Wiki Medical Translator

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KolarSue

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Who is responsible for paying for a medical translator in a 2 physician, one office practice?
Is it the patient (who needs the translator) or the provider?
We do not receive federal assistance. I have reviewed the ACA section 1557 but it does not state who is responsible for paying the translator. Thank you.
 
I believe the law states that it applies to any entity that receives funding from the Federal government, not solely those getting Federal assistance. So if your office receives any Medicare or TRICARE payments, for example, then it would apply.

This is really a legal question and I'm not an attorney so you shouldn't rely on information in this post to make your decision, but I'd strongly advise against requiring the patient to pay for these services. Even if your practice happens to be exempt from the ACA regulations, there may be other laws, including state and local anti-discrimination regulations, that you could be violating here. Run this by your practice attorney if your office is seriously considering not covering the costs of the translators.
 
Last edited:
thomas7331 said:
I believe the law states that it applies to any entity that receives funding from the Federal government, not solely those getting Federal assistance. So if your office receives any Medicare or TRICARE payments, for example, then it would apply.

This is really a legal question and I'm not an attorney so you shouldn't rely on information in this post to make your decision, but I'd strongly advise against requiring the patient to pay for these services. Even if your practice happens to be exempt from the ACA regulations, there may be other laws, including state and local anti-discrimination regulations, that you could be violating here. Run this by your practice attorney if your office is seriously considering not covering the costs of the translators.
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That would be a valid point; I was only thinking of grants, etc. Not actual Medicare or other gov't programs. Thank you for this information. It is helpful.
 
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