Source:
Miami HeraldSame-sex couples and other domestic partners are gaining more control over what happens to their mates in the hospital, under federal guidelines issued this week.
Hospitals should not bar domestic partners from visiting their mates unless there is a medical reason, and partners should not be required to produce documents to prove their relationship, the guidelines state.
Also, if patients are incapacitated, hospitals should not deny domestic partners from being decision-makers, although they may have to prove they are healthcare surrogates.
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"Is this strong enough to ensure there will never be discrimination against same-sex couples? Of course not. But this should be a powerful statement," said Tara Borelli, an attorney for Lambda Legal, a nonprofit group that sued Jackson in the 2007 case.
Read more:
http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/09/08/2397422/same-sex-couples-hospital-rights.html