MedStar Health, Inc. Excludes Support Persons, ADA, Maryland 2023

MedStar Health, Inc. Excludes Support Persons, ADA, Maryland 2023

Baltimore, Maryland – A complaint and proposed consent decree have been filed in U.S. District Court in Maryland to resolve allegations that MedStar Health, Inc., a healthcare provider in Maryland and the Washington, D.C., region, violated the Americans with Disabilities Act by denying people with disabilities equal access to medical care by excluding their necessary support persons.

Under the proposed consent decree, which the Court must approve, MedStar Health has agreed to pay a total of $440,000 to compensate eligible affected individuals. MedStar Health will also revise its policies to ensure ADA compliance, train its workforce on the new policies, and report to the government on any future exclusion of support persons, as defined in the Decree.

The lawsuit and proposed consent decree was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron and Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division.

“Patients are entitled to equal access to healthcare.” said U.S. Attorney Erek L. Barron. “We appreciate MedStar Health’s cooperation in this investigation and are pleased that MedStar Health has agreed to take comprehensive steps to ensure that patients with disabilities have the same opportunities to obtain medical care and services.”

“For some people with disabilities, having a support person accompany them is critical to ensure they have the same access to health care as everyone else. This is a key promise of the ADA,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke. “When health care providers do not appropriately account for the needs of people with disabilities, they may provide unequal care in violation of the ADA. The government is committed to combatting such discrimination.”

Defendant: MedStar Health, Inc.

Criminal Charges: Violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act

City and State: Baltimore, Maryland

Exact Date: Not specified

Sentence or Outcome: MedStar Health has agreed to pay a total of $440,000 and revise its policies to ensure ADA compliance

Dollar Amounts: $440,000

Defendant Name, Crime, State Year: MedStar Health, Inc., ADA Violation, Maryland 2023

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/pr/maryland-us-attorneys-office-and-justice-departments-civil-rights-division-secure-440000