What Are My Rights as a Patient with HIV who Receives Medical Care from a Health Care Provider?As a patient with HIV who is receiving medical care from a health care provider, you have certain legal rights. You are entitled to: - Reasonable care no matter you race, gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, national origin, age or source of income
- Request and receive information in a manner you can reasonably understand about your diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis
- Know the identity of every individual involved in your care, including students and volunteers
- Discuss and plan out your care with a physician or nurse, and can even refuse certain treatment, without fear of retaliation
- The right to privacy, including all your medical records being treated as confidential
- The right to review your own medical records and request copies of them
- The right to a proper amount of time during medical visits to discuss any medical concerns or questions you may have
- The right to get an advance notice for change of fees or billing practices and a reasonable explanation of those changes
- The right to treatment by caregivers who provide medical care to the best of their abilities in a safe and sterile manner
- The right to know what kind of relationships your caregivers have with other parties, such as insurance companies, that might affect your care
- The right to be informed of realistic alternatives for care when current treatment is no longer working
- The right for your caregivers to provide reasonable assistance to overcome language barrier, cultural, physical or communication barriers
Should I Consult an Attorney Concerning My Rights as an HIV Patient?If you feel you have been discriminated against and you have experienced a loss in the quality of care as a result, you may want to consult a civil rights attorney. An experienced civil rights attorney can advise you of your rights and let you know if you are entitled to monetary damages in a lawsuit against the violator. |
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