MA S1491

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

Patients have the right to accept or decline the chaperone, 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

The presence or absence of a chaperone must be documented in the patient's medical chart for all breast, genital, and rectal examinations

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