Nearly all U.S. hospitals are now required to administer health care to LGBT people and their kin, effectively voiding discriminatory state and municipal laws.

The report, called Advancing Effective Communication, Cultural Competence, and Patient- and Family-Centered Care: A Roadmap for Hospitals, also mandates the following:

• Hospitals should recognize same-sex partners as the patient’s family, including recognizing same-sex marriages, even if not recognized by the law of the state in which the hospital is located
• Patients may designate same-sex partners as surrogate decisionmakers, including in advance directives
• Hospitals should involve same-sex parents in their children’s care, even those parents who lack legal custody
• Hospitals should not permit a patient’s parents who disapprove of the patient’s same-sex relationship from excluding the patient’s partner against the patient’s wishes
• A patient may designate a same-sex partner as family for visitation and other purposes
• Health care providers should use neutral language when taking sexual histories
• Hospitals should use a transgender patient’s preferred name even if not the legal name
• Hospitals should maintain the confidentiality of information about sexual orientation and gender identity  or expression
• Hospitals should use available research data to understand LGBT community needs
• Intake forms should be inclusive of LGBT patients
• Hospitals should create a welcoming environment for LGBT staff and patients
• LGBT hospital staff should be protected from discrimination

Of course this comes out after the California couple lost their house and possessions to a hospital….

Tell us about your hospital experiences with your loved ones!