Hospital tells lesbian couple they need medical power of attorney

When they apparently don't:

At Spring Valley Hospital, in Las Vegas, Nevada, a lesbian couple - Brittney Leon and Terri-Ann Simonelli - was told at admissions that even though they had a legal domestic partnership, they would need a medical power of attorney for one gay partner to make decisions in the event of a crisis.

Brittney Leon was checking into the hospital for complications related to her pregnancy. During the admittance, the admissions officer informed the couple that the hospital policy required gay couples to have a medical power of attorney. Even though the couple offered to go home and get their certificate designating them as legal domestic partners, the admissions officer said that it wouldn't matter - the policy was the policy.

In Nevada, the domestic partnership law passed in 2009 provides all the rights of married couples.

I've asked the Obama administration for clarification as to how, and whether, the President's executive order applies in these situations. Stay tuned.