Health Affairs, 27, no. 2 (2008): 424-433 doi: 10.1377/hlthaff.27.2.424 © 2008 by Project HOPE	New Online Disparities in Health:   Obama aide on legislation   Smedley call to action   Shrink regulations first   A Real Policy Debate   Top 10 HA Articles Of '07

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States' Role

The Medical Tongue: U.S. Laws And Policies On Language Access

For twenty-three million Americans who speak English less than "very well," language barriers lead to lower quality of and worse access to health care. Although the breadth of existing federal and state language access laws might seem sufficient, the lack of comprehensive implementation and enforcement leaves millions of patients with limited English proficiency forced to accept a lower quality of care than English speakers receive. This paper reviews existing laws and offers solutions focusing on five themes: access, funding, education, quality improvement, and accountability. Improving language access is essential to ensure that the language one speaks does not affect one’s health or mortality.

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				B. D. Smedley Moving Beyond Access: Achieving Equity In State Health Care Reform Health Aff., March 1, 2008; 27(2): 447 - 455. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]