U.S. Department
of Justice
U.S. v. Johns Hopkins Health System Corporation
On September 12, 2024, the United States filed a Complaint against Johns Hopkins Health System Corporation under Title III of the ADA. The complaint alleges that Johns Hopkins denied individuals with disabilities equal access to medical care by excluding their necessary support persons (such as a family member, personal assistant, or other individual knowledgeable about them). As a result, these patients were unable to receive equal care. These patients had disabilities such as dementia, autism spectrum disorder, intellectual and developmental disabilities, and mental health disabilities.
On September 12, 2024, the United States simultaneously filed a proposed Consent Decree to resolve the allegations of the Complaint. Under the proposed consent decree, which the court must approve, Johns Hopkins has agreed to pay $150,000 to compensate multiple affected individuals. Johns Hopkins will also update its support person policies to ensure ADA compliance, train its employees on its support person policies and the ADA, and report to the department on any future complaints regarding support persons.