MA H2362

Health care providers must offer a trained chaperone to be physically present during all genital and rectal examinations regardless of gender, and breast examinations for patients who identify as female

Patients have the right to accept or decline chaperone presence, and providers must ensure a chaperone is available before any covered examination can be performed

Chaperones must be licensed by the Board of Registration in Medicine and cannot be a friend or relative of either the patient or the examining provider

Presence or absence of a chaperone must be documented in the patient's chart, and if a patient declines, the provider may either defer the exam or proceed with documented consent

Exceptions apply during medical emergencies where failure to examine would cause significant imminent harm, or when a chaperone is already present in the normal course of the examination