The fight continues for equal rights in D.C.-based healthcare facilities

A prominent gay rights organization says eight of 17 Washington-area hospitals do not explicitly include a reference to sexual orientation in their patient nondiscrimination policies.

The report released Monday by the Human Rights Campaign Foundation follows President Barack Obama’s mandate that all hospitals that receive Medicare or Medicaid funding, nearly every U.S. hospital, protect the visitation and decision-making rights of gay men and lesbians.

At least one hospital the report cites says it does reference sexual orientation in its policy, but the report’s co-author says he could not find it on the hospital’s website.

The group also reviewed a sample of 200 of the largest hospitals in all 50 states and found that more than 90 percent do not have fully inclusive policies.

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