In Massachusetts, laws have been implemented to eliminate discriminatory practices against Medicare patients. Hospitals are prohibited from discriminating against Medicare beneficiaries in relation to admission, availability of services or treatment or transfer.  Medicare beneficiaries must receive written notice of their rights as well as access to a consumer grievance phone number to make complaints of discriminatory conduct.1

The state of Massachusetts has also taken strides in improving health care quality, reducing racial and ethnic disparities, and containing costs through the establishment of the Health Care Quality and Cost Council.2  Other steps Massachusetts has taken include requiring all hospitals and emergency departments to provide non-English speaking patients with a competent interpreter.3  In order to address racial and ethnic disparities in care, Massachusetts requires hospitals to record each patient’s primary language spoken and race/ethnicity.4  The state has taken one further step toward eliminating racial and ethnic disparities by basing rate increases for Medicaid participating hospitals on specific quality benchmarks, including the reduction of ethnic and racial disparities in health care.5