The Medical Ethics Defense Act aims to provide protections for medical practitioners, health care institutions, and health care payors regarding their rights to exercise conscience, engage in whistleblower activities, and express free speech. The bill defines key terms such as "conscience," "discrimination," "health care institution," and "medical practitioner," and establishes that these entities have the right to refuse participation in health care services that conflict with their ethical, moral, or religious beliefs. It also stipulates that they cannot face discrimination for exercising this right and outlines the conditions under which health care payors must fulfill their contractual obligations to pay for services, regardless of a practitioner’s conscience-based refusal.

Additionally, the Act includes provisions for whistleblower protections, ensuring that individuals cannot be discriminated against for reporting violations or participating in related proceedings. It establishes that medical practitioners and institutions are not liable for good faith exercises of conscience and sets forth penalties for entities that fail to comply with the Act's requirements, including administrative penalties for noncompliance in providing complaint notifications. The bill also allows for civil actions against unlawful interference with conscience rights and emphasizes that the rights and remedies provided are cumulative to existing laws. Overall, the Act seeks to safeguard the ethical and moral rights of health care providers while maintaining accountability in health care practices.