California’s Dymally-Alatorre Bilingual Services Act mandates that state agencies and medical facilities that receive state funding provide bilingual services when a significant number of people using the services speak a language other than English. This includes providing interpreters for LEP individuals to ensure they can effectively communicate with healthcare providers.
Additionally, under federal law, the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VI) and Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act prohibit discrimination on the basis of national origin, which includes language access. Hospitals and medical providers that receive federal funding must provide interpreters for LEP patients.
Failure to provide these services can result in legal consequences for the medical facility, including complaints to regulatory bodies.
n California, it is generally required by law that medical facilities provide language assistance services, including a translator or interpreter, for patients who have limited English proficiency (LEP).
California’s Dymally-Alatorre Bilingual Services Act mandates that state agencies and medical facilities that receive state funding provide bilingual services when a significant number of people using the services speak a language other than English. This includes providing interpreters for LEP individuals to ensure they can effectively communicate with healthcare providers.
Additionally, under federal law, the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VI) and Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act prohibit discrimination on the basis of national origin, which includes language access. Hospitals and medical providers that receive federal funding must provide interpreters for LEP patients.
Failure to provide these services can result in legal consequences for the medical facility, including complaints to regulatory bodies.
If a doctor is providing services through Blue Shield or Blue Cross and is involved in a compensation-related case, they would still be required to provide interpreter services for patients with limited English proficiency (LEP), just like other healthcare providers.
Under federal and state laws, including Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act, and California’s Dymally-Alatorre Bilingual Services Act, healthcare providers—including those working on workers’ compensation cases or other forms of compensation—are required to provide language access services. This applies to any doctor or medical provider who receives federal funding, including through Medicaid (Medi-Cal in California) or other health insurance plans like Blue Cross and Blue Shield.
If a patient needs an interpreter to understand medical information or communicate effectively, the provider must ensure that appropriate services are available at no cost to the patient. This includes compensation cases where accurate communication is critical for medical evaluations and reports.