How To File a Civil Rights Complaint

How to File a Complaint

If you feel a health care provider, or state or local government agency, has discriminated against you (or someone else) based on race, national origin, disability, or age, you may file a civil rights complaint. OCR can investigate disability-based discrimination complaints against programs operated by HHS. Under certain statutes and regulations, OCR also has limited authority to investigate complaints of discrimination based on sex and religion.


· Health Care Providers – Examples are hospitals, health clinics, nursing homes, treatment centers, physicians or programs that receive HHS Federal financial assistance.

· State or Local Government Agencies – Agencies that are responsible for administering health care, providing income assistance, adoption and foster care placement, and social services or human services.
For more information about the Civil Rights Laws and Regulations we enforce, please review our Understanding Civil Rights section or look at our Frequently Asked Question (FAQs).


COMPLAINT REQUIREMENTS - Your complaint must:
1. Be filed in writing, either on paper or electronically, by mail, fax, or e-mail;


2. Name the healthcare or social service provider involved, and describe the acts or omissions, you believed violated the civil rights laws or regulations; and


3. 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."
ANYONE CAN FILE! - Anyone can file written complaints with OCR. We recommend that you use the Civil Rights Discrimination Complaint Form Package. You can also request a copy of this form from an OCR regional office. If you need help filing a complaint or have a question about the complaint or consent forms, please email OCR at OCRMail@hhs.gov.



THE CIVIL RIGHTS NONDISCRIMINATION LAWS AND REGULATIONS PROHIBIT RETALIATION - 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.
HOW TO SUBMIT YOUR COMPLAINT TO OCR - To submit a complaint to OCR, please use one of the following methods.


If you mail or fax the complaint, be sure to send it to the appropriate OCR regional office based on where the alleged violation took place. OCR has ten regional offices, and each regional office covers specific states. Send your complaint to the attention of the OCR Regional Manager. You do not need to sign the complaint and consent forms when you submit them by email because submission by email represents your signature.