California Language Assistance Law (CALAP)

California law requires health plans to provide Language Assistance Program (LAP) services to eligible customers with limited English proficiency (LEP). To support this requirement, Cigna provides language assistance services for eligible Cigna participants, including those covered by our California health maintenance organization (HMO), Network Open Access, and Network Point of Service (POS) plans, as well as for individuals covered under insured California-sitused preferred provider organization (PPO) plans and open access plans (OAPs).

Cigna LAP-eligible customers are entitled to the following free services:

› Spanish or Traditional Chinese translation of documents considered vital according to California law.

› Interpreter services at each point of contact, such as at a provider’s office or when calling Cigna Customer Service.

› Notification of rights to LAP services.

California-capitated provider groups are responsible for:

› Inserting or including the LAP notification in English vital documents sent to individuals with Cigna HMO plan coverage.

› Educating providers in their practice that they must offer Cigna’s free telephone interpreter services by calling 800.806.2059 to support their LEP patients with Cigna coverage. Even if a provider or office staff member speaks in the patient’s language, a professional  telephone interpreter must always be offered. If the patient refuses to use a trained interpreter, it must be documented in his or her medical record.

› Supplying the California Customer Grievance Form and grievance brochure to Cigna customers who communicate dissatisfaction with the services or care received, a utilization management decision, or a claim denial. To download and print the form in English, Spanish, or Traditional Chinese, go to Cigna.com > I want to… > Find a Form > Medical Forms > Cigna in California > Cigna, Grievances & Appeals:

– Cigna Grievance Procedure > California Grievance Brochure

– How to File a Grievance > Medical Grievance Form

For additional information:

Refer to the California edition of the Cigna Reference Guide for physicians, hospitals, ancillaries, and other providers by logging in to the Cigna for Health Care Professionals website (CignaforHCP.com) > Resources > Reference Guides > Medical Reference Guides > Health Care Professional Reference Guides.

› Review the California Language Assistance Program web page.*

› Download the provider training presentation about LAP regulations and how to access language services for your patients with Cigna coverage.**

› Contact your Experience Manager.

Racial and linguistic diversity at a glance

Cigna collects language preference, race, and ethnicity data for California-eligible customers.

Language

Cigna uses California demographic data as a proxy for our customer base until we have a statistically valid number of customer language preference records. The data listed below is currently available for the most non-English spoken languages in California.***

› 56.1% of the California population (over age five) speak a language other than English.***

› 28.3% speak Spanish.

› 9.9% speak Asian and Pacific Island languages.

Racial and ethnic composition

The data below is an indirect estimation of Cigna’s California customers. The figures were derived from a methodology that uses a combination of census geocoding and surname recognition.

› 51.9% Caucasian

› 22.6% Hispanic

› 20.5% Asian

› 2.2% African American

› 2.9% Other

* Visit Cigna.com > For Providers > Provider Resources > Cultural Competency and Health Equity > California Language Assistance Program. ** Visit Cigna.com > For Providers > Provider Resources > Cultural Competency and Health Equity > More Resources: California Language Assistance Program Training for Providers and Staff.

** Using family members, friends, or children as interpreters for individuals with LEP is discouraged because of serious concerns around competency, confidentiality, and conflicts of interest. Exercise caution if circumstances require the use of family members, friends, or children as interpreters for LEP individuals.

*** 2019 5-Year American Community Survey. U.S. Census Bureau. December 2019. Retrieved from https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=California&t=Language%20Spoken%20at%20Home&hidePreview=false&tid=ACSST1Y2019.S1601&vintage=2018