BALTIMORE, MD—The Johns Hopkins Health System has agreed to pay $150,000 to settle a federal lawsuit accusing it of discriminating against people with disabilities by denying them equal access to medical care.

The lawsuit alleges that Johns Hopkins violated the Americans with Disabilities Act by failing to allow patients with disabilities to be accompanied by a support person, such as a family member or aide, during medical care visits.

The policy change affects people with dementia, intellectual disabilities, autism spectrum disorder and other conditions who may need the assistance of another person to communicate and understand what is happening during medical instructions.

“Patients with disabilities may need the assistance of a support person, like a family member or aide, to have equal access to health care, especially during emergencies,” said Kristen Clarke, assistant attorney general of civil rights at the U.S. Justice Department. “Policies and training go hand in hand when it comes to ensuring that health care providers and their employees are protecting patient rights and not excluding support persons improperly.”

Under the proposed consent decree, which the court must approve, Johns Hopkins has agreed to pay $150,000 to compensate multiple affected individuals. The health system has also agreed to update its policies to ensure it complies with the law and to train its employees on federal laws regarding patients with disabilities.

“Patients with disabilities deserve equal access to healthcare,” said U.S. Attorney Erek Barron for the District of Maryland. “Appropriate medical care often requires them to be accompanied by essential support persons. Johns Hopkins’ recommitment to meeting the needs of its patients with disabilities and ensuring that they are treated with dignity and respect is a welcome outcome of this agreement.”

The claims resolved by this Consent Decree are allegations and not an admission of liability by Johns Hopkins.

This article was written with the assistance of AI and reviewed by a human editor.

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