​​​​​Medical Interpretation Services

Assembly Bill 635

Assembly Bill (AB) 635 (Atkins, Chapter 600, Statutes of 2016) added California Welfare and Institutions Code (WIC) Section 14146 requiring the Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) to work with stakeholders to conduct a study to identify current requirements for medical interpretation services as well as education, training, and licensure requirements, analyze other state Medicaid programs, and make recommendations on strategies, including possible pilot projects, that may be employed regarding the provision of medical interpretation services for Medi-Cal beneficiaries with limited English proficiency (LEP), in compliance with applicable state and federal requirements. AB 635 also required DHCS to work with stakeholders to establish a pilot project in up to four separate sites to evaluate a mechanism to provide and improve medical interpretation services for LEP Medi-Cal beneficiaries.

Senate Bill 165

Senate Bill (SB) 165 (Atkins, Chapter 365, Statutes of 2019) amended California Welfare and Institutions Code (WIC) Section 14146 and 14146.5 to require DHCS to work with stakeholders to establish a pilot program at up to four sites to evaluate the provision of medical interpretation services for beneficiaries with LEP who are enrolled in Medi-Cal managed care plans and fee-for-service Medi-Cal. SB 165 also requires that the pilot project evaluate whether disparities in care are reduced for Medi-Cal beneficiaries with LEP compared with Medi-Cal beneficiaries who are proficient in English, whether the Medi-Cal managed care plans identify improvements in quality of care, and the utilization of medical interpreters by providers and Medi-Cal managed care plans.

Medical Interpreter Pilot Project

Medical Interpreter Pilot Project Request for Application (RFA) 21-10146

The California Department of Health Care Services is pleased to announce the language services contract awardees for the Medical Interpreter Pilot Project. Pursuant to Senate Bill (SB) 165 (Atkins, Chapter 365, Statutes of 2019) pilot site contractors will provide in-person and remote medical interpreter services to Medi-Cal beneficiaries with Limited English Proficiency (LEP) at four pilot sites that reflect linguistic and geographic diversity of California. An independent evaluation will be conducted to assess the interpreter services provided to Medi-Cal beneficiaries with LEP.

Medical Interpreter Pilot Project Pilot Site Clinics and Language Services Contractors

Medical Interpreter Pilot Project Evaluation

​​The University of California, Berkeley, Center for Health Care Organizational & Innovation Research (CHOIR) will conduct an independent​ evaluation to assess the interpreter services provided to Medi-Cal beneficiaries with LEP. The MIPP Evaluator role closely aligns with CHOIR's work supporting the translation of research evidence into state health policy and public health practice. CHOIR's MIPP Principal Investigator, Dr. Hector Rodriguez, also has specific expertise in meeting the health care needs of immigrant populations and measuring and improving patients' experiences of care and patient-reported outcomes. 

Effective Date and Sunset Clause

Effective January 1, 2017, the activities authorized under WIC Code Section 14146 were authorized to commence. SB 165 enables these activities to continue until the statute's sunset date, July 1, 2024, at which point the statute shall become inoperative and as of January 1, 2025, is repealed.​