Bloomberg Law
Feb. 27, 2023, 4:30 PM

HHS Shuffles Civil Rights Division as Caseload Jumps Nearly 70%

Ian Lopez
Ian Lopez
Senior Reporter

The Biden administration’s Health and Human Services Department is reorganizing part of its civil rights division to get a better grip on a sharp increase in the number of complaints lodged with the agency.

The number of complaints lodged with the HHS’ Office for Civil Rights increased by 69% between 2017 and 2022, Melanie Fontes Rainer, office’s director, said in a statement. Of those complaints, 27% involve allegations of civil rights violations, while 66% claim health privacy and security laws were broken, she said.

The agency on Monday announced its creation of an Enforcement Division, Policy Division, and Strategic Planning ...