Recent updates to Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) have reinforced the importance of language access in healthcare settings.
These changes underline the legal requirement for healthcare providers to ensure that limited English proficiency (LEP) patients receive meaningful access to services. Failure to comply can lead to significant penalties and, more importantly, compromise patient care.
As these regulations evolve, the need for healthcare organizations to partner with professional language service providers, like Teneo Linguistics Company (TLC), becomes increasingly critical. Here’s why hiring a specialized language services company can be the key to navigating these changes successfully.
Understanding the Updates to Section 1557
Section 1557 of the ACA is a crucial civil rights provision that prohibits discrimination on the grounds of race, color, national origin, sex, age, or disability in health programs and activities that receive federal financial assistance.
The latest updates to this section emphasize the necessity of providing language assistance services to individuals with LEP, ensuring that all patients have equal access to healthcare information and services.
The updates specifically address the following areas:
Enhanced Requirements for Language Assistance: Healthcare providers must now offer qualified interpreters and translators, ensuring that language services are accurate and effective. This includes not only oral communication but also the translation of vital documents.
Prohibition of Machine Translation as a Sole Resource: Relying solely on automated translation tools is no longer acceptable. Providers must ensure that language services are human-led, particularly when dealing with complex medical terminology.
Stronger Enforcement Mechanisms: Non-compliance with these language access requirements can lead to increased scrutiny, fines, and potential legal action. Healthcare organizations are encouraged to ensure their language access plans are robust and compliant proactively.
The Role of Professional Language Services Companies
Given the complexities of these new regulations, healthcare organizations must recognize the value of partnering with professional language services companies. Here’s how these companies can support compliance:
Language Proficiency Assessments
For healthcare organizations with bilingual staff, ensuring that employees are truly proficient in the necessary languages is vital. Miscommunication in a medical setting can lead to serious consequences.
TLC offers language proficiency assessments to evaluate the language skills of current and potential employees. These assessments focus on both general language ability and specialized medical terminology, providing a clear benchmark of proficiency.
Currently, TLC's service, Proficient Measures, has been instrumental in assisting a health insurance company by assessing the Spanish language skills of their employees. Such assessments help ensure that bilingual staff can effectively communicate with patients and provide accurate information, reducing the risk of miscommunication.
Bilingual HR Support Services
Managing a bilingual workforce requires specialized HR support. From recruiting qualified bilingual candidates to ensuring ongoing language training and development, TLC can provide the necessary expertise.
This support extends beyond just language skills, helping healthcare organizations create an inclusive work environment where all employees, regardless of language background, can thrive.
Professional language services providers can also assist in developing language access plans that align with Section 1557 requirements, ensuring that healthcare organizations are prepared to meet regulatory demands while delivering high-quality patient care.
The changes to Section 1557 of the ACA highlight the growing importance of language access in healthcare. For healthcare organizations, this means not only complying with legal requirements but also ensuring that all patients receive the care they need, regardless of language barriers.
Partnering with a professional language services company like TLC offers a comprehensive solution to these challenges. From language proficiency assessments to bilingual HR support, TLC can help healthcare organizations navigate the complexities of compliance, enhance patient care, and ultimately, improve health outcomes.
As the regulatory landscape continues to evolve, investing in professional language services is not just a legal obligation but a crucial step in delivering equitable healthcare for all.
TLC is a certified small, woman-owned business that specializes in comprehensive language solutions tailored to a wide range of industries in over 200 languages. To learn more or receive a free quote, please visit www.tlctranslation.com.