The Office for Civil Rights in the Department of Health and Human Services Dec. 5 issued a letter to health care providers and others clarifying language access requirements under a final rule of Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act that became effective in July. The requirements apply to individuals with limited English proficiency and people with disabilities.  

The letter states that under the rule, important documents should be translated and interpreters should be provided free of charge. Providers must also administer free aids and services such as braille, large print, captioning, plain language explanations, qualified sign language interpreters, qualified readers, qualified speech-to-speech transliterators and accessible websites, the Department of Health and Human Services said. The department advised providers to read the rule and letter to ensure they are in compliance.

Related News Articles

Headline
The AHA July 3 released the Health Care Plan Accountability Update for the second quarter of 2025. The update covers the latest developments in Medicare…
Headline
The Supreme Court June 27 voted 6-3 to uphold an Affordable Care Act provision creating an independent task force charged with making recommendations of…
Perspective
In the next few days, Senate Republican leaders plan to unveil and vote on their updated reconciliation bill, which, as currently constructed, would have far-…
Headline
The Department of Health and Human Services June 23 announced an initiative coordinated with multiple health insurance companies to streamline prior…
Headline
The AHA this week is launching a new ad urging Congress to protect access to hospital care as it considers legislation that could have far-ranging negative…
Perspective
Public
As the Senate eyes a vote next week on its reconciliation bill, the next few days are crucial for reaching out to your senators and urging them to make changes…