Sixth National Conference on Quality Health Care for Culturally Diverse Populations: Main Conference Concurrent Workshops Advocacy Efforts to Seek Federal Funding for Language Assistance Services
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Special Session I Language access policy: Laws, funding, and certification

Advocacy Efforts to Seek Federal Funding for Language Assistance Services
Monday, September 22, 2008: 4:15 PM-6:00 PM, Minn Marriott, 8th Floor - Wayzata/Gray's Bay
There is little dispute about the benefits of providing language assistance services, such as interpreters or translated materials, to limited-English proficient patients.  However, providers often cite the costs of such services as a barrier to providing interpreter and translation services.   There is a federal funding source to pay for these services under the Medicaid and State Children’s Health Insurance Program, yet only fourteen states and the District of Columbia are taking advantage of these federal dollars.  Advocates in several states, such as California and New York, are trying to get their states to seek federal reimbursement for language services.  This workshop will explore possible advocacy efforts, both administrative and legislative, as well as examine what currently funded states are doing and the relevant issues that are raised when considering an effective language access program for the state.

Presentation Information:

Program: Main Conference Concurrent Workshops
Primary Category: Language Access
Subtopics: Federal, State, Interpreter training, assessment and certification, Funding

Region Addressed by Presentation: US - California
Organization: Advocacy Organization
Population/Demographic: Limited-English Proficient Pop.

Doreena Wong, JD , National Health Law Program, Los Angeles, CA
    Staff Attorney
    National Health Law Program
    2639 S. La Cienega Blvd.
    Los Angeles CA, USA 90034

    Phone: 310-204-6010
    Fax: 310-204-0891
    Email Address: wong@healthlaw.org

    Biographical Sketch:     Doreena Wong is a staff attorney at the National Health Law Program ("NHeLP"), which is a national public interest law firm working to increase and improve access to quality health care on behalf of limited income people by providing legal analysis and representation, information, education, and policy advocacy. She provides support to the Health Consumer Alliance, a partnership of consumer assistance programs operated by community-based legal services organizations whose purpose is to help low-income people obtain essential health care. She places a special focus on increasing the provision of culturally and linguistically appropriate health care services for immigrants and limited-English proficient populations. She has served on various advisory bodies and task forces, including the Office of Minority Health=s National Advisory Committee for the Development of Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services in Health Care and California=s Task Force on Culturally and Linguistically Competent Physicians and Dentists. She is currently one of the co-chairs of the Policy and Research Committee and on the Board of the National Council on Interpreting in Health Care, and serves on the Advisory Committee of the California Health Care Safety Net Institute’s Language Access Advisory Committee, the Advisory Group of the National Conference on Quality Health Care for Culturally Diverse Populations, and the Department of Health Services’ Task Force on Medi-Cal Language Access Services. Before coming to NHeLP, she worked in the area of civil rights for a number of public interest organizations including the Asian Law Caucus in San Francisco, CA, the ACLU of Philadelphia and Pennsylvania, the National Women's Law Center in Washington, D.C., and a Los Angeles civil rights firm specializing in enforcement of consent decrees in race discrimination cases. She graduated from New York University School of Law in 1987 as a second career after having worked as a health care professional for nine years.
Marty Martinez, MPP , California Pan-Ethnic Health Network, Oakland, CA
    Policy Director
    California Pan-Ethnic Health Network
    654 13th Street
    Oakland CA, USA 94612

    Phone: 510-8321160
    Fax: 510-832-1175
    Email Address: mmartinez@cpehn.org

    Biographical Sketch:     Marty Martinez is the policy director for the California Pan-Ethnic Health Network (CPEHN). He earned his Master of Public Policy from UC Berkeley, and worked in AIDS policy before joining CPEHN in 2001. Marty serves on numerous statewide taskforces and workgroups, and advocates and lobbies in Sacramento for improved health care. He works with CPEHN to hold the health care system accountable to ensure that all people, regardless of ethnicity, race, or culture, receive quality care and live healthy lives.
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