Governor orders hospitals to treat patients regardless of their “worth”

Governor Gretchen Whitmer issued an executive order Wednesday requiring hospitals not deny service to people based on assessments of how worthy they might be.

In some parts of Michigan, hospital resources have been stretched thin, buffeted by the increased need of patients suffering from the coronavirus. Some worry elderly people or people with disabilities could be denied care in favor of those who are younger or deemed healthier.

“No person should be denied medical care on the basis of stereotypes, assessments of quality of life, or judgments about a person’s relative ‘worth,'” the order said. “Including judgments about a person’s worth based on the presence or absence of disabilities.”

You can read the full Executive Order here.