viaLanguage Helps Facilitate Implementation of PPACA Requirements for Healthcare Organizations

Top Quote viaLanguage's healthcare translation services to aid organizations in providing culturally and linguistically appropriate information to their limited English speaking (LEP) communities. End Quote
  • Portland-Vancouver, OR-WA (1888PressRelease) February 22, 2011 - viaLanguage, a leading provider of global healthcare translation and localization services, is helping health plans and insurance issuers comply with the new interim final regulations (IFR) under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA). New rules under IFR require plans to provide notices to enrollees in a "culturally and linguistically appropriate manner." Additionally, healthcare organizations are required to meet the PPACA's full enforcement deadline of July 02, 2011.

    "Healthcare organizations today are faced with numerous challenges in providing language access services: compliance issues, increasing diversity, multiple languages, dwindling budgets, costs of hiring bilingual staff and other time-consuming matters," says Steve Vogeltanz, VP of Healthcare. "viaLanguage's goal is to reduce language barriers in healthcare by helping organizations cost-effectively reach language access goals in a streamlined fashion."

    According to the National Health Law Program (NHeLP), a public interest law firm working to advance access to quality healthcare and protect the legal rights of low-income and underserved people, "There are a number of provisions in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) that offer opportunities to specify that language services must be provided or require the provision of certain information in a culturally and linguistically appropriate manner. So what does this mean in practice? A lot is left to the Administration to determine as part of ACA implementation. But that offers many opportunities to influence implementation and improve language services."

    Low-income Americans, racial and ethnic minorities, and other underserved populations often have higher rates of disease, fewer treatment options, and reduced access to care. They are also less likely to have health insurance than the population as a whole. By improving access to quality health care for all Americans, the Affordable Care Act will help reduce these health disparities. Vogeltanz says, "viaLanguage focuses on improving access to healthcare and helps organizations save money with online translation and localization, expert linguists and providing healthcare and compliance expertise."

    About viaLanguage
    viaLanguage is a leading provider of global healthcare translation and localization services. viaLanguage is committed to improving access to healthcare by removing language and cultural barriers that may prevent people from otherwise obtaining such care. Through the unique combination of its Online Language System (OLS), expert linguists and integration capabilities, viaLanguage offers organizations a comprehensive, affordable solution for meeting today's increasing need for effective multilingual communications. viaLanguage services are designed to help clients quickly and easily develop the very best multilingual Web sites, marketing materials, software applications and other global communications. Clients include: Blue Shield California, Regence, A-dec, HemCon Medical Technologies, Senior Whole Health, San Francisco Health Plan; as well as many hospitals, school districts and state governments. Headquarters are located at 700 SW Taylor Street, Suite 310 Portland, OR 97205-3016. For more information, visit vialanguage.com or call us at 503-243-2007.

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