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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>85230</law_id><section_number>54.1-2963.1</section_number><catch_line>Disclosure of medical treatment options</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2025/" slug="2025" current="TRUE" last_updated="">2025</edition><structure><unit label="title" level="1" order_by="1" identifier="54.1">Professions and Occupations</unit><unit label="subtitle" level="2" order_by="1" identifier="III">Professions and Occupations Regulated by Boards Within the Department of Health Professions</unit><unit label="chapter" level="3" order_by="1" identifier="29">Medicine and Other Healing Arts</unit><unit label="article" level="4" order_by="1" identifier="6">General Standards of Practice</unit></structure><text>
						<section><p>Any physician shall have the authority to disclose fully all <span class="dictionary">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 <span class="dictionary">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 <span class="dictionary">damages</span> resulting from the disclosure of such information. This section shall not affect any <span class="dictionary">cause of action</span> a patient may have against a physician.
		For the purposes of this section, &#x201C;<span class="dictionary">medical treatment options</span>&#x201D; means any alternative or experimental therapeutic, psychiatric, medical treatment or procedure, health care service, drug, or remedy.</p></section></text><history>2004, c. 675.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
