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Presentation For National Certification, Medicaid Coverage For Language Services & The Affordable Care Act
http://www.imiaweb.org/uploads/docs/Eric_Candle_IMIA_medicaid_coverage_presentation_12_14_2012_1.pdf


NY Decides to Reimburse Interpreters for Medicaid Patients - October 2012
http://www.health.ny.gov/health_care/medicaid/program/update/2012/oct12mu.pdf
 

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Statement of Support for Medicare and Medicaid Reimbursement of Medical Interpreters in the United States of America

 

We, the undersigned language access advocates from across the nation, support the Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement of credentialed medical interpreters to ensure that limited English proficient (LEP) people have equitable access to quality health care through credentialed medical interpreting services.

According to an Institute for Healthcare Advancement study, $73 Billion is spent annually in unnecessary health care expenses due to the inability of patients to understand what medical providers are communicating.  Providing Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement of credentialed medical interpreters will reduce health care costs and improve quality of care by providing effective, safe communication between providers and patients, preventing adverse events such as medical errors and reducing Medicare and Medicaid expenditures on costly ER visits, unnecessary medical tests and procedures.

Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement of credentialed medical interpreters will ensure that limited English proficient people will have access to the quality health care they deserve and are already entitled to under Title VI, Executive Order 13166, and the CLAS mandate.

April 30, 2012
Tulsa, Oklahoma

We need as many signatures as possible to make an impact in all states.

To sign the statement of support, please go to:
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/6GK6M8G

 

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LANGUAGE MINORITY PATIENTS NEED COVERAGE FOR THEIR LANGUAGE NEEDS IN HEALTHCARE!

 

The provision of language services in healthcare is still for the most part an unfunded mandate. Until language services are reimbursed, language minority patients will continue to rely on family members and friends to interpret, although federal and state laws require that competent language services be provided at no cost to patients.

What can each of us do to make medical interpreter reimbursement a reality?

*  Write to your Representatives and Senators
*  Write to the Presidential Candidates to make language access a priority
*  Check out the links to Latinos for Obama and other organizations

Draft letter to Congress:
http://www.imiaweb.org/uploads/pages/703_2..pdf

Help us build our network of supporters, direct these potential partners to this page on our website where they can list their organization's name as a supporter of reimbursement for medical interpreters.

We also have a list of individuals who are personally supporting the cause for reimbursement. To join click here: (link coming soon)

Send us your ideas at info@imiaweb.org on how we can make this become a reality. Together we can do it. Yes we can!