MergerWatch Information

Medical care that is based on religious doctrine or the provider’s moral beliefs represents a significant, though under-recognized, threat to patients’ rights and access to care at hospitals, clinics, managed care plans, pharmacies and even doctors’ offices across the nation. The mission of the MergerWatch project is to advocate for health care policies, practices and delivery systems which ensure that medical care is guided by scientifically-accurate, unbiased medical information and each patient’s own religious or ethical beliefs. We believe that the needs and rights of patients must come first in medical decision-making and in the design of health care delivery systems. We work directly with communities to find ways of protecting patients’ rights and access to care when non-religious hospitals are proposing mergers with religious health systems. Since its founding, MergerWatch has assisted grass roots coalitions fighting to protect services threatened by religious/secular hospital mergers in more than 100 communities located across the nation. We have a strong record of success in protecting patients’ rights and access to health care services.