ANALYSIS: Medical Conscience Laws Raise Constitutional Concerns

The fragile balance between protecting individual freedoms and protecting access to care in the US is under threat of being disrupted. An increase in state medical conscience laws in 2025 and a simultaneous federal push for personal religious and conscience freedom in the health sphere could tip the scales in favor of personal freedoms.

Yet a recent incident in Tennessee that illustrates this dilemma also shows the challenges such laws could face. A doctor allegedly denied a pregnant woman care earlier this year under Tennessee’s medical conscience law. Although a provider’s conduct may be legal under state law, the law’s ...