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Patient Non-Discrimination

Recitals

Whereas, Matthew 25 AIDS Services, Inc. is a recipient of Federal funding, therefore Matthew 25 complies with applicable federal, state, and local regulations as it applies to non-discrimination. Matthew 25 will not exclude or deny benefits and/or services on the basis of race, color, national origin, disability, age, creed, religion, ethnicity, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, source of payment (including Medicare, Medicaid, etc.) or inability to pay. Whereas, Matthew 25 provides services and free aids to patients with disabilities to communicate effectively participate in eligible services and medical care such as qualified sign language interpreters, information provided in other languages, interpreter services, etc. Whereas, Matthew 25 is dedicated to providing services to patients and welcoming visitors in a manner that respects, protects, and promotes patient rights.

Scope

  • Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964
  • The Age Discrimination Act of 1975
  • Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973
  • Regulations of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services pursuant to the three
  • Statutes at Title 45 Code of Federal Regulations Parts 80, 84, and 91 (and state laws or corporate policies)
  • Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act
  • 42 U.S.C. 18116

Policy

I. Matthew 25 workforce will treat all patients and visitors receiving services from or participating in programs provided by Matthew 25 with equality in a welcoming manner that is free from discrimination based on age, race, color, creed, ethnicity, religion, national origin, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability, veteran or military status, or any other basis prohibited by federal, state, or local law.

II. Matthew 25 workforce will inform patients of the availability of and make reasonable accommodations for patients consistent with federal and state requirements. For example, language interpretation services will be made available for non-English speaking patients and sign language interpretation will be made available for hearing impaired patients.

III. Matthew 25 workforce are prohibited from retaliating against any person who opposes, complains about, or reports discrimination or other proceeding under federal, state, or local anti-discrimination law.

IV. Any person who believes that they, or another person, has been subjected to discrimination which is not permitted by this Policy, may file a complaint using Matthew 25’s complaint and grievance procedure found in the Matthew 25 patient handbook. The handbook can be found on the “Clinical Services” page of the Matthew 25 website or a hard copy can be requested at any Matthew 25 site location.

Procedure

I. Matthew 25’s Chief Clinical Officer and/or Compliance Officer is responsible for coordinating compliance with this policy, including giving notice to and training to all Matthew 25 personnel on this policy.

II. Matthew 25 personnel will determine eligibility for and provide services, aid, and other benefits to all patients in a similar manner, without subjecting any individual to separate or different treatment on the basis of age, race, color, creed, ethnicity, religion, national origin, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability, veteran or military status, or any other basis prohibited by federal, state, or local law.

III. Matthew 25 personnel will provide notices to patients regarding this Non- discrimination policy and Matthew 25’s commitment to providing access to and the provision of services in a welcoming, nondiscriminatory manner.

IV. Matthew 25’s applicable personnel will participate in training on the provision of language assistance services with Individuals with limited English proficiency (LEP), and effective communication and reasonable modifications/accommodations for people with disabilities.

V. Matthew 25 will ensure to provide free aids and services to people with disabilities to communicate effectively with Matthew 25, such as:

  • Qualified Sign Language Interpreter.
  • Written information in other formats (large print, audio, other formats).
  • Qualified interpreters for individuals whose primary language is not English.
  • Information written in other languages.

VI. Matthew 25 patients will be notified of their patient rights at the first intake visit by the Matthew 25 intake nurse via the Patient Handbook.

VII. Any Matthew 25 personnel receiving a patient or visitor discrimination complaint will advise the complaining individual that they may report the problem to the Matthew 25 website Contact Us section or speak to the site director, Chief Clinical Officer, Human Resources, or other member of leadership team and file a complaint without fear of retaliation.

VIII. If a complaint cannot be resolved to the patient’s satisfaction within 7 days of reporting by Matthew 25 personnel, patients will be instructed to file a formal patient grievance on the grievance section of the Matthew 25 website or can request a Patient Grievance form at any Matthew 25 site location.