Rep. Vargas Supports Bipartisan Bill to Increase Health Care Language Access and Reduce Costs
Media Contact: Anzueth Barela | (202) 225-8045 | Anzueth.Barela@mail.house.gov
WASHINGTON, D.C. (October 23, 2023) – Today, Rep. Vargas supported Rep. Steel’s bill known as the Supporting Patient Education and Knowledge (SPEAK) Act of 2023. This will require the Secretary of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra, to create a task force with stakeholders dedicated to improving language access in health care for Americans with limited English proficiency. The task force would develop recommendations and best practices for addressing barriers for people with limited English proficiency which would lead to improved patient outcomes and reduced associated costs.
“Language barriers should not prevent people from receiving the healthcare they rightfully deserve," said Vargas. "I am proud to support Rep. Steel’s bipartisan legislation to develop recommendations and best practices for patients seeking to navigate language differences in our healthcare system.”
“California’s 45th district is home to nearly 40% Asian Americans, many of which English is their second language,” said Steel. “As the daughter of a non-English speaking immigrant, I understand the need for an increase in translation options, especially in health care. Patients with limited English are at greater risk for medical errors and $1.7 billion in medical malpractice costs over five years could have been avoided with better patient communication. I am proud to lead the charge to help make it easier for all Americans to access health care services.”
Reps. Vargas (D-CA) and Steel (R-CA) were joined by Jimmy Gomez (D-CA), Juan Ciscomani (R-AZ), Adriano Espaillat (D-NY), Tony Cardenas (D-CA), Monica De La Cruz (R-TX), Young Kim (R-CA), Lou Correa (D-CA), Henry Cuellar (D-TX), Salud Carbajal (D-CA), and Judy Chu (D-CA).
"I represent a majority Spanish-speaking district, where many of my constituents may face barriers when accessing telehealth resources and other health care information technology. I believe that this task force will work to provide solutions to break down the language barrier in the Health Care Services Industry. With bipartisan effort, this is an issue that my colleagues and I can work to resolve," said De La Cruz.
“Despite the rapid expansion of telehealth in recent years and its potential to lower health care costs and improve patient outcomes, individuals and families with limited English proficiency face significant barriers to access these online services,” said Chu. “To help close the digital divide, I'm excited to collaborate on the SPEAK Act so that we can convene government, stakeholders, and health care workers and amplify the best telehealth care practices.”
“Language barriers should never deter someone from accessing health care,” said Ciscomani. “This bill spurs HHS to identify ways we can ensure that patients with limited English proficiency have the same understanding and receive the same quality of care as their counterparts.”
“No one should have to encounter language barriers when pursuing information about their health and well-being, particularly in a country as culturally and ethnically diverse as the United States,” said Gomez. “With nearly 350 languages spoken across the country, we have a collective responsibility to provide culturally accessible care. I’m proud to introduce this bill with Congresswoman Steel to expand language access, modernize our health care system, and underscore the idea that health care must be accessible to all who call our country home.”
“Access to health care remains a challenge for many underserved communities today, and limited language diversity in our systems only adds an additional barrier,” said Cárdenas. “The SPEAK Act is a bipartisan, common-sense solution that will improve access to critical health tools and technologies. By convening a task force to determine best practices to make health technologies more usable for the 25 million non-English speakers in the U.S., we will be able to maximize access to essential services like telehealth and patient portals and improve the quality of life for those we represent.”
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Congressman Vargas represents California’s 52nd Congressional District which includes portions of San Diego County, and a portion of California’s U.S.-Mexico border. Vargas was first elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2012 and is currently serving his sixth term in Congress. He serves on the House Financial Services Committee.