Language Access Checklist for Marketplace Implementation

One in four consumers who will apply for health coverage through the new health insurance marketplaces speak a language other than English at home. The Affordable Care Act and federal civil rights laws require marketplaces to provide language services for people with limited English proficiency (LEP). It is critical that marketplaces develop robust standards to ensure that these language services enable LEP consumers to successfully enroll in, use, and retain coverage. This checklist provides a list of recommendations that advocates can use to encourage their states to address the needs of LEP consumers in their health insurance marketplace.