Open Enrollment translation services: how to prepare your health plan materials
The U.S. Health Insurance Annual Enrollment Period (AEP) is coming up quickly, and health plans across the country are turning to Open Enrollment translation services to reach every member. Propio’s expert linguists are ready to help health plans translate Open Enrollment materials and can often accommodate fast turnaround times.
Why translate health plan content
Understanding and comparing various health plans can be complex without a language barrier, leaving limited English proficient (LEP) individuals with an even more significant challenge. Translating written materials isn’t just the right thing to do; it’s legally required by Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
There are four critical requirements that exchanges, qualified health plans, and web brokers registered for more than one year must meet under the ACA:
- Entities must provide translation services and interpreting services as needed by applicants and customers. This language support must be provided at no additional cost.
- Under current federal rules, covered entities must provide a Notice of Availability of language assistance services (which replaced earlier short tagline requirements) in English and the top 15 non-English languages spoken in the state or states where the organization operates. These notices inform members that free translation and interpreting services are available.
- Website content must be translated into languages spoken by LEP groups that make up 10% or more of a relevant state’s population. Qualified health plans only need to translate “critical” information. However, exchanges and web brokers must translate all web content “intended for qualified individuals, applications, employers and employees, and enrollees.”
- Health plans must ensure critical member communications, including claims, appeals, and summaries of benefits, include appropriate notices of language assistance for non-English speakers.
How to prepare translated materials for Open Enrollment
Here are a few ways your healthcare organization can get ready for the AEP by choosing to translate Open Enrollment materials ahead of time:
Analyze your content: Think about the different types of content you offer and the function each item serves. You can separate materials into categories such as:
- Client Support: Items related to marketing, membership, customer care, claims, pharmacy
- Digital Assets: Websites, social media, apps
- Documentation: Brochures, sales kits, enrollment materials/forms, welcome kits, information guides, summaries of benefits, evidence of coverage, annual notices of change
- Member Communication: Letters, emails, call centers, online chat
Choose a qualified translation partner: Investing in high-quality translation services can help you complete projects without worrying about potentially embarrassing mistakes. You need a language service provider (LSP) that offers translations and interpreting built for the healthcare industry, including:
- A thorough quality assurance process: Propio’s quality assurance process includes a second linguist reviewing the original translator’s work, followed by an overall review from your dedicated project manager.
- Secure handling of your data: The traditional translation industry practice is to email files to translators’ individual computers, where they are then worked on in external, potentially unsecured systems. Vendors should have safeguards in place, let you know who’ll have access to your documents, and confirm any third-party security accreditations.
- Long-term savings and consistency: Propio uses Translation Memory to store your past projects and incorporate matching content into future projects. This process saves you time and budget when refreshing translated materials for Open Enrollment each year.
- Fast turnaround for time-sensitive projects: Choose a partner who can help you complete projects quickly to meet your AEP deadlines. Make sure to ask about any fees for expedited projects.
- Support for your team: A dedicated project manager and account manager helps you build a strong relationship with your LSP. You should know who you can contact with questions about your translation projects.
Preparing your team for Open Enrollment
Planning ahead for translation services and interpreting services gives your team the runway to meet AEP deadlines without sacrificing quality. Whether you’re refining your language access strategy for the first time or refreshing translated materials for another year, Propio’s linguists and account teams are ready to help your healthcare organization support every member, in every language spoken.
For a deeper look at building a multilingual communication strategy for Open Enrollment, check out Propio’s guide, How to Keep Multilingual ACA Members Informed During Open Enrollment.
