Cultural and Linguistic Services

The Alliance offers interpreter services for eligible Alliance members with limited English proficiency (LEP) or who are deaf or hard of hearing. All services are free of charge to providers and members.

To request language assistance materials, please contact Provider Services at 800-700-3874, ext. 5504.

To learn how to best work with an interpreter, review these tips for working with interpreters courtesy of Language Line Solutions.

Providers may directly access a telephonic interpreter 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Brief the interpreter about the type of call and summarize what you wish to accomplish. Provide special instructions as needed.

Pacific Interpreters

Offers over 200 foreign languages, including indigenous languages.

1. Dial the toll-free number: 855-469-5222.
2. Provide the Alliance access code: 844038.
3. At the prompt select desired language:
   1 – For Spanish.
   6 – For all other languages or Customer Service Associate.
4. Provide the following:
   • Language needed.
   • Caller’s first name.
   • Doctor’s last name and company name.
   • City.

To see a complete list of languages offered by Pacific Interpreters, view the over-the-phone interpreting language list.

CBDIO Interpreting

1. Specializes in indigenous languages from Mexico and Central America.Dial the toll-free number: 559-840-9384
2. Provide the Alliance access code: 844039.
3. Provide the following:
   • Member’s full name.
   • Member’s date of birth.
   • Member’s phone #
   • Desired indigenous language, including name of town, district, and state, if possible (e.g. San Miguel Cuevas, Juxtlahuaca, Oaxaca)
   • Caller’s first name.
   • Doctor’s last name or office name.
   • Appointment time and date.

Note: For an indigenous telephonic interpreter services request, please call ahead to schedule for an interpreter.

Face-to-face interpreter services are for Alliance-covered services and only when the following situations are present:

• Members who are deaf or hearing-impaired.
• End-of-life issues.
• Abuse or sexual assault issues.
• Complex procedures or courses of therapy.

Prior approval is required to access all face-to-face interpreter services. There are two ways to request a face-to-face interpreter:

• Complete the Face-to-Face Interpreter Request Form and submit by fax to 831-430-5850.
• Call the Alliance Health Education Line at 800-700-3874, ext. 5580.

Face-to-face interpreter requests should be made within 5-7 business days for all American Sign Language (ASL) requests and within 7-10 business days for all non-ASL requests.

Note that all non-ASL requests require additional medical documentation to establish eligibility.

Providers may also use the Hearing or Speech Assistance Line at 800-735-2922 (English) or 800-855-3000 (Spanish) to communicate with a hearing-impaired member via phone. Please see our Interpreter Services Provider Quick Reference Guide for more information on our telephonic and face-to-face interpreting services, including the access codes and request process.

Federal and state laws require medical providers to offer qualified interpreters when needed. Using an untrained interpreter may result in miscommunication of medical information, compromising quality of care. For this reason, the Alliance discourages providers from using family members or any unqualified personnel as interpreters.

Per federal and state regulations and Alliance contracts, Alliance medical providers must abide by the following:

• Offer LEP and hearing-impaired patients a qualified interpreter at no cost to the patient.
• Do not require patients to bring their own interpreters or suggest that they use a friend or family member to interpret.
• Document every patient’s language in the medical record.
• Document in the medical record if the patient refuses an interpreter and prefers to use a family member or friend.

Providers may use this label template to document a patient’s preferred language and/or refusal of interpreter services.

For more information on nondiscrimination and language assistance requirements, please visit the California Department of Health Care Services and the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services.

The Alliance values feedback from our providers about how we can improve our Cultural and Linguistic Services Program. You can submit your suggestions in any of the following ways:

• Email [email protected].
• Call the Alliance Health Education Line at 800-700-3874, ext. 5580.
• Call Provider Services at 800-700-3874, ext. 5504.

To report any concerns or issues with our language assistance services, please complete our Interpreter Services Quality Assurance Form and fax to the Health Education team at 831-430-5852.