No Patient Left Alone Act of 2023

Bill: 118-hr-219
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Van Drew, Jefferson [R-NJ-2]
Introduced: 2023-01-09
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Health facilities and institutions

Health programs administration and funding

Hospital care

Medicare
Latest action: action_date: 2024-12-17
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.

Summaries:
action_date: 2023-01-09
action_desc: Introduced in House
text: <p><b>No Patient Left Alone Act of </b><b>2023</b></p> <p>This bill requires hospitals, as a condition of Medicare participation, to have certain written policies and procedures that provide for patient visitation rights and to inform patients of such rights, including any applicable restrictions.</p>

tv_txt: I 118th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 219 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES January 9, 2023 Mr. Van Drew (for himself, Mrs. Miller-Meeks , and Mr. Harris ) introduced 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.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the No Patient Left Alone Act of 2023 . 2. Patient visitation rights Section 1861 of the Social Security Act ( 42 U.S.C. 1395x ) is amended— (1) in subsection (e)— (A) in paragraph (8), by striking and at the end; (B) by redesignating paragraph (9) as paragraph (10); (C) by inserting after paragraph (8) the following new paragraph: (9) has written policies and procedures regarding the visitation rights of individuals receiving items and services at the institution, which shall include a description of any clinically necessary or reasonable restriction or limitation that such institution may need to place on such rights and the reasons for the clinical restriction or limitation, and a requirement that such institution— (A) inform each such individual of his or her visitation rights, including any clinical restriction or limitation on such rights; (B) inform each such individual of the right, subject to the individual’s consent, to receive the visitors whom the individual designates, including a spouse, another family member, or a friend, and the individual’s right to withdraw or deny such consent at any time; (C) may not restrict, limit, or otherwise deny visitation privileges on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, or disability; and (D) ensure that all visitors enjoy full and equal visitation privileges consistent with this paragraph; and ; and (D) in the matter following paragraph (10), as redesignated, by striking paragraph (9) each place it appears and inserting paragraph (10) in each such place; and (2) in subsection (f), by striking (9) and inserting (10) .