(a) The commissioner shall, on or before January 1, 2006, promulgate regulations applicable to all individual and group policies of health insurance establishing standards and requirements to provide insureds with appropriate access to translated materials and language assistance in obtaining covered benefits. A health insurer that participates in the Healthy Families Program may assess the Healthy Families Program enrollee population separately from the remainder of its population for purposes of subparagraph (A) of paragraph (3) of subdivision (b). An insurer that chooses to separate its Healthy Families Program enrollment from the remainder of its population shall treat the Healthy Families Program population separately for purposes of determining whether subparagraph (A) of paragraph (3) of subdivision (b) is applicable and shall also treat the Healthy Families Program population separately for purposes of applying the percentage and numerical thresholds in subparagraph (A) of paragraph (3) of subdivision (b).

(b) The regulations described in subdivision (a) shall include the following:

(1) A requirement to conduct an assessment of the needs of the insured group, pursuant to this subdivision.

(2) Requirements for surveying the language preferences and assessment of linguistic needs of insureds within one year of the effective date of the regulations that permit health insurers to utilize various survey methods, including, but not limited to, the use of existing enrollment and renewal processes, newsletters, or other mailings. Health insurers shall update the linguistic needs assessment, demographic profile, and language translation requirements every three years. However, the regulations may provide that the surveys and assessments by insurers of supplemental insurance products may be conducted less frequently than three years if the commissioner determines that the results are unlikely to affect the translation requirements.

(3) Requirements for the translation of vital documents that include the following:

(A) A requirement that all vital documents, as defined pursuant to subparagraph (B), be translated into an indicated language, as follows:

(i) A health insurer with an insured population of 1,000,000 or more shall translate vital documents into the top two languages other than English as determined by the needs assessment pursuant to paragraph (2) of subdivision (b) and any additional languages when 0.75 percent or 15,000 of the insured population, whichever number is less, indicates in the needs assessment pursuant to paragraph (2) of subdivision (b) a preference for written materials in that language.

(ii) A health insurer with an insured population of 300,000 or more but less than 1,000,000 shall translate vital documents into the top one language other than English as determined by the needs assessment pursuant to paragraph (2) of subdivision (b) and any additional languages when 1 percent or 6,000 of the insured population, whichever number is less, indicates in the needs assessment pursuant to paragraph (2) of subdivision (b) a preference for written materials in that language.

(iii) A health insurer with an insured population of less than 300,000 shall translate vital documents into a language other than English when 3,000 or more or 5 percent of the insured population, whichever number is less, indicates in the needs assessment pursuant to paragraph (2) of subdivision (b) a preference for written materials in that language.

(B) Specification of vital documents produced by the insurer that are required to be translated. The specification of vital documents shall not exceed that of the United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office for Civil Rights (OCR) Policy Guidance (65 Federal Register 52762 (August 30, 2000)), but shall include all of the following:

(i) Applications.

(ii) Consent forms.

(iii) Letters containing important information regarding eligibility or participation criteria.

(iv) Notices pertaining to the denial, reduction, modification, or termination of services and benefits, the right to file a complaint or appeal.

(v) Notices advising limited-English-proficient persons of the availability of free language assistance and other outreach materials that are provided to insureds.

(vi) Translated documents shall not include an insurer’s explanation of benefits or similar claim processing information that are sent to insureds unless the document requires a response by the insured.

(C) For those documents described in subparagraph (B) that are not standardized but contain insured specific information, health insurers shall not be required to translate the documents into the threshold languages identified by the needs assessment pursuant to paragraph (2) of subdivision (b) but rather shall include with the document a written notice of the availability of interpretation services in the threshold languages identified by the needs assessment pursuant to paragraph (2) of subdivision (b). A health insurer subject to the requirements in Section 10133.11 shall also include with the documents a written notice of the availability of interpretation services in the top 15 languages spoken by limited-English-proficient (LEP) individuals in California as determined by the State Department of Health Care Services.

(i) Upon request, the insured shall receive a written translation of those documents. The health insurer shall have up to, but not to exceed, 21 days to comply with the insured’s request for a written translation. If an enrollee requests a translated document, all timeframes and deadlines requirements related to the documents that apply to the health insurer and insureds under the provisions of this chapter and under any regulations adopted pursuant to this chapter shall begin to run upon the health insurer’s issuance of the translated document.

(ii) For appeals that require expedited review and response in accordance with the statutes and regulations of this chapter, the health insurer may satisfy this requirement by providing notice of the availability and access to oral interpretation services.

(D) A requirement that health insurers advise limited-English-proficient insureds of the availability of interpreter services.

(4) Standards to ensure the quality and accuracy of the written translation and that a translated document meets the same standards required for the English version of the document. The English language documents shall determine the rights and obligations of the parties, and the translated documents shall be admissible in evidence only if there is a dispute regarding a substantial difference in the material terms and conditions of the English language document and the translated document.

(5) Requirements for individual access to interpretation services that include the following:

(A) A requirement that an interpreter meets, at a minimum, all of the following qualifications:

(i) Demonstrated proficiency in both English and the target language.

(ii) Knowledge in both English and the target language of health care terminology and concepts relevant to health care delivery systems.

(iii) Adheres to generally accepted interpreter ethics principles, including client confidentiality.

(B) A requirement that the insured with limited English proficiency shall not be required to provide his or her own interpreter or rely on a staff member who does not meet the qualifications described in subparagraph (A) to communicate directly with the limited-English-proficient insured.

(C) A requirement that the insured with limited English proficiency shall not be required to rely on an adult or minor child accompanying the insured to interpret or facilitate communication except under either of the following circumstances:

(i) In an emergency, as described in Section 1317.1 of the Health and Safety Code, if a qualified interpreter is not immediately available for the insured with limited English proficiency.

(ii) If the individual with limited English proficiency specifically requests that the accompanying adult interpret or facilitate communication, the accompanying adult agrees to provide that assistance, and reliance on that accompanying adult for that assistance is appropriate under the circumstances.

(6) Standards to ensure the quality and timeliness of oral interpretation services provided by health insurers.

(c) In developing the regulations, standards, and requirements described in this section, the commissioner shall consider the following:

(1) Publications and standards issued by federal agencies, including the Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services (CLAS) in Health Care issued by the United States Department of Health and Human Services Office of Minority Health in December 2000, and the United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office for Civil Rights (OCR) Policy Guidance 65 (65 Federal Register 52762 (August 30, 2000)).

(2) Other cultural and linguistic requirements under state programs, including the Medi-Cal Managed Care Policy Letters, cultural and linguistic requirements imposed by the State Department of Health Care Services on health care service plans that contract to provide Medi-Cal managed care services, and cultural and linguistic requirements imposed by the Managed Risk Medical Insurance Board on health insurers that contract to provide services in the Healthy Families Program.

(3) Standards adopted by other states pertaining to language assistance requirements for health insurers.

(4) Standards established by California or nationally recognized accrediting, certifying, or licensing organizations and medical and health care interpreter professional associations regarding interpretation services.

(5) Publications, guidelines, reports, and recommendations issued by state agencies or advisory committees, such as the report card to the public on the comparative performance of plans and reports on cultural and linguistic services issued by the Office of Patient Advocate and the report to the Legislature from the Task Force on Culturally and Linguistically Competent Physicians and Dentists required pursuant to former Section 852 of the Business and Professions Code.

(6) Examples of best practices relating to language assistance services by health care providers and health insurers that contract for alternative rates of payment with providers, including existing practices.

(7) Information gathered from complaints to the commissioner and consumer assistance help lines regarding language assistance services.

(8) The cost of compliance and the availability of translation and interpretation services and professionals.

(9) Flexibility to accommodate variations in networks and method of service delivery. The commissioner shall allow for health insurer flexibility in determining compliance with the standards for oral and written interpretation services.

(d) In designing the regulations, the commissioner shall consider all other relevant guidelines in an effort to accomplish maximum accessibility within a cost-efficient system of indemnification. The commissioner shall seek public input from a wide range of interested parties.

(e) Services, verbal communications, and written materials provided by or developed by the health insurers that contract for alternative rates of payment with providers, shall comply with the standards developed under this section.

(f) Beginning on January 1, 2008, the department shall report biennially to the Legislature regarding health insurer compliance with the standards established by this section, including results of compliance audits made in conjunction with other audits and reviews. The department shall also utilize the reported information to make recommendations for changes that further enhance standards pursuant to this section. The commissioner shall work to ensure that the biennial reports required by this section, and the data collected for the reports, do not require duplicative or conflicting data collection with other reports that may be required by government-sponsored programs. The commissioner may also delay or otherwise phase in implementation of the standards and requirements in recognition of costs and availability of translation and interpretation services and professionals.

(g) This section does not prohibit government purchasers from including in their contracts additional translation or interpretation requirements, to meet the linguistic and cultural needs, beyond those set forth pursuant to this section.

(Amended by Stats. 2018, Ch. 92, Sec. 155. (SB 1289) Effective January 1, 2019.)