Language Assistance Services and Resources for Providers
Network-participating providers can access language assistance services, helpful forms, and discounted rates to help improve communication and care with patients.
Responsabilidades de los proveedores para asegurar el cumplimiento de la ley
En cumplimiento de la Ley de Estadounidenses con Discapacidades (ADA, sigla en inglés) y el Artículo 1557 de la Ley del Cuidado de Salud a Bajo Precio (ACA, sigla en inglés), los proveedores de cuidado de la salud tienen la obligación legal de prestar y cubrir los servicios de idiomas para los pacientes con dominio limitado del inglés (LEP, sigla en inglés) sin cargo y de forma oportuna. Estos servicios incluyen lo siguiente:
- Servicios de interpretación de lenguaje de señas, incluidos servicios de interpretación remota en video, para la comunicación con pacientes con pérdida de audición o discapacidad auditiva, cuando sea necesario, independientemente del costo, incluso cuando el costo de los servicios de interpretación supere el monto que el proveedor recibe por los servicios1 (excepto en California y New Mexico; consulta las leyes específicas de cada estado para obtener más información).
- Servicios de asistencia idiomática, como servicios de interpretación telefónica y presencial, y traducciones escritas para personas con LEP2 (excepto en California y New Mexico; consulta las leyes específicas de cada estado para obtener más información).
- Adaptaciones razonables para quienes tengan una discapacidad, cuando sea necesario, a fin de asegurar que tengan igualdad de oportunidades para participar en programas o actividades y beneficiarse de estos.
Recursos de asistencia idiomática para proveedores
Además de las tarifas con descuento para determinados servicios, ofrecemos los siguientes servicios de asistencia idiomática sin cargo en todos los puntos de contacto con Cigna HealthcareSM:
- Acceso a intérpretes profesionales calificados
- Acceso a personal bilingüe
- A solicitud del cliente, traducción escrita de documentos importantes en más de 200 idiomas, incluidos formatos alternativos como braille, letra grande, tipografía alternativa y audio.
- Avisos y declaraciones de no discriminación en los que se informa a los clientes sobre la disponibilidad de servicios de asistencia idiomática gratuitos, derechos de no discriminación y formas de presentar una queja.
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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.
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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.
Interpretation and Translation Services
In today's cross-cultural society, and diversity in the general population expected to grow in future years, you may experience an increasing need for language interpreters to help create an optimal experience for you and your limited English proficient speaking patients.
We hope you find the following tips to be helpful in your interactions with language interpreters.
Types of Interpreter Services
- Telephone interpreter services are easily accessed and available for short conversations or unusual language requests
- Face-to-face interpreter services provide the best communication for sensitive, legal, or lengthy communications
- Trained bilingual staff provides consistent patient interactions for a large number of patients
- Video Remote Interpretation (VRI) provides real-time, convenient virtual interpreting services using your smart phone, tablet or laptop for virtual care when in-person services are not an option.
Minors and family members that patients wish to use as interpreters are discouraged in order to ensure reliable, accurate patient communication
Download this simple survey [PDF] (in English and Spanish) to help identify if your patient needs an interpreter.
How to Work with an Interpreter
- Acknowledge the interpreter as a communications professional
- Briefly introduce yourself to the interpreter (name and nature of the call or visit), and describe the type of information you are planning to talk about with your patient
- Give the interpreter the opportunity to introduce themselves to the patient
- Recognize the interpreter is the medium, not the source, of the message and that they are not responsible for what the patient says or doesn't say
What to Do During the Interpretation Session
- Allow enough time for the interpretation session
- Speak in the first person directly to (or facing) your patient, instead of speaking to the interpreter
- Speak clearly, at an even pace, and pause occasionally to ask the interpreter if they understand the information you are providing and the questions you are asking
- Remember, you do not need to speak especially slowly. This actually makes a competent interpreter's job more difficult
- Avoid interrupting during interpretation
- In some languages, it may take longer to explain a word or a concept
- Read body language in the cultural context
- Watch the patient's eyes, facial expressions, and body language. Look for signs of comprehension, confusion, agreement, or disagreement
Once you have identified your patient's preferred language, it may be helpful to document the language on paper or in electronic medical records. Posting colored stickers on the patient's chart to flag when an interpreter is needed (e.g., orange for Spanish, yellow for Vietnamese, green for Russian) may also be helpful for easy reference.
Tarifas con descuento para servicios de asistencia idiomática para tus pacientes
Accede a los siguientes servicios con tarifas con descuento de hasta un 50% para servicios de asistencia idiomática para tus pacientes elegibles con cobertura de Cigna Healthcare:
- Servicios de pruebas de dominio bilingüe
- Traducciones escritas
- Intérpretes orales y de lenguaje de señas estadounidense (ASL, sigla en inglés) a través de:
- Intérpretes telefónicos
- Visitas presenciales
- A distancia por video
Los proveedores participantes de la red pueden acceder a estos descuentos a través de nuestros contratos negociados con proveedores profesionales de asistencia idiomática. Los proveedores tienen un contrato y trabajan directamente con los prestadores de servicios para programar y pagar todos los servicios de idiomas.3
Para obtener información sobre los prestadores de servicios, que incluye los descuentos disponibles, cómo programar servicios y más, consulta la siguiente tabla o descarga e imprime nuestro documento Servicios de asistencia idiomática para proveedores de cuidado de la salud (en inglés) [PDF].
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Services are provided by independent companies/entities and not affiliates of Cigna Healthcare. Cigna Healthcare does not endorse any third party products and has not reviewed any marketing claims for such products. You are required to pay any charges directly to participating vendors who are solely responsible for their products or services. Discount offers are subject to change at any time without notice.
| Vendor Name | Service | Discount | Contact Information |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cultural Intelligence (CQ) Fluency | Written translation services | 10% | Joe DiDamo 1 (201) 580-0218 Joe.Didamo@CQFluency.com and CignaCQTeam@CQFluency.com |
| Bilingual proficiency testing services | 10% | Kelly Marek 1 (347) 415-1936 Kelly.Marek@CQFluency.com and CignaCQTeam@CQFluency.com | |
| Telephonic interpreter services | 5% | ||
| Face-to-face (in-person) interpreter services | 5% | ||
| Video remote services | 5% | ||
| Interpreting Services International (ISI) | Written translation services | 10% | Marc Chen
|
| LanguageLine Solutions | Telephonic interpreter services | Audio calls: $1.95 per minute Video calls: $2.95 per minute | Please contact your Provider Relations Representative for instructions on obtaining these discounts from LanguageLine Solutions. |
State-specific Laws for Interpreter Services
Cigna Healthcare is required by law to offer the following language assistance services in California, New Mexico, and Oregon.
| Estado | Ley de servicios de interpretación |
|---|---|
| California |
Para obtener más información, visita la página del Programa de asistencia idiomática de California. |
| New Mexico |
|
| Oregon |
|
Additional information on state-specific laws for interpreter services can be found in the California, New Mexico, and Oregon editions of Cigna Healthcare Reference Guides. Access the guides by logging in to the Cigna for Health Care Professionals website (CignaforHCP.com) > Resources >Medical Resources >Doing Business with Cigna > Health Care Professional Reference Guides.
Questions About Language Assistance Services?
For more information about discounts for language assistance services, including the Federal and state-specific laws, view the Language Assistance Services flyer [PDF].
If you have questions about language assistance services, including how to keep compliant for any particular state, please call Provider Services at 1 (800) 88-Cigna (882-4462) or contact your Provider Relations Representative.
1 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.
2 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.
3 Services are provided by independent companies/entities and not affiliates of Cigna Healthcare. Cigna Healthcare does not endorse any third party products and has not reviewed any marketing claims for such products. You are required to pay any charges directly to participating vendors who are solely responsible for their products or services. Discount offers are subject to change at any time without notice.
4 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.