H&W: 2013 Cultural, Linguistical Appropriate Services
2013 Cultural, Linguistical Appropriate Services: The ACA requires group health plans and health insurance issuers to provide the summary of benefits and coverage (SBC) and uniform glossary in a culturally and linguistically appropriate manner. In addition, group health plans and health insurance issuers offering non-grandfathered health insurance coverage must provide relevant notices in a culturally and linguistically appropriate manner.
The regulations require these plans and issuers to make certain accommodations for notices sent to an address in a county meeting a threshold of 10 percent or more of people who are literate only in the same non-English language, as determined based on American Community Survey (ACS) data published by the United States Census Bureau.
As a reminder, in order to meet these requirements the plan or issuer must:
- Provide oral language services (such as a telephone customer assistance hotline) that include answering questions in any applicable non-English language and providing assistance with filing claims and appeals (including external review) in any applicable non-English language;
- Provide, upon request, a notice in any applicable non-English language; and
- Include in the English versions of all notices, a statement prominently displayed in any applicable non-English language clearly indicating how to access the language services provided by the plan or issuer.
The list of all counties which meet or exceed the 10 percent threshold for the 2007-2011 ACS data applicable for 2013 is now available. This list will be updated annually.
