Look for doctors and office staff who speak your family's language, or ask for an interpreter if you need one to talk to your doctor or your child's doctor. Certified medical interpreters are trained to translate health information correctly. They must keep your information private.

You can get a report on HMO language and cultural services.

You can see a list of threshold languages by plan.

You can read the DMHC's Report to the Legislature that is required every two years and describes health plan compliance with Language Assistance standards.

What Health Plans and Hospitals Must Do

• Your health plan must provide you with language assistance. This includes some interpreter and translation services.
• State law requires that hospitals have interpreters, either on site or by telephone, 24 hours a day.
• Medi-Cal and Medicare plans must follow federal laws. These plans provide services in many languages.
• A new law requires health plans to create programs that provide language assistance to all HMO members. You can learn more about what plans will be required to do.

You May Ask for an Interpreter When You Need To:

• Explain your symptoms or medical history to your doctor.
• Understand your health problem or treatment choices.
• Choose among treatments.
• Understand instructions about medications, medical equipment, or follow-up care.

If You Are Deaf or Hard of Hearing

You have the right to a sign language interpreter. This right is protected by the federal Americans with Disabilities Act.

Making Appointments

If you know that you will need an interpreter, tell your doctor or the office staff as far ahead as you can.

“I Speak” Cards

The “I Speak” card shows what language a person speaks. It is printed in English and in the primary language. This card can be used to tell a provider for which language an interpreter is needed. For more information go the website http://www.palsforhealth.org/ to obtain an “I Speak” card.

The Help Center Provides Help in Many Languages

The Help Center is part of the California Department of Managed Health Care. The Help Center can help you with problems with your health plan.

Help Center
Call 1-888-466-2219
TDD: 1-877-688-9891

Resources

California Immigrant Welfare Collaborative
Health, benefits and rights information for immigrants
1-916-448-6762 (Spanish)
www.caimmigrant.org

California Pan-Ethnic Health Network
Advocacy for health care for people from all cultural and linguistic groups
www.cpehn.org

Health Consumer
Fact sheets on low-cost health care, in many languages
www.healthconsumer.org (many languages)

Latino Coalition for a Healthy California
Advocacy for better health care for Latinos in California
www.lchc.org

National Hispanic Prenatal Helpline
Information about pregnancy, birth, and child care
1-800-504-7081 (Spanish)
www.hispanichealth.org (Spanish)

PALS for Health
Services to diverse ethnic minority and disenfranchised communities, including “I Speak” printable cards http://www.palsforhealth.org

Su Familia
Information and referrals in Spanish to local health clinics
1-866-783-2645 (Spanish)
www.hispanichealth.org (Spanish)