Washington ? President Barack Obama late Thursday ordered most hospitals across the country to grant the same visitation rights to gay and lesbian partners that they do to married heterosexual couples.

In a memo to his Health and Human Services agency, Obama ordered the secretary to ensure that all hospitals getting Medicare and Medicaid money honor all patients’ advance directives, including those designating who gets family visitation privileges.

The order also requires that documents granting power of attorney and health care proxies be honored, regardless of sexual orientation. The language could apply to unmarried heterosexual couples, too.