Posted on 04/16/2010 3:37:33 AM PDT by tobyhill
President Obama mandated Thursday that nearly all hospitals extend visitation rights to the partners of gay men and lesbians and respect patients' choices about who may make critical health-care decisions for them, perhaps the most significant step so far in his efforts to expand the rights of gay Americans.
The president directed the Department of Health and Human Services to prohibit discrimination in hospital visitation in a memo that was e-mailed to reporters Thursday night while he was at a fundraiser in Miami.
Administration officials and gay activists, who have been quietly working together on the issue, said the new rule will affect any hospital that receives Medicare or Medicaid funding, a move that covers the vast majority of the nation's health-care institutions. Obama's order will start a rule-making process at HHS that could take several months, officials said.
(Excerpt) Read more at msnbc.msn.com ...
King Ears exerting his power.
Hmmm. Maybe government control of health care in any shape or form is bad.
Yeah, I do think seniors need to get over the idea that Medicare is good for them.
Oh well, you’ll probably agree when the death panels determine you are not paying enough taxes to warrant medical treatment.
Such compassion.
“Religious hospitals are a big target of this rule.”
That’s the deal. Barry O wants to force the Catholic hospitals out of the system or to compromise with their beliefs.
That is what the people who voted for him voted for. Let then enjoy it.
The catholic hospitals should have some spine and shut down if they are going to be forced to do things that are against their conscience.
How about we stand up for their religious liberty instead?
If the victim has not designee, then it will be next of kin. Believe me, there WILL BE documentation that guides the hands of the health care team.
Cool. Shut down your hospital. Or rescind Ears' order.
They are the only ones in position to stop doing what they do when their rights or conscience are infringed. Same as you're the only one in position to do it for you.
I assume you don't control a large chunk of the nations hospitals. If they were to be abused to the point of shutting down in response, then that would send a large message. If the people are too stupid to understand the message, well, the people tend to get what they deserve.
And the people are usually very stupid.
No. Only to some non-related non-married couples. Only given to same sex couples. Straight couples don't get this privilege.
The first time a non-contracted “partner” makes a medical decision that kills or maims a patient, there will be a lawsuit against the hospital for not following the law.
Because even the President can’t give people the right to break the law, unless he’s including a blanket pardon and a guarantee of tax dollar backing for lawsuits.
There is a reason that hospitals have rules about family members; and those reasons apply just as much to gay people.
John Balcerzak and Joseph Gabrish, two of the three police officers who returned Sinthasomphone to Dahmer, were fired from the Milwaukee Police Department after their actions were widely publicized, including an audiotape of the officers making homophobic statements to their dispatcher and cracking jokes about having reunited the "lovers". The two officers appealed their termination and were reinstated with back pay. They were named officers of the year by the police union for fighting a "righteous" battle to regain their jobs. Balcerzak later served a term as president of the Milwaukee Police Association"Officers of the year" -- that's Unions for you.
“I assume you don’t control a large chunk of the nations hospitals. If they were to be abused to the point of shutting down in response, then that would send a large message. If the people are too stupid to understand the message, well, the people tend to get what they deserve.”
Horsehockey. It’s up to us to speak out against Barry O, and express our opposition to his change. I don’t want to see a significant portion of the US hospitals shut down, and I’m presuming you don’t understand just how significant the Catholic system is in the US.
Why play into Barry O’s hands? Let’s fight him tooth or nail. Unless of course you really don’t care all that much about liberty.
And thanks to the Democrats, the child molestor's viagra will be bought and paid for by your tax dollars.
Ridiculous. This accomplishes nothing. People already have the ability to assign durable power of attorney for medical access / decisions to whomever they wish.
I was trying to make sure I didn’t single out the 2% gay population that’s taking over 100% of our institutions.
but if they didn’t and are in no position to immediately do so, this leaves a legal issue between actual relatives and “partners” which also puts unwarranted legal issues on the hospitals.
I’d just like to know: how can he order private Catholic hospitals to do this? What about the 1st Amendment? Free exercise, hello?
My students are very well educated.
Cheers!
I guess these people need a new victimology to blab about..
I just wrote about a hospital I worked at and this straw dog policy. It was at a Catholic hospital...They don’t care about who visits. Legally all that is needed for decisions is a medical power of attorney...But visiting outside of visiting hours is a big no no unless for a legit reason..
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