Can a doctor or hospital refuse to treat you because of your race or religion?

No — federal law prohibits nearly every doctor, hospital, and health clinic in the United States from refusing treatment on the basis of race, color, national origin, or religion. If you are turned away or receive substandard care for any of these reasons, you have the right to file a federal civil rights complaint.

This protection comes from two overlapping federal laws: Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Together they cover the vast majority of health care encounters in the U.S.

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Federal laws that protect you

Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964

Title VI prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, or national origin in any program or activity that receives federal financial assistance (42 USC § 2000d). In health care, this means any hospital, clinic, nursing home, or health program that accepts Medicare, Medicaid, or other federal funding cannot:

• Refuse to treat you because of your race or ethnicity
• Provide you with a lower standard of care compared to other patients
• Segregate patients by race
• Deny you services or benefits that others receive

Because nearly all U.S. hospitals and a large majority of physician practices participate in Medicare or Medicaid, Title VI applies to most health care settings in the country.

Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act

Section 1557 builds on Title VI and extends nondiscrimination protections to additional grounds. It makes it unlawful for any health program receiving federal financial assistance to discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex (including sexual orientation and gender identity), age, or disability (42 USC § 18116).

Section 1557 covers:

• Hospitals and health clinics
• Physician practices that accept Medicare or Medicaid
• Community health centers
• Nursing homes and rehabilitation facilities
• Health insurance issuers
• State Medicaid agencies
• The Health Insurance Marketplace

The HHS Office for Civil Rights (OCR) enforces Section 1557. In April 2024, OCR issued a final rule that strengthened these protections, including making clear that sex discrimination encompasses sexual orientation and gender identity, and that the use of AI or clinical algorithms that result in discriminatory treatment violates the law.

Religious discrimination in health care

While Title VI and Section 1557 do not explicitly list "religion" as a protected basis, religious discrimination in health care may be covered under other federal laws or state public accommodation laws. Additionally, discrimination against a patient based on religious affiliation often overlaps with national origin or race discrimination. Some states have their own laws that explicitly prohibit religious discrimination by health care providers.

The federal laws do include protections for religious freedom and conscience — a provider may decline to perform a specific procedure (such as abortion) if they have a sincerely held religious objection, and Section 1557's final rule includes an exemption process for covered entities that can demonstrate a conflict with federal religious freedom or conscience protections. This is a narrow exception: it allows a provider to opt out of a specific procedure, not to deny all care to a patient.

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What discrimination looks like in practice

Healthcare discrimination on the basis of race, color, or national origin can take many forms. The OCR investigates complaints involving:

• Denial of service: A hospital emergency room turns away a patient or refuses to admit them based on their race or ethnicity
• Different treatment: A doctor provides a less thorough examination, fewer pain management options, or a lower quality of care compared to patients of another background
• Segregation: A facility routes patients of a certain race to different areas or different appointment schedules
• Language barriers: A hospital fails to provide interpreter services or translated documents for a patient with limited English proficiency, despite federal requirements
• Discriminatory screening: A clinic applies stricter eligibility criteria or requires more documentation from patients of a particular background

Research has documented persistent disparities: Black and Hispanic patients receive less pain medication than white patients for the same conditions, and implicit bias in clinical decision-making has been shown to affect diagnosis and treatment recommendations across multiple medical specialties.

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What the law does NOT require

There are limits to these protections. A doctor or hospital can refuse to treat you for legitimate, nondiscriminatory reasons, such as:

• The provider does not offer the specific service you need
• The provider has a conflict of interest or lack of expertise
• The provider is at capacity and cannot accept new patients
• The patient's insurance is not accepted by the provider
• The patient refuses to follow medically necessary treatment plans

The key question in any discrimination claim is whether the reason given is a pretext — whether the real reason was your race, national origin, or another protected characteristic.

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How to file a complaint if you believe you were discriminated against

Step 1: Document what happened

Write down the date, time, location, and names of everyone involved. Note exactly what was said and done. Save any paperwork, appointment cards, bills, or discharge instructions. If possible, get witness contact information.

Step 2: File a complaint with the HHS Office for Civil Rights (OCR)

You have 180 days from the date of the incident to file a complaint. OCR may extend this deadline if you can show good cause.

File online: Use the OCR Complaint Portal at ocrportal.hhs.gov File by email: Send your complaint to OCRComplaint@hhs.gov File by mail:

Centralized Case Management Operations
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
200 Independence Avenue, S.W.
Room 509F HHH Bldg.
Washington, D.C. 20201

Your complaint must include:

• Your name and contact information
• The name and address of the provider or organization
• A description of what happened and why you believe it was discriminatory
• Your signature and the date

Language assistance services are available free of charge, and OCR services are accessible to persons with disabilities.

Step 3: Consider consulting a civil rights attorney

While filing an OCR complaint does not require a lawyer, a civil rights attorney can help you understand whether you also have a private right of action under Section 1557 or other laws, and can advise on potential damages.

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State law protections

Many states have their own laws prohibiting discrimination in health care, and some go further than federal law. For example:

• Some state public accommodation laws explicitly include "religion" as a protected category for health care providers
• State human rights commissions may offer an additional complaint process
• Some states have shorter or longer filing deadlines than the federal 180-day window

Check your state's civil rights agency for additional options.

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Summary

Yes, federal law prohibits doctors and hospitals from refusing to treat you based on your race, color, national origin, or religion. Title VI of the Civil Rights Act and Section 1557 of the ACA together provide broad protection in nearly every health care setting that receives federal funding — which is most of them.

If you believe you have been discriminated against, document everything and file a complaint with the HHS Office for Civil Rights within 180 days. You do not need a lawyer to file the complaint, though consulting with a civil rights attorney can help you understand all of your options.

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Document it before you forget

If this happened to you, the deadline clock is already running. IronRecord lets you document the incident now — timestamped, with evidence attached — and calculates your filing deadline automatically. Free to start, no lawyer required.

Start your free record at ironrecord.org/dashboard

When you're ready, you can share your full documented record with a civil-rights attorney in one click.

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This article provides general legal information, not legal advice. Your situation may differ. Consult a licensed attorney for advice specific to your case.