On-Site Medical Interpreter Services in Denver, Colorado
We’ve blogged about on-site medical interpreter services in all foreign languages the context of medical malpractice. According to HIPAA’s notice of privacy practices (NPP), all notices of privacy must be written in plain, easy-to-understand language. But what happens when a hospital serves a number of non-English speaking patients – are they required to provide the NPP with a foreign language translation?
The answer to this question depends on several factors. Under HIPAA, a provider is not required to provide the NPP in the primary language of each of its patients. That being said, however, there are other applicable laws that may require the availability of NPPs with a foreign language translation. According to HPAA, the purpose of the NPP is to provide patients with information regarding their rights and protections. Although HPAA specifies only minimum requirements, if a patient is not able to understand the NPP, the act’s goal is undermined.
For this reason, foreign language translations of the NPP may be required under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, for example.