California’s Physician Groups Support State Regulation that Requires HMOs to Provide Translation Services to Patients

In response to a recent announcement by Director Cindy Ehnes from the Department of Managed Health Care about new rules requiring California HMOs to provide translation services for patients with limited English ability, Donald Crane, President and CEO of the California Association of Physician Groups (CAPG), issued the following statement:

“We applaud Director Ehnes and DMHC for their leadership on this issue. California is the most diverse state in the nation and it is only fitting that our health care providers can communicate effectively with their patients. As California’s largest network of healthcare providers, CAPG’s doctors have provided translation assistance and other culturally competent healthcare services to their patients since their inception in 2003. In addition, California’s physician groups constantly strive to provide the highest quality care to their patients. CAPG works with their physician groups’ key strength — coordinated approaches to population care — to overcome the clinical, economic, and community consequences of health disparities. The organization promotes expanded education of healthcare professionals in cultural responsiveness, engagement of practitioners with special knowledge, development of expanded community networks, and collaboration with government, academic, and professional organizations with similar interests. We look forward to sharing our experiences and established practices with DMHC and other healthcare leaders in order to ensure that language and cultural differences are never barriers to quality care.”