About the Office for Civil Rights

Federal civil rights laws and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) Privacy Rule, together protect your fundamental rights of nondiscrimination and privacy. 

Civil Rights help to protect you from unfair treatment or discrimination, because of your race, color, national origin, disability, age, sex (gender), or religion. Federal laws also provide conscience protections for health care providers. Learn more about your civil rights>>

The Privacy Rule protects the privacy of your health information; it says who can look at and receive your health information, and also gives you specific rights over that information.   Learn more about your health information>>

Information about OCR:

• Mission
• Vision
• Director Leon Rodriguez
• Chief of Staff and Senior Advisor Juliet Choi
• Organization Chart
• Headquarters and Regional Addresses

• OCR FY 2011 Congressional Justification [PDF - 408KB]
• OCR FY 2011 Online Performance Appendix [PDF - 353KB]

• OCR FY 2010 Congressional Justification [PDF - 375KB]
• OCR FY 2010 Online Performance Appendix [PDF - 251KB]

• OCR FY 2009 Congressional Justification [PDF - 244KB]
• OCR FY 2009 Online Performance Appendix [PDF- 270KB]

• OCR FY 2008 Congressional Justification [PDF- 352KB]
• OCR FY 2008 Online Performance Appendix [PDF - 531KB]

• OCR FY 2007 Congressional Justification [PDF - 290KB]
• Impact of Changes (FY 2007 Budget) and Summary of Measures [PDF- 20KB]