August 13, 2008 – The enrollee population assessments have been completed and the language assistance program filings have been done. So what’s next?

The Department of Managed Health Care’s January 1, 2009, requirement is the next phase in the SB 853 implementation timeline. Health plans must fully implement their language assistance programs by this date to be compliant with the regulations. Additionally, the California Department of Insurance’s implementation deadline is April 1, 2009.

On the translation side, to meet the DMHC deadline requirement, California Health Plans must be ready on New Year’s Day with the following:

• Written translations of all vital documents in the identified threshold languages.
• The capability to produce – within 21 days of request by a member – translations of vital documents that contain enrollee-specific information.
• Policies for ensuring translators’ proficiency.

Avantpage can help you and your delegated providers fully comply with SB 853 with our one-stop shop translation solution:

• Threshold language teams
• High-volume capacity
• Quick turnarounds
• HIPAA compliance
• Contractor service agreements with our linguists
• Translation, back translation, and translation certificates (attestations)
• Ability to work in any medium, including desktop publishing software and websites
• Support for delegated providers
• 24-hour online translation management tools

Avantpage has the expertise, experience, and tools to ensure your language assistance plan is fully compliant and executed successfully.

Start now to meet the January 1, 2009, deadline. Contact us today at 530-750-2040, we’ll give you a FREE Spanish translation and we’ll get you compliant on time!