What's happening
This bill requires insurance providers to maintain a public database listing healthcare providers who offer foreign language services.
Why it matters
Improves transparency and access. By requiring insurers to publicly list providers who offer services in foreign languages, patients with limited English proficiency can more easily identify healthcare professionals who can communicate in their preferred language, potentially reducing misunderstandings and improving care.
Supports compliance with federal law. The bill aligns state insurance requirements with federal mandates from the Affordable Care Act, which aim to expand access and reduce disparities in healthcare for non-English speakers.
Facilitates more informed healthcare choices. The database, including provider names, locations, specialties, and languages spoken, empowers consumers to make better decisions when choosing doctors, increasing the likelihood of receiving culturally and linguistically appropriate care.
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Who cares
Headline styles
List Doctors by Language Spoken
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
History
- Referred to insurance
- Referred to insurance
Companion bill
The same bill in the other chamber. A bill becomes law when one version passes both houses and the governor signs it, so either number can carry it.
List Doctors Who Speak Languages
In Senate Committee · Insurance · Sponsor Leroy Comrie
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
5408
2017-2018 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
February 8, 2017
Introduced by M. of A. WEPRIN -- Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of A. COOK, CRESPO, HOOPER, MOYA, PERRY, RAMOS, RIVERA -- read once and referred to the Committee on Insurance
AN ACT to amend the insurance law, in relation to maintaining a database of certain foreign language services as required by federal health care reform laws
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Section 3102 of the insurance law is amended by adding a new subsection (g) to read as follows:
(g) Foreign language services database requirement. The provider of any insurance policy required under the United States Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (Pub. L. No. 111-148, 124 Stat. 119 (2010)) and the United States Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 (Pub. L. No. 111-152, 124 Stat. 1029 (2010)) to provide foreign language services shall maintain a database, available to every customer, client or insured individual under such provider's policies. Such database shall contain the name, location, specialty and languages spoken by doctors, physicians and other health care providers covered by such insurance provider's policies.
§ 2. This act shall take effect on the one hundred twentieth day after it shall have become a law. Effective immediately, the addition, amendment and/or repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the implementation of this act on its effective date is authorized to be made on or before such date.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD00346-01-7
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.