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The Health Care Authority (HCA) is sending you this update covering new developments and reminders about interpreter services you, as a provider, can access for your Apple Health (Medicaid) patients.
Interpreters: Click on information for spoken and ASL interpreters to the right or scroll to the bottom of this newsletter.
- HCA released an RFP on 12/18/2017 to obtain a successful bidder for the face-to-face interpreting contract. Both are expected to be in effect July 1, 2018.
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Effective September 1, 2017, HCA notified Language Link to pay American Sign Language (ASL) interpreters for no-show and cancelled appointments with less than forty-eight (48) hours prior to the scheduled start time. This matches the Office of Deaf and Hard of Hearing (ODHH) payment process.
- Effective January 1, 2018, health care providers unable to obtain an ASL interpreter through Language Link will be reimbursed at the rates listed on the ODHH website for obtaining their own ASL interpreter.
If the ASL interpreter is not listed on the ODHH website, reimbursement will be the maximum per hour rate of $55.
- Beginning January 1, 2018, the reimbursement process for integrated managed care providers utilizing a private agency has been fully automated.
- For reimbursement, health care providers must follow the approved reimbursement process through Language Link.
North Central Region IMC providers in Chelan, Douglas, and Grant Counties joined this process effective January 1, 2018.
What does this mean?
Mental Health (MH) and Substance Use Disorder (SUD) providers in these counties will now be reimbursed when utilizing other agencies for scheduling interpreters for Medicaid clients if Language Link is unable to fill the request.
For more information on the reimbursement rates and process, check out our FIMC FAQ on the HCA Interpreter Services web page.
How do I join?
Be sure to sign up to access the Interpreter Services vendor, Language Link, to support your language needs. Language Link will assist you with obtaining access to their portal and scheduling a spoken or ASL interpreter either by phone, VRI or in person.
For questions about the program or to sign up as a participating provider, contact Language Link or email hcaproviders@ctslanguagelink.com.
Provider participation
Participation in this program is voluntary. By choosing to use HCA’s state-paid interpreter services, you must follow the program policies and guidelines. Additional information can be found on HCA’s Newsletter, sent September 15, 2017.
Check-in and check-out process
As the authorized requestor for interpreter services, you must remember to always check your interpreter in for an appointment and out when the appointment is completed.
If the interpreter arrives for the scheduled appointment, and the client does not, remember to check this job as a last minute cancellation or a client no-show. An interpreter should never be checked in as having completed an appointment when the client is unavailable.
Information for spoken and ASL interpreters
Interested in contracting with Language Link and providing services through the HCA and DSHS Contract? Contact Language Link to sign up today.
Do not forget to review and submit all required documents.
As a Language Link contracted interpreter, you agree to provide interpreter services for health care or social service jobs through Language Link and abide by the rules and guidelines.
You can find additional information on HCA's webpage, September 15, 2017 Newsletter, or by contacting Language Link directly.
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