21-690m Help Meet Members' Language Needs with New Requirements
Date: 09/30/21
This information applies to Physicians, Participating Physician Groups (PPGs), Hospitals, and Ancillary providers.
This information applies to Medi-Cal in Fresno, Kings and Madera counties.
The Language Assistance Program (LAP) makes it easy for you to follow language service requirements
Our LAP supports members who have limited English proficiency (LEP), have hearing impairment or have low vision. The LAP requires contracted providers to adhere to the requirements outlined in this update.
Get member consent for video interpretation
As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, Executive Order N-43-20 advised that providers did not need to obtain verbal/written consent prior to the delivery of health care via telehealth. However, an additional executive order suspended waiving consent. Effective September 30, 2021, you must once again obtain verbal/written consent for telehealth.
When conducting video remote interpretation, you must document member consent in the member record notes. To meet the requirement, the member’s request for a video interpreter can serve as their permission to provide video interpretation.
Translation of non-discrimination notices
Effective October 7, 2021, Department of Health Care Services All Plan Letter (APL) 21-004 requires the non-discrimination notice (NDN) sent with every communication to the member be provided in the member’s preferred threshold language. For example, if the member’s preferred threshold language is Spanish, both the communication and the NDN must be in Spanish.
A copy of CalViva Health’s NDN in threshold languages and the CalViva Health language assistance taglines that must accompany the NDN are accessible in the Medi-Cal Provider Library under Forms and References. Select Non-discrimination Notice and Taglines (CalViva) (PDF).
To access the Provider Library, use one of the following two options.
Option 1 – Log on to the provider website
- From the home page, scroll to the bottom and select the Provider Library tile.
Option 2 – Go directly to the Provider Library
Learn more about members’ demographics
The chart below shows our membership demographics by gender. We are providing this as part of plan requirements through the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) Multicultural Healthcare Distinction accreditation program.
| Membership by gender | Membership with limited English proficiency by gender |
|---|---|
| Female: 54%, Male: 46% | Female: 54%, Male: 46% |
Additional information
Providers are encouraged to access the provider portal for real-time information, including eligibility verification, claims status, prior authorization status, plan summaries, and more.
If you have questions regarding the information contained in this update, contact CalViva Health at 888-893-1569.