Chan Introduces Bill on Cultural and Linguistic Competency in Managed Care Plans
In January, Assemblywoman Wilma Chan (D-Oakland) introduced Assembly Bill (AB) 154. This bill would require health plans participating in the Healthy Families Program and in the Medi-Cal program to report on their compliance with existing language assistance and cultural competency requirements.
Language assistance and cultural competency in the provision of medical care is critical for the Healthy Families and Medi-Cal populations. Eighty-four percent of the 520,000 Healthy Families subscribers are racial/ethnic minorities; almost 50% speak a primary language other than English. Eighty percent of the three million Medi-Cal Managed Care beneficiaries are racial/ethnic minorities; nearly 45% speak a primary language other than English.
This bill would help determine if the diverse beneficiaries in the Healthy Families Program and Medi-Cal Managed Care are being provided language accessible and culturally competent medical care. It will identify areas in which health plans are not fully complying with existing requirements, as well as highlight innovative and effective programs that have been implemented.
For more information about the bill, please contact Ernest Tai, APIAHF Policy Director at 415-954-9988 or visit leginfo.ca.gov/bilinfo.html and search for "AB 154".
For more information, contact the APIAHF Policy Division staff:
Gem Daus, Legislative and Government Affairs Coordinator, GDaus@apiahf.org
