Disability, aging, and patient advocacy groups are calling for the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to issue further guidance to ensure that plans to ration scarce health care resources during the COVID-19 pandemic comply with federal nondiscrimination laws. As you know from our previous alert, the HHS Office of Civil Rights (OCR) released a bulletin (PDF) late last month to ensure that during this emergency, covered entities follow civil rights laws. However, additional guidance is still needed.
Too many existing plans by hospitals and states discriminate based on disability and age, devaluing the lives of people with disabilities, patients with pre-existing conditions, and older adults.
This letter is led by the American Association of People with Disabilities, the Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law, the Center for Public Representation, the Disability Rights Education and Defense fund and the Partnership for Improved Patient Care. Read the letter (Word).
How to Sign on
If you would like to join this letter and call for additional guidance to prevent discrimination and save lives, please complete the sign on form. The deadline for signature is Wednesday, April 15, at 5:00 p.m. Eastern. This letter is open to national, state, and local groups.
If this form is inaccessible to you, please email Gabe at [email protected] with the following information, and he will sign you on:
- Your name (first and last)
- Your organization’s name exactly as you’d like it to appear on the letter
- Whether you represent a state, local, or national organization
- In which state your organization is located (if a state or local organization)
- Your email address
