WASHINGTON – U.S. Rep. Jeff Van Drew (R-2nd) and U.S. Rep. Andy Harris from Maryland introduced the No Patient Left Alone Act June 30. The legislation would guarantee a hospital patient’s right to receive visitors and require hospitals to honor this right as a condition of their participation in Medicare.
“The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted how current federal law does not protect a hospital patient’s right to have a loved one visit during their hospital stay,” Congressman Van Drew said in a statement. “I had the honor of meeting with lifelong New Jersey resident, Stephanie Williamson, who sadly lost her husband earlier this year. Because of the hospital’s COVID-19 policy, Stephanie was unable to be with her husband in his final moments. Hospitals should not be allowed to restrict patients from seeing their loved ones in such a dire time. This is why I am proud to introduce the No Patient Left Alone Act along with my fellow GOP Doctors Caucus colleague, Rep. Harris, to protect hospital patient’s visitation rights and ensure that a situation like Stephanie’s never happens again.”
The bill would:
- Require hospitals to have a written visitation policy, including clinical restrictions or limitations on such rights;
- Require hospitals to inform patients of their visitation rights;
- Restrict hospitals from denying visitation privileges on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, or disability.
