Scripps Clinical Medical Group in San Diego agreed to pay nearly $6.9 million to settle discrimination allegations over a mandatory retirement age for physicians, according to a Dec. 19 news release from the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
After investigating discrimination charges brought against Scripps Clinical Medical Group, the federal government found "reasonable cause" to believe Scripps violated the Aged Discrimination in Employment Act and Americans with Disability Act.
Scripps, which has a network that consists of more than 900 physicians, must also remove its mandatory retirement policy based on age and clarify the health system does not have a policy in which age is a factor in making employment decisions. Division and department heads, as well as executive leadership, will attend ADEA and ADA training.
Reuters reported California law lets medical groups set mandatory physician retirements for patient safety, but Scripps said it halted that policy in 2018 after the EEOC investigation began.