The US Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey and the US Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights (HHS OCR) have secured a settlement agreement to resolve allegations that a home healthcare provider discriminated against a person with HIV. Comfort Hands Home Healthcare LLC (Comfort Hands) of Marlton, New Jersey, a home healthcare provider, has agreed to resolve allegations that it discriminated against a person with HIV in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the Rehabilitation Act, and the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. This settlement follows the government’s investigation in which it found that Comfort Hands unlawfully denied home healthcare services to a potential client based on her HIV status. Under the settlement agreement, Comfort Hands will implement a non-discrimination policy to ensure that individuals with disabilities, including those with HIV or who are perceived to have HIV, are afforded full and equal opportunities to its benefits and services. Comfort Hands will also provide mandatory non-discrimination training to its employees and pay damages to the individual who experienced this act of discrimination.
