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District of Columbia Resources

 

This page has information specific to this state, including contact information for federal and state agencies, and some key information about laws and consumer protections. Sometimes, state laws are more protective than federal law. For more information on this state's specific laws (e.g., on employment or health insurance), visit Triage Health's Charts of State Laws.

Browse Resources

Advocacy

Disability Insurance

Federal Disability Programs

Private Disability Insurance

  • You can also purchase short-term and/or long-term disability insurance directly from a private insurance company or this type of insurance may be offered by your employer as an employee benefit. See our Quick Guide to Long-Term Disability Insurance for more information.

Employment

Federal Fair Employment

  • The U.S. Equal Opportunity Employment Commission (EEOC) is responsible for enforcing federal laws that make it illegal to discriminate against a job applicant or an employee because of the person's race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, transgender status, and sexual orientation), national origin, age (40 or older), disability, or genetic information. The laws apply to all types of work situations, including hiring, firing, promotions, harassment, training, wages, and benefits. For more information about the EEOC, including how to file a complaint, visit the EEOC's website, call 800.669.4000, or email info@eeoc.gov.
  • The Job Accommodation Network (JAN) is a program funded by the U.S. Department of Labor, that provides free, expert, and confidential guidance on job accommodations and disability employment issues. They also have several resources on how to approach an employer to request a reasonable accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act and a Searchable Online Accommodation Resource where individuals can find suggested accommodations based on job duties or limitations that they are experiencing. For more information, visit the JAN website, call 800.526.7234, or email jan@AskJAN.org.

State Fair Employment

State Unemployment

Vocational Rehabilitation

  • Your state's Vocational Rehabilitation agency provides vocational rehabilitation services that are designed to help job seekers with disabilities obtain competitive employment in integrated work settings. For more information on their services, eligibility requirements, and how to apply, visit the District of Columbia Department on Disability Services website, or call 202.730.1700.

More Information

Employment - Taking Time Off

Federal Leave Laws

State Family & Medical Leave (for self & for caregivers)

  • The District of Columbia Family and Medical Leave Act (DCFMLA) is enforced by the Office of Human Rights.
    • Who's eligible? Employees who have worked for a covered employer for 1+ years, and worked for at least 1,000 hours during the 12 months prior to leave.
    • How Much Time is Given? Up to 16 weeks

State Paid Family Leave (for caregivers)

  • D.C.’s Universal Paid Leave went into effect July 1, 2020.
  • Who’s eligible? Private sector employees covered by the D.C. Unemployment Compensation Act. Self-employed individuals may opt in to the program. Employees must spend more than 50% of work time in D.C. for a covered employer and must have been a covered employee for some or all of the 52 calendar weeks preceding the covered event.
  • Who can be cared for? Paid leave is available to care for a family member with a serious health condition or for the employee’s own serious health condition. “Family member” includes children, a parent, spouse, domestic partner, grandparent, or sibling.
  • How much time is given? Individuals can receive 12 weeks for your own serious health condition or a family member with a serious health condition. Individuals can take 12 weeks to bond with a new child and 2 weeks to receive prenatal care. Individuals may have more than one qualifying event, but cannot take more than 12 weeks in total.
  • How much is paid?  You may receive up to 90% of your weekly wages replaced, with a cap amount of $1,049 per week.
  • How do I apply? Learn more about the application process.
  • Employee Handbook DC Paid Family Leave

State Paid Sick Leave (for self)

  • The District of Columbia's Accrued Sick and Safe Leave Act requires most employers in the District of Columbia to provide paid leave to employees for their own or family members' illnesses or medical appointments. An employee can begin using this leave no later than 90 days after they started their employment. Accrual for the hours available to this leave depends on the type of employer you have. This is enforced by the D.C. Department of Employment Services, Office of Wage and Hour.
  • Some states have kinship laws that allow you to use your sick leave to care for a child. The District of Columbia paid leave law allows employees to use earned paid leave for the health care needs of certain family members. For more information, read the Code of the District of Columbia, Provision of Paid Leave.

State Paid General Leave (for any reason)

  • Some states provide general paid leave. D.C. does not currently have a general leave law.

State Bone Marrow Donation Leave

  • Some states provide leave to donate bone marrow. D.C. does not currently have a law that applies to private employers.

County & Local Leave

  • Some cities and counties have additional leave laws.

Workplace Leave Policies or Employment Contracts

  • Everyone’s situation is different. Check your employee handbook, your workplace policies, and/or your employment contract (if you have one) to see whether you are eligible to take paid or unpaid time off from work.

More Information

Estate Planning

Triage Health's free State-Specific Estate Planning Toolkit includes information about estate planning in general, and information about D.C. estate planning documents, and the specific forms you need.

Finances

For information on financial assistance resources, you can visit our Financial Assistance Resources module. You can then pick from the different categories of financial assistance, to find organizations that may provide financial help to you. Think creatively. For example, if you cannot find anything to help with your medical bills, you may qualify for utility assistance and shift the money you had dedicated to utilities to your medical bills.

Health

Marketplace

  • For information about options for buying health insurance from private insurance companies, as well as whether you are eligible for marketplace financial assistance, visit the DC Health Link website or call 855.532.5465.

COBRA

  • COBRA provides a way for workers and their families to temporarily maintain their employer-provided health insurance during situations such as job loss or a reduction in hours worked. If you have questions about COBRA, visit the Employee Benefits Security Administration website.

State COBRA

Children's Health Insurance

  • Visit this site to learn about the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) (DC Healthy Families), or call 202.639.4030, 800.620.7802, 866.758.6807 (dental). This program provides low-cost health coverage to children in families that earn too much money to be eligible for Medicaid.
  • Visit InsureKidsNow.gov to learn about free or low-cost health and dental insurance coverage options for kids and teens.

Other Insurance Options

  • To apply for an Independent Medical Review (an external appeal of a health plan denial) or to file a Consumer Complaint about your health plan, visit the Office of the Health Care Ombudsman Bill of Rights website, or call 202.724.7491.
  • If your health insurance company has denied coverage for your care, you can appeal that decision. The process depends on the type of health insurance that you have.
  • If you have private health insurance (e.g., through an employer or the Marketplace), you can also file an external appeal with an entity outside of your insurance company, to see if the insurance company is required to cover your care. The external review process is either handled by the state’s insurance agency or the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. Visit our Chart of State Laws on Health Insurance Coverage & Navigation to see who runs the external appeals process in your state.
  • Medicaid provides free or low-cost health coverage to eligible individuals, including people with low-incomes, families, children, pregnant women, the elderly, and people with disabilities. Each state has its own rules for eligibility. Read Triage Health's Quick Guide to Medicaid to learn more.
  • Visit this site to learn more about Medicaid benefits in your state.

Early & Periodic Screening, Diagnostic, & Treatment (EPSDT)

  • The EPSDT benefit is a Medicaid benefit available to individuals under the age of 21.
  • States are required to provide comprehensive services needed to correct and ameliorate health conditions, including:
    • Early: Assess and identify problems early, starting at birth
    • Periodic: Check children’s health at periodic, age-appropriate intervals in comprehensive well-child visits, including health education
    • Screening: Provide physical, dental, mental, developmental, hearing, vision, and other screening or laboratory tests to detect potential problems
    • Diagnosis: Perform diagnostic tests and assessments to follow up when a risk is identified during screening and examinations
    • Treatment: Control, correct, or ameliorate any problems that are found
  • States are required to provide any additional health care services that are coverable under the federal Medicaid program and found to be medically necessary to treat, correct or reduce illnesses and conditions discovered regardless of whether the service is covered in a state's Medicaid plan. State Medicaid agencies are required to:
    • Inform all Medicaid-eligible individuals under age 21 that EPSDT services are available and of the need for age-appropriate immunizations;
    • Offer and provide, if requested and necessary, assistance with transportation to medical care.
    • Offer and provide, if requested and necessary, assistance with scheduling appointments for EPSDT visits and services.
  • Learn more about your state's program.

Coverage for Children

  • Visit this site to learn about the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) (DC Healthy Families), or call 202.639.4030, 800.620.7802, 866.758.6807 (dental). This program provides low-cost health coverage to children in families that earn too much money to be eligible for Medicaid.
  • Visit InsureKidsNow.gov to learn about free or low-cost health and dental insurance coverage options for kids and teens.

In-Home Support Services (IHSS)

More Medicaid Resources

  • For a list of Hill-Burton Federally Funded Health Centers that are obligated to provide free or reduced-cost health care, visit the Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA) website.
  • Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHC) are community-based health care providers that provide primary care services in underserved areas. To search for an FQHC in your state, use the Find a Health Center tool on the HRSA website.
  • To find a community clinic in your area: screenings and services in your area, visit the National Association of Free & Charitable Clinics website.
  • The National Breast & Cervical Cancer Treatment Program (NBCCEDP) provides breast and cervical cancer screenings and diagnostic services to women who have low incomes and are uninsured or underinsured. For more information about screenings and services in your area, use the CDC search tool.
  • The Breast & Cervical Cancer Treatment Program (BCCTP) provides cancer treatment benefits to eligible low-income individuals diagnosed with breast and/or cervical cancer. For more information, visit the Department of Health Care Finance website.

Women's Health & Cancer Rights Act (WHCRA)

Privacy

State Clinical Trials Law

  • DC ST § 31-2993.01

    • Who must cover the costs? Health insurance plans (not including Medicare and Medicaid)
    • What must be covered? routine patient care cost associated with clinical trials.
    • Qualifying Trials: To be an “approved clinical trial,” one of three options must be fulfilled; first, the trial must be fully funded or approved by one of the following: (1) NIH, (2) The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, (3) The Agency for Health Care Research and Quality (4) The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, (5) A bonafide clinical trial cooperative group, including the National Cancer Institute Clinical Trials Cooperative Group, the National Cancer Institute Community Clinical Oncology Program, (6) The Department of Defense, the Department of Veterans Affairs, or the Department of Energy or a qualified nongovernmental research entity to which the National Cancer Institute has awarded a support grant; second, the study or investigation can be approved by the Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”), including those conducted under an investigational new drug or device application reviewed by the FDA; or Third, the trial can be an investigation or study approved by an Institutional Review Board registered with the Department of Health and Human Services that is associated with an institution that has a federal-wide assurance approved by the Department of Health and Human Services specifying compliance with 45 C.F.R. Part 46.

(Last updated 8/2022) 

More Health Insurance Resources

Housing

Legal Assistance

Transportation

  • Local transit systems may provide free or discounted rates for low-income individuals and families. Some cities also offer bus passes, vouchers for taxi or ride-sharing services, or shuttle services for patients traveling to cancer treatments.
  • Dial 211 for assistance.
  • For more information on financial assistance resources, visit our Financial Assistance Resources module.