Policy Changes Threaten Healthcare Access for Non-English Speakers

Updated May⁣ 31, 2025

San Francisco — Recent ⁤federal policy shifts and funding cuts are reducing healthcare access for individuals with ⁤limited English proficiency, according to health nonprofits and medical interpreters. The changes have led to the elimination of community worker positions in California,‍ impacting assistance for⁤ non-English speakers navigating the healthcare system and signing up for insurance coverage.

Simultaneously occurring, healthcare advocates report a decline in requests for language services, attributing this partly ⁤to immigration concerns and policy ⁣changes.Carol Wong,⁣ a senior rights attorney for Justice in Aging, warned that these ⁤changes could hinder access to⁢ essential benefits, particularly for children and seniors.

Census data indicates that nearly 69 million‍ people in the U.S. speak a language othre than English, with 26 million having limited English proficiency. A KFF Los Angeles ⁣Times survey revealed that immigrants with ⁣limited English proficiency⁤ face greater ⁤barriers to healthcare and experience poorer health outcomes.

Advocates fear that inadequate‍ support will increase the risk of medical errors, misdiagnosis, and neglect for millions. Past incidents,⁣ such as a ⁣coronavirus patient’s ⁣death due to communication barriers, highlight the potential consequences. A state website once erroneously ⁤stated in Spanish that the COVID-19 vaccine was unnecessary.

While⁢ past executive orders aimed to improve language access, recent policy changes have‍ scaled back these efforts. The Department of Homeland Security and the Social Security Administration have⁤ reportedly ‍reduced language services. The Justice Department ‍is reviewing its language access plan, though a link to the plan is currently broken.

Mara Youdelman, a managing director at the National Health ⁣Law Program, emphasized the importance of public input when making changes that affect communication access. She noted that⁤ hospitals and healthcare providers are still required to provide language assistance at no cost to patients, nonetheless⁢ of federal policies.

Youdelman added, “English can be the official language and people still have a ⁤right to get language services when thay go to access health care. Nothing in the executive order changed the actual law.”

Despite federal uncertainty, some states are expanding⁣ their language access requirements. California ⁣lawmakers⁤ are considering legislation to establish a language access director, mandate ⁤human review of AI translations, and⁢ improve language needs assessments.

Jake Hofstetter, a policy analyst at the Migration Policy⁤ Institute, stated⁤ that state and local access laws are increasingly important given the uncertainty at the federal level.

While some local departments report ⁤no impact from ⁣federal changes, others ⁤have experienced reductions. The Fresno ⁤County Department ⁢of Public Health cut community health workers by more than ⁢half,⁣ reducing the availability of navigators who speak various languages.

Mary Anne Foo, executive director‍ of the Orange County Asian and Pacific Islander Community ⁤Alliance, saeid ⁤that federal funding freezes will force the institution to let ⁣go of bilingual therapists, psychiatrists, and case managers, impacting services for over 80,000 patients.

“We can only keep them through June 30,” ⁤Foo said. “We’re still trying to figure ⁢it out ⁣— if we⁣ can cover people.”

What’s next

Advocates will continue to monitor the impact of policy changes on healthcare access for individuals with limited English proficiency,pushing for state and‍ local initiatives to bridge the ‍gap in services.