President Obama asks HHS to ensure that patients have right to receive visitors of their choice
Patient Safety Monitor Alert
April 21, 2010
President Obama issued a memorandum last week to Kathleen Sebelius, Secretary of Health and Human Services, asking her to mandate that all hospitals that participate in Medicare or Medicaid allow patients the right to receive any visitors they want (regardless of relationship) while receiving care. This has widely been seen as a win for gay and lesbian patients, who are often barred from comforting or receiving the comfort of a partner because they are not legally married.
