Language Access for Medicare Beneficiaries Act of 2023

12/21/2024, 9:05 AM

Language Access for Medicare Beneficiaries Act of 2023

This bill requires the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to translate the annual explanation of Medicare benefits for enrollees into multiple languages, besides English and Spanish. The CMS must prioritize languages into which Social Security documents are translated or that are most frequently requested for purposes of Social Security benefits applications.

Bill 118 hr 420, also known as the Language Access for Medicare Beneficiaries Act of 2023, aims to improve language access for Medicare beneficiaries who have limited English proficiency. The bill recognizes the importance of providing language assistance services to ensure that all Medicare beneficiaries can effectively communicate with healthcare providers and understand their healthcare options.

Under this bill, Medicare providers would be required to offer language assistance services, such as interpretation and translation services, to beneficiaries who have limited English proficiency. This would help to ensure that these individuals can fully participate in their healthcare decisions and receive the care they need.

Additionally, the bill would establish a grant program to help healthcare providers cover the costs of providing language assistance services. This would help to alleviate the financial burden on providers and ensure that language access services are readily available to all Medicare beneficiaries. Overall, the Language Access for Medicare Beneficiaries Act of 2023 seeks to improve healthcare access and outcomes for Medicare beneficiaries with limited English proficiency by ensuring that they have access to the language assistance services they need to effectively communicate with their healthcare providers.
Congress
118

Number
HR - 420

Introduced on
2023-01-20

# Amendments
0

Sponsors
+5

Cosponsors
+5

Variations and Revisions

1/20/2023

Status of Legislation

Bill Introduced
Introduced to House
House to Vote
Introduced to Senate
Senate to Vote

Purpose and Summary

Language Access for Medicare Beneficiaries Act of 2023

This bill requires the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to translate the annual explanation of Medicare benefits for enrollees into multiple languages, besides English and Spanish. The CMS must prioritize languages into which Social Security documents are translated or that are most frequently requested for purposes of Social Security benefits applications.

Bill 118 hr 420, also known as the Language Access for Medicare Beneficiaries Act of 2023, aims to improve language access for Medicare beneficiaries who have limited English proficiency. The bill recognizes the importance of providing language assistance services to ensure that all Medicare beneficiaries can effectively communicate with healthcare providers and understand their healthcare options.

Under this bill, Medicare providers would be required to offer language assistance services, such as interpretation and translation services, to beneficiaries who have limited English proficiency. This would help to ensure that these individuals can fully participate in their healthcare decisions and receive the care they need.

Additionally, the bill would establish a grant program to help healthcare providers cover the costs of providing language assistance services. This would help to alleviate the financial burden on providers and ensure that language access services are readily available to all Medicare beneficiaries. Overall, the Language Access for Medicare Beneficiaries Act of 2023 seeks to improve healthcare access and outcomes for Medicare beneficiaries with limited English proficiency by ensuring that they have access to the language assistance services they need to effectively communicate with their healthcare providers.
Alternative Names
Official Title as IntroducedTo amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide for enhanced Medicare beneficiary information through access to annual Medicare notifications in multiple languages.

Policy Areas
Health

Potential Impact
Foreign language and bilingual programs
Health information and medical records
Medicare
Social security and elderly assistance

Comments

Recent Activity

Latest Summary2/9/2023

Language Access for Medicare Beneficiaries Act of 2023

This bill requires the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to translate the annual explanation of Medicare benefits for enrollees into multiple languages, ...


Latest Action12/17/2024
Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.