For Medicaid agencies, language barriers between staff and beneficiaries are a growing challenge.
Census data indicate that roughly 65 percent of limited-English proficient (LEP) resident families live below
the federal poverty threshold, making most eligible for state health insurance programs.
Unfortunately, state budgets for language services are limited and cannot support expanding programs for this growing,
diverse population. As with many federal and state programs, tighter budgets are making it difficult to
comply with Section 601 of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which mandates equal access for this population.
Despite guidance
from the Department of Health & Human Services, many Medicaid offices simply don’t
have the interpretation resources required to provide appropriate language assistance in their
geographic service area.