Hospitals May No Longer Deny Gay Partner Visitation Rights

photo by Gregg Chadwick

"There are few moments in our lives that call for greater compassion and companionship than when a loved one is admitted to the hospital. In these hours of need and moments of pain and anxiety, all of us would hope to have a hand to hold, a shoulder on which to lean – a loved one to be there for us, as we would be there for them."
- President Barack Obama, April 15, 2010

President Obama issued a directive to the Department of Health and Human Services to work to prohibit discrimination in hospital visitation. On April 15, 2010 President Obama directed Health and Human Services Secretary Sebelius to "initiate rulemaking to ensure that hospitals that participate in Medicare and Medicaid respect the rights of patients to designate visitors. The President further advised that the rule should ensure that participating hospitals may not deny visitation privileges based on factors including sexual orientation or gender identity."

Today, January 19, 2011, the new Hospital Visitation Regulations go into effect.

From the White House:

hospitals may not deny visitation privileges based on factors including sexual orientation or gender identity
Respecting the Rights of Hospital Patients to Receive Visitors and to Designate Surrogate Decision Makers for Medical Emergencies