Home Legal Advisor: Hearing Impaired Patients and the Americans with Disabilities Act

Legal Advisor: Hearing Impaired Patients and the Americans with Disabilities Act

The following case study and article provides a brief summary of disability law as it applies to hearing impaired patients and the physicians who care for them. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities by places of public accommodation. In addition to hospitals, private health care providers are considered places of public accommodation. Thus, all physicians should take steps to comply with the ADA to avoid private lawsuits, as well as actions involving the United States Department of Justice, which may require offending physicians to pay out large amounts in damages.

The Legal Advisor publication is issued quarterly by the Massachusetts Medical Society and Adler, Cohen, Harvey, Wakeman & Guekguezian, LLP, as an information source. Nothing herein should be construed as legal advice or legal opinions regarding specific situations. Legal counsel should be consulted for application of law and regulations in each individual case before any action is taken or any decision is made.

Legal Advisor: Hearing Impaired Patients and the Americans with Disabilities Act is sponsored by the Massachusetts Medical Society.

For more information on the Massachusetts Medical Society go to www.massmed.org.

For more information on Adler, Cohen, Harvey, Wakeman & Guekguezian, LLP  go to http://www.adlercohen.com

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