What's happening
This bill requires insurance providers to maintain a public database listing the languages spoken by healthcare providers covered under their policies.
Why it matters
Improves healthcare access for non-English speakers. by making it easier for patients to find providers who speak their language, potentially reducing barriers to care and improving health outcomes for diverse communities.
Increases transparency from insurance companies. by requiring them to publicly list not just provider names and locations, but also specialties and spoken languages, empowering consumers to make more informed choices when selecting a provider.
Aligns state requirements with federal health reform. by directly referencing the language access provisions of the Affordable Care Act, ensuring that New York residents benefit from these protections regardless of changes at the federal level.
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Who cares
Insurers subject to federal foreign-language service requirements
They would have to maintain a database accessible to every customer, client or insured individual listing covered health care providers’ names, locations, specialties and languages spoken.
Insured patients seeking care in another language
They would gain access to a database identifying languages spoken by health care providers covered by their insurance policies.
Doctors and other covered health care providers
Their names, locations, specialties and languages spoken would be listed in the required insurer databases.
Headline styles
Require Language Services Directory
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
5 Multi-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
3994
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
January 31, 2019
Introduced by M. of A. WEPRIN -- Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of A. COOK, CRESPO, 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 are 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.
LBD07287-01-9
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.