Does the state have comprehensive requirements for the provision of appropriate interpretation and translation services to patients with limited English proficiency?
States receive a "meets policy" if they adopt a comprehensive legal requirement to address the language needs of those seeking health care. States receive a "limited policy" if their laws make reference to language barriers but are restricted or inadequate in their scope. States recevie a "no policy" if they do not have laws addressing LEP.
Data Source: Linguistic Access, 2005
Jane Perkins, Summary of State Law Requirements Addressing Language Needs in Health Care (North Carolina: National Health Law Program, January 2006); Jane Perkins and others, Ensuring Linguistic Access in Health Care Settings: Legal Rights and Responsibilities, Second Edition (Los Angeles: National Health Law Program, 2003). Considerations in the evaluation include the level of specific guidance provided by a state, the variety of settings included, general statements endorsing the goal of linguistic access, enforcement provisions and the mandatory or optional nature of statutes and regulations. Sources reviewed include administrative regulations regarding hearings on Medicaid and Medicare eligibility.