In today’s diverse health care landscape, it’s vital to ensure all individuals have equitable access to medical and behavioral services, regardless of their language proficiency. Language barriers can pose significant obstacles to effective communication between patients and health care providers, hindering the delivery of quality care and ultimately impacting patient outcomes.
Recognizing the importance of overcoming these barriers, we are committed to partnering with you to support your language assistance needs, as well as to promote inclusivity, enhance patient-provider communication, and fulfil obligations under state and federal laws.
Providers’ responsibilities to ensure compliance with the law
In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act, health care providers are required to provide and pay for language services for their eligible patients with limited English proficiency (LEP) free of charge and in a timely manner.
These services include:
- Sign language interpreter services, including video remote interpretation services, for communication with patients who are deaf or hard of hearing, when needed. This is regardless of the cost, even if the cost of the interpretation services exceeds the amount a provider will receive for the services.* (Exception: New Mexico. Please see “State-specific laws for interpreters” below for more information.)
- Language assistance services, such as telephone and face-to-face interpretation services, as well as written translations for LEP individuals.** (Exception: California and New Mexico. Please see “State-specific laws for interpreters” below for more information.)
- Reasonable accommodations for those with disabilities, when necessary, to ensure they have an equal opportunity to participate in, and benefit from, programs or activities.
Language assistance resources available to you
Providers who participate in the Cigna Healthcare network have access to discounted rates of up to 50 percent on professional language assistance services for eligible patients. For more information, including vendors, visit the Discounted Rates for Language Assistance Services web page on Cigna.com.
In addition to discounted rates for certain services, we offer at no charge:
- Access to qualified professional interpreters.
- Access to bilingual staff.
- Written translation of significant documents – at the request of the customer – in more than 33 languages in formats that include Braille, large print, alternative fonts, and audio.
- Nondiscrimination notices and taglines that inform customers about the availability of free language assistance services, nondiscrimination rights, and how to file a complaint.
State-specific laws for interpreter services
Cigna Healthcare is required by law to offer certain language assistance services in California, New Mexico, and Oregon.
| State | Cigna Healthcare is required to offer: |
| California | Interpreter services at each point of contact, such as at a provider’s office or when calling Cigna Healthcare Customer Service. Spanish or Traditional Chinese translation of documents considered vital according to California law. Notification of rights to language assistance program services. For more information, visit our dedicated California Language Assistance Program web page. |
| New Mexico | Telephonic and face-to-face interpreter services (including American Sign Language) in the health care setting. |
| Oregon | Interpreter services for dental plan participants sitused in Oregon who have LEP or differing hearing abilities that qualify under the ADA for sign language.*** For teledentistry services, free language assistance services for all customers who are Oregon residents. |
For additional information on state-specific laws for interpreter services, refer to the California, New Mexico, and Oregon editions of the Cigna Healthcare Reference Guides by logging in to the Cigna for Health Care Professionals website (CignaforHCP.com) > Resources > Reference Guides > Medical Reference Guides > Health Care Professional Reference Guides.
Additional information
If you have questions about language assistance services, including how to keep compliant for any particular state, please contact your provider relations representative.
* The law requires that qualified sign language interpreters be provided for patients who are deaf or hard of hearing while in a medical setting. The use of unqualified interpreters is extremely dangerous because these individuals are not trained to be professional sign language interpreters. Therefore, important information is at risk of being conveyed poorly or completely lost in translation.
** 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.
*** The situs state is the state in which an insurance policy is written. The specific laws of that state may apply to the plan even when the plan covers customers who live in other states.