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U.S. Department of Health and Human Services • Office for Civil Rights  

HOW TO FILE A DISCRIMINATION COMPLAINT WITH
THE OFFICE FOR CIVIL RIGHTS


The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office for Civil Rights (OCR) enforces certain Federal civil rights laws that protect the rights of all persons in the United States to receive health and human services without discrimination based on race, color, national origin, disability, age, and in some cases, sex and religion.

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 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.

Complaints to the Office for Civil Rights should be filed in writing, either on paper or electronically. You can use OCR's Discrimination Complaint Form which can be found on our web site or at an OCR Regional office. If you do not use OCR's form, your complaint should include the following information:

  1. Your name, address and telephone number.
  2. If you are filing a complaint for someone else, include that person's name, address and telephone number.
  3. The name and address of the organization or person you believe discriminated against you.
  4. How, why and when you believe you (or the person on whose behalf you are filing the complaint) were discriminated against.
  5. Any other information that would help OCR understand your complaint.

You must file your complaint within 180 days of the date when the discrimination happened. OCR may extend the 180-day period if you can show "good cause."

You can file your complaint by email at OCRcomplaint@hhs.gov, or you can mail or fax your complaint to the OCR Regional Office that is responsible for the state in which you allege the discrimination took place. To find out where to file your complaint, use the OCR Regions list at the end of this Fact Sheet or you can look at the regional office map to help you determine where to send your complaint.

MORE INFORMATION ABOUT HOW TO GET A COPY OF OCR'S DISCRIMINATION COMPLAINT FORM

Option 1: Open and print out the Discrimination Complaint Form in PDF format (you will need Adobe Reader software) and fill it out. Return the completed complaint to the appropriate OCR Regional Office by mail or fax.

Option 2: Download the Discrimination Complaint Form in Microsoft Word format to your own computer, fill out and save the form using Microsoft Word. Use the Tab and Shift/Tab on your keyboard to move from field to field in the form. Then, you can either: (a) print the completed form and mail or fax it to the appropriate OCR Regional Office; or (b) email the form to OCR at OCRComplaint@hhs.gov.

If you have any questions, or need help to file your complaint, call OCR (toll-free) at 1-800-368-1019 (voice) or 1-800-537-7697 (TDD). You may also send an email to OCRMail@hhs.gov.

Website: http://www.hhs.gov/ocr

OCR Regional Addresses
Region I - CT, ME, MA, NH, RI, VT
Office for Civil Rights
U.S. Department of Health & Human Services
JFK Federal Building - Room 1875
Boston, MA 02203
(617) 565-1340; (617) 565-1343 (TDD)
(617) 565-3809 FAX
Region VI - AR, LA, NM, OK, TX
Office for Civil Rights
U.S. Department of Health & Human Services
1301 Young Street - Suite 1169
Dallas, TX 75202
(214) 767-4056; (214) 767-8940 (TDD)
(214) 767-0432 FAX
Region II - NJ, NY, PR, VI
Office for Civil Rights
U.S. Department of Health & Human Services
26 Federal Plaza - Suite 3313
New York, NY 10278
(212) 264-3313; (212) 264-2355 (TDD)
(212) 264-3039 FAX
Region VII - IA, KS, MO, NE
Office for Civil Rights
U.S. Department of Health & Human Services
601 East 12th Street - Room 248
Kansas City, MO 64106
(816) 426-7278; (816) 426-7065 (TDD)
(816) 426-3686 FAX
Region III - DE, DC, MD, PA, VA, WV
Office for Civil Rights
U.S. Department of Health & Human Services
150 S. Independence Mall West - Suite 372
Philadelphia, PA 19106-3499
(215) 861-4441; (215) 861-4440 (TDD)
(215) 861-4431 FAX
Region VIII - CO, MT, ND, SD, UT, WY
Office for Civil Rights
U.S. Department of Health & Human Services
1961 Stout Street - Room 1426
Denver, CO 80294
(303) 844-2024; (303) 844-3439 (TDD)
(303) 844-2025 FAX
Region IV - AL, FL, GA, KY, MS, NC, SC, TN
Office for Civil Rights
U.S. Department of Health & Human Services
61 Forsyth Street, SW. - Suite 3B70
Atlanta, GA 30323
(404) 562-7886; (404) 331-2867 (TDD)
(404) 562-7881 FAX
Region IX - AZ, CA, HI, NV, AS, GU, The U.S. Affiliated Pacific Island Jurisdictions
Office for Civil Rights
U.S. Department of Health & Human Services
90 7th Street, Suite 4-100
San Francisco, CA 94103
(415) 437-8310; (415) 437-8311 (TDD)
(415) 437-8329 FAX
Region V - IL, IN, MI, MN, OH, WI
Office for Civil Rights
U.S. Department of Health & Human Services
233 N. Michigan Ave. - Suite 240
Chicago, IL 60601
(312) 886-2359; (312) 353-5693 (TDD)
(312) 886-1807 FAX
Region X - AK, ID, OR, WA
Office for Civil Rights
U.S. Department of Health & Human Services
2201 Sixth Avenue - Mail Stop RX-11
Seattle, WA 98121
(206) 615-2290; (206) 615-2296 (TDD)
(206) 615-2297 FAX