                                 CODE OF VIRGINIA

DISCLOSURE OF MEDICAL TREATMENT OPTIONS (§ 54.1-2963.1)

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.
		For the purposes of this section, &#8220;medical treatment options&#8221;
means any alternative or experimental therapeutic, psychiatric, medical
treatment or procedure, health care service, drug, or remedy.

HISTORY: 2004, c. 675.