Cedar Rapids same-sex couple applauds Obama decision

When Paulette Montague recently had eye surgery, she said she felt nervous about the procedure and also worried whether her wife, Cate Sheller, would be able to be there.

“Another layer on top of the usual anxiety and fear,” Montague said.

Mercy Medical Center erased all of their concerns.

“Every step of the way, I was reassured,” Montague said.

But, until now, the couple worried whether they would get treated the same way if something ever happened while they were out of the state.

“Depending on the local policies, there may or may not be any recognition that we could be together. There may or may not be any recognition that we could make a decision for each other,” Sheller said.

However, that concern will ease considerably after a new policy crafted by the Obama administration is put into effect.

On Thursday, President Barack Obama instructed his Health and Human Services secretary to draft rules requiring hospitals that receive U.S. funds for elderly or needy patients to clarify patients' rights. That means hospitals that accept Medicare and Medicaid patients - which include most of the nation's facilities - may not deny visitation and consultation privileges on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or disability.

Since same-sex marriage is legal in Iowa, the order won't have much of an effect here. But, it will provide relief for couples who leave Iowa's borders.

The President's order brought smiles to Montague and Sheller's faces.

“My first response was, ‘Way to go, Obama,'” Montague said, “Every little step we take, we're moving toward liberation and freedom.”

Both Montague and Sheller said they're proud of the progress they've seen for gay rights recently and look forward to seeing even more in the future.

The new rules will also make it easier for close friends or companions to visit widows or widowers in the hospital.

The overall purpose is to make people in the hospital more comfortable during their time of need.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.

By Mark Geary, KCRG-TV