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Obama Directs HHS To Establish Rules Ensuring Hospital Visitation Rights For Gay, Lesbian Couples

Posted: Apr 15, 2010

President Obama has signed a memorandum directing the Department of Health and Human Services to establish rules that would bar hospitals from denying visitation rights to partners of gay and lesbian patients.

Many hospitals currently restrict hospital visitation to a patient's family members by blood or marriage. Because gay marriage is not legal in most states, partners are often unable to visit their loved ones--even in emergency situations.

Any hospital that receives federal Medicare or Medicaid money will be subject to the new rule, according to a White House official who spoke to The Washington Post.

Obama says in the memorandum that "There are few moments in our lives that call for great compassion and companionship than when a loved one is admitted to the hospital. ... Yet every day, all across America, patients are denied the kindnesses and caring of a loved one at their sides."

All I can say is -- deal with it, fringers! Bravo, Mr. President, kudos to you!! Hopefully, "don't ask, don't tell" will be next . . .

;

Way to go, President O. - tyvm. nm

[ In Reply To ..]
nm

I also say, Bravo, Mr. President! Good post. (nm) - Nikki

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P.S. That's right. It's all Obama's fault! (nm) - Nikki

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NM

This is called pandering to special interest groups.... - makes no sense because.....sm

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I have worked in hospitals for YEARS....I have 7 family members who are RNs, many friends who are physicians, and they will ALL tell you they have NEVER come across any patient who has NOT been allowed to have in their room WHOM they choose, whether it be parents, siblings, or their partners.... they couldn't care less. It is at the request of the patient.... they honor that because that is the patient's right to make it clear who can be present with them and who cannot.

The hospital staff couldn't care less. There is waaay to much crap going on here about gay/lesbian rights. On the other hand, the ONLY time this privilege has not been granted is when the patient is hiding the fact they are gay/lesbian, family doesn't know, and the patient has NOT let their wishes/relationship be known (hiding their lifestyle).... it then becomes an issue when the patient hasn't told family members and those family members have to make decisions based on what they know and nothing else.

I can designate ANYBODY to be allowed in my room and it doesn't have to be an immediate family member..... I AM RESPONSIBLE for that decision, not the hospital, and all this hooplah does not exist unless the patient did NOT let the healthcare personnel know of their situation....then that would be their fault, not the hospital.

No, patients are NOT denied the kindness and caring of a loved one at their side UNLESS they have not let their wishes be known (believe it or not many are still hiding their relationships from family members and they have no one to blame but themselves when a stranger the family does not know pops up and says they are this person's 'partner' but the family is not aware of their existence.

This is pandering and nothing more. These "rules" didn't need to be made AGAIN by Obama because THEY ALREADY EXIST!

Blab away....I couldn't care less. I have friends since childhood whom are gay/lesbian and they have NEVER had this situation because they did not HIDE their relationships and let their family know their wishes ahead of time.

Very well said. - sm

[ In Reply To ..]
Seems to me Obama is just sucking up to the gay community to get on their good side since he is still anti-gay marriage...so obviously he has to do something to get in their good graces.

As for the hospital rules...as long as you make it known...your partner can come into your room. Like it was said above...this problem only occurs when someone is hiding their lifestyle.

It's called GETTING THOSE VOTES at all costs!! - Can you say brown-nosing?

[ In Reply To ..]
nm

your alleged anecdotal evidence means nothing - anon

[ In Reply To ..]
A quick Google search will come up with plenty of legitimate news articles which show gay couples and even straight cohabitating/common law couples denied visitation rights in hospitals. Actual news articles trump your anecdotes.

Love the bit about "I designate who comes to my room", which is quite a feat if you're unconscious or otherwise unable to communicate clearly. Also love the "I don't care" bit, because anyone who types a long 6-paragraph rant SO doesn't care. Ha!

Anyway, since you call LGBT rights "crap", it's VERY obvious what your point of view is.

Pandering..... - nm

[ In Reply To ..]
nm

You people are really unbelievable, to begrudge someone being given - Really?

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a LEGAL RIGHT to be with their loved one in a medical situation. If you had truly worked in a hospital, then you would be well aware that just because you or one facility is "nice" enough to allow that privilege to someone, a facility could at any time exercise their "right" to refuse to allow a non-blood-relative, non-married partner admittence. How does this particular law personally threaten you or anyone else that allows a partner to have this right legally? 'Scuse the expression, but what's the "skin off your nose?" Talk about making Mt. Everest out of an anthill . . .Geez

Because it's NOT a law! - pushing a lie.... sm

[ In Reply To ..]
Privilege? Are you kidding me? I have 15 family members working in healthcare, 12 of then RNs, 3 physicians.

I have worked in hospitals for 20+ years and anyone with HALF a brain knows that anyone who makes clear who they want in their room is the one who is allowed in their room. As a patient myself, I have made it clear non-family members I wanted in the room and I have never had a problem with my request.

This is simply garbage being put out there to once again get pandering to a select group who just go on and on and on over nothing.

You don't have to have a family member have power of attorney over your healthcare either, or didn't you get that memo? So, if a gay/lesbian has a partner who they want to have power of attorney over them, they certainly can; there is NO law to stop that either.

Decades ago and I mean decades ago, the no-family member, no-admittance thing was used as hospital policy but it certainly was not law! And that has LONG since been put by the wayside, which just shows how, again, a select few just push and push to get something a "law" just so they can push to get something else they want. Pandering, pandering, pandering...

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