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Section 1553 of the Affordable Care Act

OCR investigates complaints of discrimination based on Section 1553 of the Affordable Care Act, which prohibits discrimination against individuals or institutional health care entities that do not provide assisted suicide services.

Section 1553 of the Affordable Care Act states that the Federal Government, and any state or local government or health care provider that receives federal financial assistance under this Act (or an amendment made by this Act) or any health plan created under this Act (or an amendment made by this Act), may not discriminate against an individual or institutional health care entity because the entity does not provide any health care item or service that causes, or assists in causing, the death of any individual, such as by assisted suicide, euthanasia, or mercy killing.

Health care entities include:

  • Individual physician and other health care professionals
  • Hospitals
  • Provider-sponsored organizations
  • Health maintenance organizations
  • Health insurance plans
  • Any other kind of health care facility, organization, or plan

How to File a Complaint Under Section 1553:  Prohibition Against Discrimination for Refusal to Provide Assisted Suicide Services

If you wish to file a complaint under Section 1553, because you have suffered discrimination on the basis of your refusal to provide health care items or services for the purpose of causing, or assisting in causing, the death of an individual, such as by assisted suicide, euthanasia or mercy killing, you may file a complaint with OCR.  See our How to File a Complaint page.

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Content created by Office for Civil Rights (OCR)
Content last reviewed on November 27, 2015