Part II of II -  The Use of Foreign Language Interpreters:
                      Liability Risks and Cost Effective Options
November, 2001

In our last tip, we provided a general overview of both the legal and risk management issues involved in making available interpreter services for persons with limited English proficiency (LEP).  This tip is devoted to assisting you in ensuring legal compliance bearing in mind that the costs associated with providing this service have, and continue to be, a contentious issue among health care professionals.

According to the Office of Civil Rights' policy guidelines, serving LEP patients should include the following:

¨       maintaining policies and procedures for identifying and assessing the language needs of the patient population

¨       offering a range of oral language assistance options appropriate to each facility's circumstances

¨       notifying LEP persons of the right to free language assistance

¨       training and monitoring of staff

¨       providing written materials in languages other than English where a significant percentage of the affected patient population needs services or information in a language other than English to communicate effectively

NPM is assisting our practices by offering interpretive services in a more cost-effective manner.  NPM has contracted a special rate through Pacific Interpreters (PI) for NPM insureds.  Many of PI's customers have converted from face-to-face interpretations to over-the-telephone for many reasons, including cost reduction.  Here are a few examples of how these services differ and their cost implications:

Face-to-Face	Over-the-Telephone
$40.00/hour (minimum one hour)	$1.85/per minute
30-45 minute response time	Immediate-average connection time to interpreter 35 seconds
Charges begin at scheduled appointment time	Charged only for actual interpreter time on the call  [Avg. chargeable call: 10-12 min = $18.50-$22.20]
1 hour face-to-face = 30 minutes of actual interpreting time	Telephone = 100% interpreting time
If patient no-shows, charges will apply if appointment is not cancelled	No charge if patient no-shows
Higher potential for patient and interpreter to be acquainted - confidentiality risk	Interpreters located nationwide - minimal confidentiality risk

[The above rate schedule reflects the preferential pricing arrangement that NPM has with PI for NPM insureds through NPM's Practice Support Program.  See the Pacific Interpreters page for additional information about their services.) 

Additional information about PACIFIC INTERPRETERS:

PI's 24 x 7 foreign language interpreter services focus upon professional interpretation in the healthcare setting.  With 10 years of experience in this specialized industry, PI has a plethora of knowledge in helping control interpreter costs.

PI has seen many customers save thousands of dollars by utilizing telephone interpretation whenever possible.  Out of PI's daily encounters, 70% are performed via telephone with 30% involving face-to-face encounters.

Over-the-telephone interpretation complies with Title VI of the 1964 Civil Rights Act.  As a suggestion, if your organization is considering the telephone interpretation option, you might consider designating and equipping only one exam room with a speaker phone, thereby keeping your equipment costs to a minimum.

To find out more about how over-the-telephone interpreting services can benefit your practice, call Pacific Interpreters at 1-800-472-2434, extension 5612.