Massachusettsbased Catholic hospital system Caritas Christi Health Care on Friday ended its joint venture with the Missouribased health insurer Centene after Cardinal Sean OMalley of the Archdiocese of Boston insisted that the relationship linked Catholic hospitals too closely to abortion providers, the AP/San Francisco Chronicle reports (AP/San Francisco Chronicle, 6/27). Under the joint venture, Caritas and Centene created a new company, CeltiCare, which would have insured thousands of lowincome Massachusetts residents under Commonwealth Care, the states subsidized health care program.

Financially troubled Caritas, which was founded by the Archdiocese of Boston, said it will continue to participate as a provider in Commonwealth Care but will no longer be a coowner of the insurance venture with Centene. Caritas will provide care to patients covered by Centene, as it does for patients covered by other private insurers, but it will not provide any services that violate Catholic teachings, such as abortions or sterilizations.

In terminating the joint venture, the archdiocese hopes to appease criticism that Caritas would have profited from abortion and other services provided at nonCatholic medical centers, the Boston Globe reports. According to the archdiocese, OMalley sought the withdrawal after weeks of consultation with the churchaffiliated think tank National Catholic Bioethics Center, in response to harsh criticism from antiabortionrights groups for not blocking the agreement. The withdrawal is “a vindication of sorts” for OMalleys critics, who have argued that it would be wrong for Caritas to enter an agreement with a health insurer that covers abortion care, according to the Globe.

Andrea Miller, the executive director of NARAL ProChoice Massachusetts, said that Caritas involvement in the joint venture had raised concern from NARAL because of the Catholic Churchs opposition to abortion rights. She said that although Caritas has withdrawn from the venture, “[t]he question remains Will the involvement of Caritas Christi health providers negatively affect womens ability to get timely access to reproductive services, including birth control?” Miller added that NARAL hopes that state regulators “will continue due diligence to ensure that referrals and services are provided in a manner that does not delay access to reproductive health services” (Paulson/Lazar, Boston Globe, 6/27).

Reprinted with kind permission from nationalpartnership.org. You can view the entire Daily Womens Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery here. The Daily Womens Health Policy Report is a free service of the National Partnership for Women & Families, published by The Advisory Board Company.

© 2009 The Advisory Board Company. All rights reserved.