The officials said the administration would consider drafting a new rule to clarify what healthcare workers could reasonably refuse to do for their patients.
For more than 30 years, federal law has allowed doctors and nurses to decline to provide abortion services as a matter of conscience, a protection that is not subject to rule making.
In promulgating the rule last year, then-Health and Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt said it was necessary to address discrimination in the medical field.
Leavitt criticized "the development of an environment in the healthcare field that is intolerant of individual conscience, certain religious beliefs, ethnic and cultural traditions, and moral convictions."
But critics complained the language of the rule is overly broad, covering any "activity related in any way to providing medicine, healthcare and other service relative to health and welfare."
Obama officials said the administration's goal is to make the rule clearer rather than force doctors to provide abortions.
"The Bush provider-refusal regulation has created confusion about the scope and original intent of the law," one official said.
"It went into effect in the last days of the Bush administration, claiming to bring clarity to current law. But instead it created much confusion. . . .
"Not only does it potentially make it harder for women to get the care they need, but it is worded so vaguely, that some have argued it could limit counseling, family planning, even blood transfusions and end-of-life care."
If after 30 days of comments the administration throws out the Bush rule, it would have to begin a new rule-making process to enact a replacement.
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noam.levey@latimes.com
