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NY A05225
Bill
Status
6/22/2009
Primary Sponsor
Thomas Alfano
Click for details
AI Summary
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Requires all general hospitals to provide language assistance services to patients and patient assistants who cannot effectively communicate in English, ensuring access to healthcare, billing, and appointment services.
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Mandates that language assistance be available at all hospital locations during all patient care hours, provided in person when practicable, with qualified interpreters, volunteers, or trained hospital staff who are fluent in both English and the relevant language.
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Requires hospitals to translate frequently used forms and essential written materials into all primary languages spoken by patients, where a primary language is defined as one used in at least one percent of patient visits or spoken by more than one percent of the hospital's service area population.
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Requires hospitals to develop comprehensive language assistance plans with uniform policies, staff training requirements, and procedures for documenting provision or refusal of services, and to submit annual compliance reports to the commissioner identifying primary languages and patient demographics.
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Requires hospitals to notify patients of available language assistance services through patient rights statements and conspicuous posted notices in all primary languages throughout the facility; takes effect 180 days after enactment.
Legislative Description
Requires hospitals to provide language assistance services to a patient or a patient's assistant for communication of clinical and other information, including but not limited to health care, billing and making appointments, to ensure effective communication; provides that such interpreter may be a qualified interpreter, volunteer or medical personnel at such hospital; provides for such services to be available at all locations during all times that patient care is available; provides that transactions of frequently used forms essential to a patient's care and treatment be available in all of the hospital's primary language; provides for training of those providing interpretation services; requires the hospital to submit to the commissioner an annual report assessing compliance; defines primary language and patient visits.
Last Action
REFERRED TO RULES
6/22/2010