Healthcare

Section 1557 requires hospitals, health plans and clinics that receive HHS funding to take reasonable steps to give people with limited English proficiency (LEP) meaningful access. Under the May 2024 rule (45 CFR part 92), that means qualified interpreters and translators at no cost to the patient, a notice in at least 15 languages, written procedures and staff training.

Under the HHS Section 1557 rule, 45 CFR 92.201(c)(3), a covered health program that uses machine translation must have a qualified human translator review it when the text is critical to a person’s rights, benefits or meaningful access, when accuracy is essential, or when the language is complex or technical. Other public agencies face fewer explicit rules.

Under the Section 1557 rule (45 CFR 92.4 and 92.201), qualified bilingual staff may speak directly with patients in the patient’s language. Only a qualified interpreter may interpret between a patient and an English-speaking provider. Family members, minors and untested staff may interpret only in narrow emergency or documented-request situations.