{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-json\/54.1-2963.1.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-text\/54.1-2963.1.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-xml\/54.1-2963.1.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-html\/54.1-2963.1.html"}],"law_id":85230,"edition_id":1,"section_id":85230,"structure_id":12760,"section_number":"54.1-2963.1","catch_line":"Disclosure of medical treatment options","history":"2004, c. 675.","full_text":"Any physician shall have the authority to disclose fully all medical treatment options to patients whether or not such treatment options are (i) experimental or covered services, (ii) services that the health insurer will not authorize, or (iii) the costs of the treatment will be borne by the health insurer or the patient to facilitate an informed decision by the patient, if the physician determines that such an option is in the best interest of the patient. Any physician who discloses information concerning other medical treatment options to a person with whom he has established a physician-patient relationship shall not be liable to any health insurer, in an action instituted solely on behalf of the health insurer, for any civil damages resulting from the disclosure of such information. This section shall not affect any cause of action a patient may have against a physician.\n\t\tFor the purposes of this section, “medical treatment options” means any alternative or experimental therapeutic, psychiatric, medical treatment or procedure, health care service, drug, or remedy.","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":305437,"text":"Any physician shall have the authority to disclose fully all medical treatment options to patients whether or not such treatment options are (i) experimental or covered services, (ii) services that the health insurer will not authorize, or (iii) the costs of the treatment will be borne by the health insurer or the patient to facilitate an informed decision by the patient, if the physician determines that such an option is in the best interest of the patient. Any physician who discloses information concerning other medical treatment options to a person with whom he has established a physician-patient relationship shall not be liable to any health insurer, in an action instituted solely on behalf of the health insurer, for any civil damages resulting from the disclosure of such information. This section shall not affect any cause of action a patient may have against a physician.\n\t\tFor the purposes of this section, “medical treatment options” means any alternative or experimental therapeutic, psychiatric, medical treatment or procedure, health care service, drug, or remedy.","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1}},"ancestry":[{"id":12760,"edition_id":1,"name":"General Standards of Practice","identifier":"6","label":"article","depth":4,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12759,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:43:51","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:43:51","permalink":{"id":242459,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12760,"identifier":"6","token":"54.1\/III\/29\/6","url":"\/54.1\/III\/29\/6\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":12759,"edition_id":1,"name":"Medicine and Other Healing Arts","identifier":"29","label":"chapter","depth":3,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12758,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:43:51","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:43:51","permalink":{"id":241933,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12759,"identifier":"29","token":"54.1\/III\/29","url":"\/54.1\/III\/29\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":12758,"edition_id":1,"name":"Professions and Occupations Regulated by Boards Within the Department of Health Professions","identifier":"III","label":"subtitle","depth":2,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12754,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:43:51","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:43:51","permalink":{"id":241105,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12758,"identifier":"III","token":"54.1\/III","url":"\/54.1\/III\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":12754,"edition_id":1,"name":"Professions and Occupations","identifier":"54.1","label":"title","depth":1,"order_by":1,"parent_id":null,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:43:51","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:43:51","permalink":{"id":239313,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12754,"identifier":"54.1","token":"54.1","url":"\/54.1\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}}],"structure_contents":[{"id":57243,"structure_id":12760,"section_number":"54.1-2962","catch_line":"Division of fees among physicians prohibited","url":"\/54.1-2962\/","token":"54.1\/III\/29\/6\/54.1-2962","metadata":false},{"id":61370,"structure_id":12760,"section_number":"54.1-2962.01","catch_line":"Anatomic pathology services; fees","url":"\/54.1-2962.01\/","token":"54.1\/III\/29\/6\/54.1-2962.01","metadata":false},{"id":69059,"structure_id":12760,"section_number":"54.1-2962.1","catch_line":"Solicitation or receipt of remuneration in exchange for referral prohibited","url":"\/54.1-2962.1\/","token":"54.1\/III\/29\/6\/54.1-2962.1","metadata":false},{"id":61450,"structure_id":12760,"section_number":"54.1-2962.2","catch_line":"Physician-patient relationship; effect of certain emergency department treatment","url":"\/54.1-2962.2\/","token":"54.1\/III\/29\/6\/54.1-2962.2","metadata":false},{"id":53953,"structure_id":12760,"section_number":"54.1-2963","catch_line":"Selling vitamins or food supplements in connection with a practice of the healing arts; chiropractor recommending vitamins, minerals, or food supplements","url":"\/54.1-2963\/","token":"54.1\/III\/29\/6\/54.1-2963","metadata":false},{"id":85230,"structure_id":12760,"section_number":"54.1-2963.1","catch_line":"Disclosure of medical treatment options","url":"\/54.1-2963.1\/","token":"54.1\/III\/29\/6\/54.1-2963.1","metadata":false},{"id":80734,"structure_id":12760,"section_number":"54.1-2963.2","catch_line":"Expired","url":"\/54.1-2963.2\/","token":"54.1\/III\/29\/6\/54.1-2963.2","metadata":false},{"id":74620,"structure_id":12760,"section_number":"54.1-2964","catch_line":"Disclosure of interest in referral facilities and clinical laboratories","url":"\/54.1-2964\/","token":"54.1\/III\/29\/6\/54.1-2964","metadata":false},{"id":58159,"structure_id":12760,"section_number":"54.1-2965","catch_line":"Repealed","url":"\/54.1-2965\/","token":"54.1\/III\/29\/6\/54.1-2965","metadata":false},{"id":65325,"structure_id":12760,"section_number":"54.1-2966","catch_line":"Physicians reporting disabilities to aircraft pilots licensing authorities exempt from liability; testifying in certain proceedings","url":"\/54.1-2966\/","token":"54.1\/III\/29\/6\/54.1-2966","metadata":false},{"id":82938,"structure_id":12760,"section_number":"54.1-2966.1","catch_line":"Repealed","url":"\/54.1-2966.1\/","token":"54.1\/III\/29\/6\/54.1-2966.1","metadata":false},{"id":68976,"structure_id":12760,"section_number":"54.1-2967","catch_line":"Physicians and others rendering medical aid to report certain wounds","url":"\/54.1-2967\/","token":"54.1\/III\/29\/6\/54.1-2967","metadata":false},{"id":72506,"structure_id":12760,"section_number":"54.1-2968","catch_line":"Information about certain individuals with disabilities","url":"\/54.1-2968\/","token":"54.1\/III\/29\/6\/54.1-2968","metadata":false},{"id":54830,"structure_id":12760,"section_number":"54.1-2969","catch_line":"Authority to consent to surgical and medical treatment of certain minors","url":"\/54.1-2969\/","token":"54.1\/III\/29\/6\/54.1-2969","metadata":false},{"id":83134,"structure_id":12760,"section_number":"54.1-2970","catch_line":"Medical treatment for certain persons incapable of giving informed consent","url":"\/54.1-2970\/","token":"54.1\/III\/29\/6\/54.1-2970","metadata":false},{"id":76802,"structure_id":12760,"section_number":"54.1-2970.1","catch_line":"Individual incapable of making informed decision; 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chiropractor recommending vitamins, minerals, or food supplements","url":"\/54.1-2963\/","token":"54.1\/III\/29\/6\/54.1-2963","metadata":false},"next_section":{"id":80734,"structure_id":12760,"section_number":"54.1-2963.2","catch_line":"Expired","url":"\/54.1-2963.2\/","token":"54.1\/III\/29\/6\/54.1-2963.2","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/54.1-2963.1\/","history_text":"

This law was first created in 2004. The record of its establishment is cataloged in chapter 675<\/a> of that year\u2019s edition of \u201cActs of Assembly,\u201d the annual state publication listing all changes made to the Code of Virginia in that year.<\/p>","references":false,"refers_to":false,"permalink":{"id":242481,"object_type":"law","relational_id":85230,"identifier":"54.1-2963.1","token":"54.1\/III\/29\/6\/54.1-2963.1","url":"\/54.1-2963.1\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/54.1-2963.1\/","token":"54.1\/III\/29\/6\/54.1-2963.1","dublin_core":{"Title":"Disclosure of medical treatment options","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 54.1-2963.1","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

Any physician shall have the authority to disclose fully all medical treatment options<\/span> to patients whether or not such treatment options are (i) experimental or covered services, (ii) services that the health insurer will not authorize, or (iii) the costs of the treatment will be borne by the health insurer or the patient to facilitate an informed decision by the patient, if the physician determines that such an option is in the best interest of the patient. Any physician who discloses information concerning other medical treatment options<\/span> to a person with whom he has established a physician-patient relationship shall not be liable to any health insurer, in an action instituted solely on behalf of the health insurer, for any civil damages<\/span> resulting from the disclosure of such information. This section shall not affect any cause of action<\/span> a patient may have against a physician.\n\t\tFor the purposes of this section, “medical treatment options<\/span>” means any alternative or experimental therapeutic, psychiatric, medical treatment or procedure, health care service, drug, or remedy.<\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nDISCLOSURE OF MEDICAL TREATMENT OPTIONS (\u00a7 54.1-2963.1)\n\nAny physician shall have the authority to disclose fully all medical treatment\noptions to patients whether or not such treatment options are (i) experimental\nor covered services, (ii) services that the health insurer will not authorize,\nor (iii) the costs of the treatment will be borne by the health insurer or the\npatient to facilitate an informed decision by the patient, if the physician\ndetermines that such an option is in the best interest of the patient. Any\nphysician who discloses information concerning other medical treatment options\nto a person with whom he has established a physician-patient relationship shall\nnot be liable to any health insurer, in an action instituted solely on behalf of\nthe health insurer, for any civil damages resulting from the disclosure of such\ninformation. This section shall not affect any cause of action a patient may\nhave against a physician.\n\t\tFor the purposes of this section, “medical treatment options”\nmeans any alternative or experimental therapeutic, psychiatric, medical\ntreatment or procedure, health care service, drug, or remedy.\n\nHISTORY: 2004, c. 675.","edition":{"id":1,"name":"2025","slug":"2025","date_created":"2026-06-21 22:39:22","date_modified":"2026-06-21 22:39:22","current":1,"order_by":1,"last_import":null}}