The Patient Self-Determination Act of 1990 provides that each individual has a right under state law to

• A. make decisions concerning hospital budgets
• B. take decisions about community health policy
• C. make decisions concerning another's medical care
• D. designate hospital accreditation status

Answer: (C)

The key idea here is patient autonomy in medical decision-making under the Patient Self-Determination Act. The act ensures that individuals have the right, recognized by state law, to control decisions about their own medical treatment. This includes choosing to accept or refuse recommended care and, when appropriate, creating advance directives that express their preferences for future care. The federal requirement that facilities inform patients about these rights reinforces the citizen’s authority to determine what happens to their own body and treatment. The other options point to budgets, community health policy, or hospital accreditation—areas that involve governance and policy rather than a person’s own medical decisions—so they don’t reflect the patient’s right protected by this act. When a patient lacks decision-making capacity, state law may designate a surrogate, but the core concept remains the patient’s right to decide about their own medical care.