Proposed health care interpreter registry passes HHS committee

The health care system can be scary and confusing enough to patients, even to those who speak English. Now imagine the patient is unfamiliar not only with their illness, but with the language spoken by all of their doctors.

It’s up to health care language interpreters to help bridge the gap, and a bill aims to make sure those interpreters are up to snuff before new Americans entrust them with being a go-between in their relationship with their doctor.

The House Health and Human Services Reform Committee approved HF2023, as amended, on a voice vote late Tuesday, re-referring it to the House Government Operations and Elections Policy Committee.

Rep. Ilhan Omar (DFL-Mpls) sponsors the bill to create a registry of interpreters. If an interpreter wants to be registered, they’ll first need to pass a test in English on health care terms and interpreter ethics and standards, or demonstrate they’ve taken at least 40 hours of coursework.

Several interpreters from a variety of cultural backgrounds spoke in favor of the bill, saying it would help clamp down on errors and give patients confidence.

Mai Xia Lao, a Hmong interpreter, told of how her own father was once on the receiving end of a grievous translation error during a visit to the clinic. Her voice wavered as she explained how an interpreter botched the Hmong word for “liver,” replacing it with “heart,” so her dad thought he had a heart condition when he didn’t. Her father was well versed in how his condition worked, so he suspected something might be wrong and eventually got clarification – but a different patient might not be so lucky, Lao said.

“In my father’s case, one misinterpretation changed the mood, the setting, and the concerns of his health,” she said. “Can you imagine if there was an emergency case where a medication … needed to be given, and the interpreter misinterpreted the wrong condition?”

However, Michelle Livon, owner of Minneapolis-based interpreter company Multilingual Word, voiced concerns about the bill. She didn’t like the level of fees interpreters would have to pay to get into the registry, and the possibility that non-Minnesota interpreters doing tele-health across state lines wouldn’t be held to the same standards as in-state workers.

In addition to registered interpreters, the bill includes another tier called “certified interpreters.” To get this designation on the registry, interpreters would need to have a certification in health care interpreting from an organization specified by the Department of Health.

Omar’s bill, co-sponsored by three Republicans and two DFL members, would also create an advisory council to help shape future policy on health care interpreters.

The bill’s Senate companion is SF1708, sponsored by Sen. Melissa Wiklund (DFL-Bloomington). It awaits action by the Senate Judiciary and Public Safety Finance and Policy Committee.