; or (3) being pregnant. 902. Treatment of Medicare payments under title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 A payment to a provider of services, physician, or other supplier under part B, C, or D of title XVIII of the Social Security Act shall be deemed a grant, and not a contract of insurance or guaranty, for the purposes of title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. 903. Accountability and transparency within the Department of Health and Human Services Title XXXIV of the Public Health Service Act , as amended by titles I, II, and III of this Act, is further amended by inserting after subtitle B the following: C Strengthening accountability 3441. Elevation of the Office of Civil Rights (a) In general The Secretary shall establish within the Office for Civil Rights an Office of Health Disparities, which shall be headed by a director to be appointed by the Secretary. (b) Purpose The Office of Health Disparities shall ensure that the health programs, activities, and operations of health entities which receive Federal financial assistance are in compliance with title VI of the Civil Rights Act, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, or national origin. The activities of the Office shall include the following: (1) The development and implementation of an action plan to address racial and ethnic health care disparities, which shall address concerns relating to the Office for Civil Rights as released by the United States Commission on Civil Rights in the report entitled Health Care Challenge: Acknowledging Disparity, Confronting Discrimination, and Ensuring Equity (September 1999) in conjunction with the reports by the Institute of Medicine entitled Unequal Treatment: Confronting Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Health Care , Crossing the Quality Chasm: A New Health System for the 21st Century , In the Nation's Compelling Interest: Ensuring Diversity in the Health Care Workforce , The National Partnership for Action to End Health Disparities , and The Health of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and