A Maryland law designed to provide consumer protections for hospital patients took effect Oct. 1, according to Patch.com.
The Hospital Patient's Bill of Rights law unanimously passed in the Maryland General Assembly and was signed into law in April by Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan.
Marylanders for Patient Rights, a coalition of advocacy groups that supports the law, said the law requires that patients, whether admitted to the hospital, in the emergency room or as outpatients, be provided a list of their 24 legal rights.
Hospitals also must prominently post the list of rights as well as train workers annually about the list, the coalition said.
Among the rights are the patient's right to "receive information about hospital and physician charges and ask for an estimate of hospital charges before care is provided, as long as your care is not impeded."
The rights also stipulate that patients "be treated without discrimination based on race, color, national origin, ethnicity, age, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, physical or mental disability, religion, language or ability to pay."
Read the full list of rights here.
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