What This Bill Does
This bill changes federal rules for hospitals to require written policies about patient visitation rights. The law aims to make sure patients can have visitors like spouses, family members and friends during hospital stays. It also prevents hospitals from denying visitation based on a patient's race, color, national origin, religion, sex or disability.
Who It Affects
Hospitals that receive Medicare funding (the federal health program for seniors and some disabled people) are directly affected by these requirements.
Key Provisions
• Hospitals must write down their visitation policies and describe any clinical restrictions (medical reasons) they place on visits. (Sec. 2)
• Hospitals must tell each patient about their visitation rights and any clinical limits on those rights. (Sec. 2)
• Hospitals must inform patients they can choose their own visitors including spouses, family members or friends, and that patients can change their mind about visitors at any time. (Sec. 2)
• Hospitals cannot restrict visits based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex or disability. (Sec. 2)
• All visitors must receive the same full visitation privileges with no differences in treatment. (Sec. 2)
What Changes
Hospitals must now have written policies about patient visitation and must follow specific rules about informing patients of their rights and treating all visitors equally.
I
118TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 219
To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to codify patients’ rights
to hospital visitation, and for other purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
JANUARY 9, 2023
Mr. VAN DREW (for himself, Mrs. MILLER-MEEKS, and Mr. HARRIS) intro-
duced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Ways
and Means, and in addition to the Committee on Energy and Commerce,
for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case
for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the
committee concerned
A BILL
To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to codify
patients’ rights to hospital visitation, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
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tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
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SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
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This Act may be cited as the ‘‘No Patient Left Alone
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Act of 2023’’.
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SEC. 2. PATIENT VISITATION RIGHTS.
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Section 1861 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C.
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1395x) is amended—
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•HR 219 IH
(1) in subsection (e)—
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(A) in paragraph (8), by striking ‘‘and’’ at
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the end;
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(B) by redesignating paragraph (9) as
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paragraph (10);
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(C) by inserting after paragraph (8) the
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following new paragraph:
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‘‘(9) has written policies and procedures regard-
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ing the visitation rights of individuals receiving
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items and services at the institution, which shall in-
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clude a description of any clinically necessary or rea-
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sonable restriction or limitation that such institution
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may need to place on such rights and the reasons
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for the clinical restriction or limitation, and a re-
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quirement that such institution—
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‘‘(A) inform each such individual of his or
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her visitation rights, including any clinical re-
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striction or limitation on such rights;
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‘‘(B) inform each such individual of the
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right, subject to the individual’s consent, to re-
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ceive the visitors whom the individual des-
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ignates, including a spouse, another family
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member, or a friend, and the individual’s right
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to withdraw or deny such consent at any time;
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•HR 219 IH
‘‘(C) may not restrict, limit, or otherwise
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deny visitation privileges on the basis of race,
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color, national origin, religion, sex, or disability;
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and
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‘‘(D) ensure that all visitors enjoy full and
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equal visitation privileges consistent with this
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paragraph; and’’; and
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(D) in the matter following paragraph
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(10), as redesignated, by striking ‘‘paragraph
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(9)’’ each place it appears and inserting ‘‘para-
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graph (10)’’ in each such place; and
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(2) in subsection (f), by striking ‘‘(9)’’ and in-
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serting ‘‘(10)’’.
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Æ
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