Health care coverage: language access.

Assembly Member Garcia's legislation establishes comprehensive language access requirements for California health plans and insurers, mandating qualified interpretation and translation services for individuals with limited English proficiency. The bill requires health plans and insurers to provide meaningful access through qualified interpreters, translated documents, and remote interpretation services at no cost to enrollees.

Under the new provisions, health plans and insurers must assess their enrollee populations' language needs and translate vital documents like applications, consent forms, and benefits notices into threshold languages based on enrollment size. Plans with over 1 million enrollees must translate materials into the top two non-English languages, while smaller plans have scaled requirements. The legislation prohibits requiring enrollees to provide their own interpreters or rely on untrained staff, family members, or minors except in emergencies.

The bill mandates specific quality standards for remote interpretation, including requirements for clear audio/video transmission and proper training for technology users. Health plans and insurers must notify enrollees about available language assistance through multiple channels, including enrollment materials, websites, and physical locations. Plans must also report on their language access policies and maintain language access coordinators.

Enforcement provisions allow regulators to impose penalties up to $5,000 per violation, or $10,000 for willful violations. The Department of Managed Health Care and Department of Insurance will conduct regular compliance audits and report findings to the Legislature biennially. The bill authorizes phased implementation to account for translation service availability and compliance costs.