 

 

 

 

Iowa

X

Private

 

 

 

 

 

Kansas

X

X

*†​

* †​

 

X

X

Kentucky

X

X

 

 

 

X

 

Louisiana

X

X

 

 

 

 

 

Maine

X

X

X

*

Private

X

X

Maryland

X

X

 

 

 

X

X

Massachusetts

X

Private

 

 

Private

X

Private

Michigan

X

X

 

 

 

 

 

Minnesota

X

Private

 

 

 

 

 

Mississippi

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

Missouri

X

X

 

 

 

 

 

Montana

X

Private

 

 

 

X

Private

Nebraska

X

X

 

 

 

 

 

Nevada

X

Private

 

 

 

 

 

New Jersey

X

Private

 

 

 

X

Private

New Mexico

X

X

 

 

 

 

X

New York

X

X

 

 

 

 

 

North Carolina

X

X

 

 

 

 

 

North Dakota

X

X

 

 

 

 

 

Ohio

X

X

 

 

 

 

 

Oklahoma

X

X

 

 

 

 

 

Oregon

X

Private

 

 

 

 

 

Pennsylvania

X

Private

 

 

 

X

Private

Rhode Island

X

 

 

 

 

X

 

South Carolina

X

Private

 

 

 

 

 

South Dakota

X

X

 

X

 

 

 

Tennessee

X

X

X

*

Private

 

 

Texas

X

Private

 

 

 

 

 

Utah

X

X

 

 

 

 

 

Virginia

X

X

 

 

 

 

 

Washington

X

X

 

 

 

X

X

West Virginia

 

 

 

 

 

X

X

Wisconsin

X

X

 

 

 

X

X

Wyoming

X

Private

 

 

 

 

 

STATE TOTAL

45

43

9

6

8

17

16

Note: Unless indicated, the right to refuse applies to all institutions-private, religious and public.

 

*   A broadly worded refusal clause may apply. In Illinois a state court held that a regulation requiring pharmacies to provide emergency contraception cannot be enforced against pharmacies that refuse to dispense the medication.

‡   In Arizona private hospitals and health facilities may restrict the information providers give to patients about lawful health care services if the institution’s objection to providing the information is based on sincerely held religious or moral beliefs.

†   The law permits refusal if the provider "reasonably believes" the drug or device "may result" in an abortion.