ACLU expresses concern at Walgreen's partnership with Catholic healthcare provider
Groups under the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) wrote a letter to Walgreens to express their concern that the store's services could be restricted because of its new partnership with a Catholic health care provider, SSM Health.
The giant drugstore chain made an announcement in April that SSM Health would be opening 27 clinics in Walgreens stores in Missouri and Illinois this month.
In the letter, the ACLU groups asked whether reproductive health care services will be available at the clinics and wanted assurance that LGBTQ customers will not be discriminated against. "If any religious restrictions are imposed on the clinics or the employees working at the clinics, will those restrictions be disclosed to patients?" the groups asked in the letter.
The letter was signed by ACLU representatives from the two concerned areas. Other signatories include representatives of MergerWatch and the National Health Law Program.
Emily Hartwig-Mekstan, the spokeswoman for Walgreens, said that its stores already offer contraceptive services. SSM Health spokesman Jason Merrill said in an email to AP that SSM Health will offer the same services available at Walgreens Healthcare Clinics but did not directly say whether reproductive health services are to be included.
"If a patient requires services that are beyond the scope of what is appropriate for a retail clinic setting, they will be referred to a primary care physician or other provider of their choice who can ensure they receive the care they need," Merril said in the email.
Walgreens is also reportedly collaborating with Providence Health, a Catholic health system, and Advocate Health Care, a provider affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.
The ACLU had written a similar letter to Walgreens in December 2015 over its partnership with Providence Health. The ACLU made an inquiry about the availability of euthanasia drugs in Providence clinics in Oregon and Washington State, where euthanasia is legal.
