AB 2392 Summary

• Establishes the CommuniCal program, administered by a third-party broker, to provide and reimburse medical interpretation services to limited English proficient Medi-Cal beneficiaries beginning July 1, 2013.

• Creates the State Personnel Board as the certifying body for CommuniCal Certified Medical Interpreters (CCMIs), requiring Spanish-language interpreters to pass an exam and be registered by July 1, 2013, with standards for other languages determined by the same date.

• Grants CCMIs collective bargaining rights through an exclusive labor organization on matters including interpreter reimbursement rates, registry maintenance, certification standards, and quality standards, administered by the Public Employment Relations Board.

• Establishes the CommuniCal Program Fund in the State Treasury to receive federal Medicaid matching funds and state appropriations dedicated solely to funding the program.

• Specifies that CommuniCal shall provide in-person, telephonic, and video interpretation services, with in-person interpretation preferred for family meetings, difficult patients, treatment decisions, informed consent, psychiatric encounters, and end-of-life discussions.