Huge breakthrough for USA H+ospitals
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The letter that follows this is from HRC sent to me asking for me to support this issue by contacting appropriate Hospitals and legislators. I ask you all to please sign up at Human Rights Campaign so that you will also receive these updates on legislative issues for the USA.
Dear Michael,
A new policy could end the horror stories of hospital discrimination.
But until all hospitals adopt the new rules, the injustices could continue.
Tell the hospital association in South Carolina to promote implementation of this policy NOW!
This is big. Sweeping new changes will soon dramatically transform healthcare in the U.S. for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people.
The Joint Commission – the largest organization that accredits hospitals nationwide – has announced that, in the future, all hospitals in America will need to have a non-discrimination policy for LGBT patients on their books. Once the new rules are in place, the horror stories we've all heard of loved ones being met with hostility at the worst of times, of already heart-wrenching decisions made even harder, of people being denied care, will be a thing of the past – in South Carolina and every state in the nation.
But it will be years before every hospital is on board. To ensure these new protections are implemented in South Carolina hospitals as soon as possible, we need your help. The South Carolina hospital association will play a crucial role in communicating the new rules, and we need to ensure that new policies are put in place as soon as possible.
Tell the hospital association in South Carolina: families shouldn't be at risk of discrimination a single day longer. We need to implement these new rules immediately!
You might not have known it, but as an HRC supporter you've played an important role in the Joint Commission's new accreditation standards. They credited HRC as one of the organizations whose work for healthcare equality helped expose why these new rules were so sorely needed.
And it comes not a minute too soon. Just today, HRC released a new report showing that among 200 of the nation's largest hospitals, 93 percent do NOT have fully-inclusive non-discrimination policies that protect all LGBT people, and almost half don't include sexual orientation in their "Patients' Bill of Rights" or non-discrimination policy. Read HRC's Healthcare Equality Index 2010. hXXp://www.hrc.org/hei2010/index1.html
Though the Joint Commission's announcement came just before an important memorandum from President Obama on hospital visitation, far too many same-sex couples are still paying the price for healthcare inequality. From the unfair taxation of employer-provided domestic partner health benefits, to the fact that most health insurance plans do not offer domestic partner benefits or healthcare benefits for transgender Americans – the need for further progress remains urgent.
We can start by making sure the Joint Commission's new protections are implemented in South Carolina as soon possible, so that not one more family needlessly suffers. Write your letter to the hospital association in South Carolina today!
Thank you for standing with us in the ongoing fight for healthcare equality.
Warmly,
Joe Solmonese
President, HRC
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Another word on this topic….....
Rob and I have had troubles with this kind of discrimination in the past but have always managed to educate(threaten) hospitals to see things our way as a Gay Couple.I am fortunate enough to work for a company that provides Domestic Partner Benefits now and so this issue has become impossible for Hospitals and Healthcare Providers from discriminative practices. :jaj:
They have to deal with us as a Couple or face the consequences!!!
We realize that not all Gay Couples have this benefit (we know we are blessed) and try to support HRC in the fight to end all Sexual Orientation based discrimination and hope that you will join this fight. Like all of these organizations they survive through donations but HRC has never cut us off from these updates for lack of a donation either. What HRC needs most is massive numbers of LGBT citizens to flood their legislators and institutions with OUR Viewpoint on issues like the above post.
hXXp://www.hrc.org/
