Report Discrimination
Below is information for learning about and filing a complaint, which describes your or your institution's experience of discrimination in health care, with the Office of Civil Rights (OCR) within the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services (HHS).
Click here to report discrimination to the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services
How To File a Discrimination Complaint with the Office for Civil Rights
If you believe that you have been discriminated against because of your race, color, national origin, disability, age, sex or religion by a health care or human services provider (such as a hospital, nursing home, social service agency, etc.) or by a State or local government health or human services agency, you may file a complaint with the HHS (Health and Human Services) Office for Civil Rights (OCR). Complaints alleging discrimination based on disability by programs directly operated by HHS may also be filed with OCR. You may file a complaint for yourself or for someone else.
For more information about the Civil Rights Discrimination Laws and Regulations we enforce, please review our Civil Rights on the Basis of Race, Color, or National Origin, Civil Rights on the Basis of Disability, or Other Civil Rights sections on our web site, http://www.hhs.gov/ocr/. (Note: Although the list of discriminations on the HHS OCR web site does not include "conscience," this is the correct place to file your complaint.)
COMPLAINT REQUIREMENTS - Your complaint must:
- Be filed in writing, either on paper or electronically, by mail, fax, or email;
- Name the health care or social service provider involved and describe the acts or omissions believed to have violated the applicable civil rights nondiscrimination laws or regulations; and
- Be filed within 180 days of when you knew that the act or omission complained of occurred. OCR may extend the 180-day period if you can show "good cause."
THE CIVIL RIGHTS NONDISCRIMINATION LAWS AND REGULATIONS PROHIBIT - Under Civil Rights Laws an entity cannot retaliate against you for filing a complaint. You should notify OCR immediately in the event of any retaliatory action.
PROBLEMS? Send an email to OCRComplaint@hhs.gov.
Note: If for some reason HHS does not respond in a timely fashion to your complaint, please notify us via email at contact@Freedom2Care.org.
Click here to have your case reviewed by attorneys with expertise in conscience rights. Attorneys with the Center for Law and Religious Freedom, a pro bono legal advocacy program of the Christian Legal Society, will review your case and contact you if legal action may be appropriate.
