Equal hospital visitation rights for gay families
Patients at hospitals which participate in the Medicare and Medicaid programs will now be allowed to decide who has visitation rights and who can make medical decisions on their behalf – regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity or family makeup — under new federal regulations that took effect Tuesday.
Hospitals must now inform patients, or an attending friend or family member, of their rights to visitors of their choosing. The policy also prohibits discrimination against visitors based on race, ethnicity, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation or disability.
