GOVERNMENTHHS eases interpreter mandate but doctors must pay the billsNew guidance on serving patients with limited English skills grants physicians more flexibility.By Markian Hawryluk, amednews staff. Oct. 13, 2003. Washington -- When it comes to the burden of providing medical interpreters, the Bush administration is beginning to speak physicians' language. In a revision of its previously published guidance, the Dept. of Health and Human Services described requirements for accommodating patients with limited English language skills. The document provides greater flexibility for physician practices than ever before. But doctors remain worried about how they will pay for interpreter services. Under the guidance, physicians would be required to create a plan for serving non-English speakers after considering four factors -- the number of patients with language difficulties, the frequency of their visits, the importance of the service provided and the available resources. "We must ensure that federally assisted programs aimed at the American public do not leave some behind simply because they face challenges communicating in English," HHS said in the guidance. The requirements apply to any individual or group that receives federal assistance. HHS clarified that Medicare Part B payments do not trigger language service obligations. But physicians who receive federal dollars, such as Medicaid or State Children's Health Insurance Program reimbursement, are required to comply with the guidance for all of their patients with limited English proficiency, including Medicare beneficiaries. For the first time, however, the guidance says that while who the requirements apply to is a black-and-white issue, the reasonable steps a physician, practice or institution may be required to take are somewhat gray. [...]Full text of American Medical News content is available to AMA members and paid subscribers.
Copyright 2003 American Medical Association. All rights reserved.
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