Medicaid Reimbursement of Interpretation Services
A.0733 (Gottfried) /S.3740-A (Duane)

August 13, 2009

This session, the Empire Justice Center and its partners New York Lawyers for the Public Interest (NYLPI) and the New York Immigration Coalition (NYIC) and a statewide coalition of health professionals, immigrants and limited English proficient (LEP) New Yorkers rallied support for the Medicaid reimbursement of interpreters bill A.0733 (Gottfried)/S.3740-A(Duane). 1

This important legislation will assist health care providers across New York State by enabling federal Medicaid reimbursement for interpretation services provided to limited English proficient (LEP) patients in hospital settings and diagnostic treatment centers, clinics, and community health centers.  When this legislation is passed, New York will join 12 states plus the District of Columbia that provide this type of interpreter reimbursement. 2 The Empire Justice Center, NYLPI , NYIC, Family Planning Advocates of NYS (FPA), Medicaid Matters New York (MMNY), and Make the Road New York (MRNY), among many other organizations included passage of these bills as a top legislative priority and a focus of their lobby efforts in Albany. 3  In addition, many health and advocacy groups sent letters and memorandum of support to Senate and Assembly members urging them to support and pass this bill.

Sponsored by Assembly Health Committee Chair, Dick Gottfried, the bill passed the Assembly Health Committee and was sent to Ways and Means. The Senate version of the bill, sponsored by Senate Health Committee Chair, Tom Duane made its way through the Senate Health Committee and then to Finance.  While the bill did not pass this legislative session, advocates and supporters are confident that it will pass next session.  This summer, advocates will be working with the New York State Department of Health to encourage them to include funding for this bill in the Executive Budget.

Footnotes      

1  http://assembly.state.ny.us/leg/?bn=A00733/ ; http://assembly.state.ny.us/leg/?bn=S03740
2  Medicaid and SCHIP Reimbursement Models for Language Services, National Health law Program (NHelp), 2007, http://www.healthlaw.org/images/stories/Medicaid_and_SCHIP_Reimbursement_Models_for_Language_Services_2009_update.pdf (As of April, 2007, 12 states plus the District of Columbia are paying for some language services for Medicaid and SCHIP enrollees.)
3  See FPA Press Release, Immigrant and Women of Color Urge Legislative Attention to Reproductive and Primary Health Care in NYS, Advocates Meet with More Than 35 Legislators Today on Language Access Bill A.733/S.3740, available at:  http://readme.readmedia.com/news/show/Immigrant-and-Women-of-Color-Urge-Legislative-Attention-to-Reproductive-and-Primary-Health-Care-in-NYS/586299