CancerCare applauds President Obama’s April 15 memorandum that ends sexual-orientation-based discrimination in hospital visitation rights and ensures that all people receive equal hospital visitation privileges.
The new rule, which the President directed Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius to implement within the next 180 days, will affect any hospital that receives Medicare or Medicaid funding–that is, the majority of the nation’s health-care institutions.
Previously, hospitals were able to bar visitors who are not related to a patient by blood or marriage; and to prevent same-sex couples’ efforts to designate a partner to make medical decisions on their behalf should they become incapacitated. Also affected by these policies were widows or widowers with no children, members of a religious order, or others whose loved ones who were not the patient’s immediate relatives.
The new rules are seen as a major step forward for the rights of same-sex partners and their families.
Read the presidential mandate in its entirety here.
Addressing concerns unique to the LGBT population are among the many specialized programs offered by CancerCare’s staff of oncology social workers. Our services, all completely free of charge, include individual counseling, support groups, financial assistance, and community programs, available to anyone facing a cancer diagnosis.
Learn more about CancerCare’s supportive services for the LGBT community.
Posted by Kyle Hornyak