Respecting the Rights of Hospital Patients to Receive Visitors and to Designate Surrogate Decision Makers for Medical Emergencies
On April 15, 2010, President Obama directed the Secretary of Health & Human Services to require hospitals participating in Medicare or Medicaid to respect the wishes of their patients regarding who may visit them or make medical decisions on their behalf. Forthcoming rules would prevent such hospitals from restricting patient visitation because of discrimination. While the presidential memorandum is primarily aimed at gay and lesbian partners of patients, it covers discrimination “on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability.”
Eileen Shannon Carlson, RN, JD
Tags: April 2010, Health & Human Services, patient visitation, President Obama
