Medicare and Medicaid programs: changes to the hospital and critical access hospital conditions of participation to ensure visitation rights for all patients. Final rule.

This final rule will revise the Medicare conditions of participation for hospitals and critical access hospitals (CAHs) to provide visitation rights to Medicare and Medicaid patients. Specifically, Medicare- and Medicaid-participating hospitals and CAHs will be required to have written policies and procedures regarding the visitation rights of patients, including those setting forth any clinically necessary or reasonable restriction or limitation that the hospital or CAH may need to place on such rights as well as the reasons for the clinical restriction or limitation.