Providing Interpreters for Connecticut Medicaid Recipients

Seeking ways to provide culturally and linguistically appropriate health care to an increasingly diverse population is a growing policy concern. Communication is key to an effective doctor-patient relationship and high-quality care. Yet changing demographic and immigration patterns in the United States have produced a growing number of people who cannot easily access basic health services because they cannot adequately speak or understand English.

Limited English Proficiency (LEP) contributes to racial and ethnic disparities in health. Using trained interpreters in health care encounters can significantly improve access to high-quality care by facilitating accurate diagnosis, treatment, and followup. Because LEP is more predominant among people with low incomes, their need for interpreter services is particularly acute.

Mathematica conducted an evaluation for the Connecticut Health Foundation that sought to answer the following questions:

• How many Connecticut Medicaid recipients have limited proficiency in English?
• What levels of access to interpreter services exist for Connecticut Medicaid recipients who have limited proficiency in English?
• How much would it cost the state to pay for face-to-face interpreter services for all health care encounters with Medicaid recipients with LEP?

The study found that:

• Connecticut's Medicaid program covers 22,353 people with LEP.
• Limited English proficient Medicaid recipients use 4.6 percent of Medicaid services.
• Assuming that the state accesses matching federal funds, the total expense to the Connecticut Medicaid program would be $2.35 million for Medicaid managed care enrollees and $1.5 million for Medicaid fee-for-service enrollees.

A report and issue brief are available.

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