In Your Golden Years complies with applicable Federal civil rights laws including Section 1557 of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and does not exclude people discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, disability, and/or sexual identity/orientation.
Protections against Sex Discrimination
• Individuals cannot be denied health care or health coverage based on their sex.
• Women must be treated equally with men in the health care they receive and the insurance they obtain.
• Sex-specific health programs or activities are permissible only if the entity can demonstrate an exceedingly persuasive justification. For example, that the sex-specific health program or activity is substantially related to the achievement of an important health-related or scientific objective.
Protections for Individuals with Limited English Proficiency
In Your Golden Years will take reasonable steps to provide meaningful access to each individual with limited English proficiency who is eligible to be served or likely to be encountered within the entities’ health programs and activities.
• An individual with limited English proficiency is a person whose primary language for communication is not English and who has a limited ability to read, write, speak, or understand English.
• Reasonable steps may include the provision of language assistance services, such as oral language assistance or written translation.
Protections for Individuals with Disabilities
• Consistent with existing requirements, Section 1557 requires In Your Golden Years take appropriate steps to ensure that communications with individuals with disabilities are as effective as communication with others. Section 1557 also requires In Your Golden Years to provide appropriate auxiliary aids and services, such as alternative formats and sign language interpreters, where necessary for effective communication.
• In Your Golden Years must post a notice of individuals’ rights, providing information about communication assistance among other information.
• In Your Golden Years are required to make all programs and activities provided through electronic and information technology accessible to individuals with disabilities, unless doing so would impose undue financial or administrative burdens or would result in a fundamental alteration in the nature of the covered entity’s health program or activity.
• Section 1557 incorporates the 2010 Americans with Disabilities Act Standards for Accessible Design as the standards for physical accessibility of new construction or alteration of buildings and facilities. Almost all covered entities are already required to comply with these standards.
• In Your Golden Years cannot use marketing practices or benefits designs that discriminate on the basis of disability.
• In Your Golden Years must make reasonable changes to policies, practices and procedures where necessary to provide equal access for individuals with disabilities unless the covered entity can demonstrate that making the changes would fundamentally alter the nature of the health program or activity.
If you believe In Your Golden Years has failed to provide these services or discriminated in another way on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, or sex, you can file a grievance with Patient Relations, 989.
