Language Access Impacts Health Outcomes
The federal Affordable Care Act (ACA) is the 2010 health care reform law that addresses health insurance coverage, health care costs, and preventive care. Minnesota created MNSure as a one-stop State-Based Marketplace (SBM) resource for enrollees to choose health insurance coverage and has a limited English proficiency (LEP) policy to ensure LEP individuals have meaningful access to information and services. MNSure offers language support in 15 languages on its website and is one of four SBM’s that collects language data for other household members seeking coverage as part of the application process, which can help shape and improve language support for enrollees. LEP individuals disproportionately experience gaps in health insurance and access to care, and data shows that removing language barriers may improve both outcomes.
MNSure-certified brokers and navigators are program assisters who provide free enrollment help and facilitate interpreting and translation services for LEP individuals as needed. Our professional interpreters provide language support to assistors at the request of the MNsure Accessibility and Equal Opportunity (AEO) office.
We look forward to working with MNSure’s assisters and this important health insurance delivery program.