CA AB505

Requires all Medi-Cal managed care plans to provide language assistance services (oral interpretation and translation) to limited-English-proficient beneficiaries enrolled in managed care.

Mandates 24-hour oral interpretation services in any language at key points of contact for all managed care plans.

Establishes numeric thresholds for when translation services must be provided: either a population of at least 3,000 or 5 percent of beneficiaries (whichever is fewer) with a primary language other than English, or 1,000 beneficiaries in a single ZIP Code or 1,500 in two contiguous ZIP Codes.

Requires the State Department of Health Care Services to determine language group eligibility when a county becomes managed care, a new mandatory population begins enrollment, or three years have passed since the last determination.

Excludes mental health plans contracting with the department from these requirements.