In order for a facility to participate as a provider of services in the Medicare Part A program, it must meet certain requirements. One such requirement is to ensure that qualified persons are not denied benefits or services based on race, color, national origin, disability, or age. In accordance with the Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA) and civil rights regulations, it is the responsibility of the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) to conduct a review of such a facility to determine its compliance with the requirements:

• Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (race, color, or national origin),
• Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (disability), and
• the Age Discrimination Act of 1975.

Copies of the Department's regulations implementing these statutes can be found at our website. Fact sheets summarizing the regulations can also be found at our website. These regulations describe your responsibilities as an applicant for or a recipient of U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) funds to ensure that no discrimination occurs on the basis of race, color, national origin, disability, or age under the funded program.

In order for OCR to determine compliance with these regulations, we ask the facility to respond to an information request. To assist the facility to respond to our Information Request, we have included technical assistance materials which we believe will be helpful.

In determining the facility's compliance with the civil rights authorities cited above, OCR will evaluate the materials provided in response to the information request. That information will allow OCR to examine compliance in the areas of:

• nondiscrimination policies and the manner of their dissemination;
• communication with persons who have a sensory or speech impairment;
• communication with persons who have limited English proficiency;
• provision of required notices and manner of providing notice;
• provision of auxiliary aids to persons with sensory, manual or speech impairments;
• grievance procedures for disability discrimination allegations;
• Section 504 coordination;
• Section 504 self-evaluation; and,
• restrictions based on age.

Based on your response to the information request, OCR staff will determine the need for additional information which may be obtained through a written request, telephone contact, or site review.

After you have been contacted by your State agency, HCFA, or OCR, please return your response to their request for additional information within 25 days from the date of the request to the Office servicing your State or Territory

This web resource is offered to assist an applicant in completing the Information Request. However, if you have any questions or need materials in alternate format (large print, braille, audio, etc.), please contact our office.

An agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to, a collection of information unless it displays a current valid OMB control number.

     

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Date revised: October 30, 2003