50-5-105. Discrimination prohibited. - Montana Statutes

     50-5-105. Discrimination prohibited. (1) All phases of the operation of a health care facility must be without discrimination against anyone on the basis of race, creed, religion, color, national origin, sex, age, marital status, physical or mental disability, or political ideas.
     (2) (a) A health care facility may not refuse to admit a person to the facility solely because the person has an HIV-related condition.
     (b) For the purposes of this subsection (2), the following definitions apply:
     (i) "HIV" means the human immunodeficiency virus identified as the causative agent of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) and includes all HIV and HIV-related viruses that damage the cellular branch of the human immune or neurological system and leave the infected person immunodeficient or neurologically impaired.
     (ii) "HIV-related condition" means any medical condition resulting from an HIV infection, including but not limited to seropositivity for HIV.
     (3) A person who operates a facility may not discriminate among the patients of licensed physicians. The free and confidential professional relationship between a licensed physician and patient must continue and remain unaffected.
     (4) Except for a hospital that employs its medical staff, a hospital considering an application for staff membership or granting privileges within the scope of the applicant's license may not deny the application or privileges because the applicant is licensed under Title 37, chapter 6.

     History: En. Sec. 175, Ch. 197, L. 1967; amd. Sec. 107, Ch. 349, L. 1974; R.C.M. 1947, 69-5217(1); amd. Sec. 4, Ch. 347, L. 1979; amd. Sec. 1, Ch. 152, L. 1989; amd. Sec. 1, Ch. 309, L. 1989; amd. Sec. 47, Ch. 472, L. 1997; amd. Sec. 31, Ch. 224, L. 2003; amd. Sec. 2, Ch. 351, L. 2007.