telehealth foreign language LanguageLine

Medicare telehealth coverage enables beneficiaries to receive a wider range of healthcare services from their doctors without having to travel to a healthcare facility.

Doctors, nurse practitioners, clinical psychologists, and licensed social workers offer telehealth to Medicare beneficiaries. Beneficiaries may receive telehealth services to any healthcare facility, including a physician’s office, hospital, nursing home, or rural health clinic, as well as their homes.

What Services May Medicare Beneficiaries Receive?

Medicare beneficiaries may receive various services through telehealth, including common office visits, mental health counseling, and preventive health screenings. 

What if a Caregiver Wants to Conduct a Telehealth Appointment with a Patient Who Does Not Speak English?

Telehealth does not exclude non-English speakers. Solutions are available that provide effective communication to those who speak foreign languages. The appropriate solution depends on if the telemedicine appointment is being conducted via phone or video.

What if the Appointment Is Conducted by Phone?

Professional medical interpreters are available on-demand with LanguageLine(R). We have a team of more than 20,000 medical interpreters who are available 24 hours a day in more than 240 languages, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. These interpreters can be reached in 30 seconds or less from a conventional phone, mobile device, or computer.

What if the Appointment Is Conducted Via a Video-Conferencing Platform?

Caregivers are conducting telehealth appointments via video-conferencing platforms like Zoom, GoToMeeting, WebEx, and Skype, as well as platforms designed specifically for telemedicine.

Interpreters can be involved in calls like these so long as the platform can place an outbound call to an 800 number. Most have this capability. If so, both the physician and the patient will be able to hear the LanguageLine interpreter. 

Accessing audio interpretation in this manner is typically uncomplicated, though some support may be needed depending on the platform. LanguageLine is pleased to provide this support as necessary.

Read More: eBookTelehealth and the Vital Role of Language Access

LanguageLine Can Help

LanguageLine has been the world leader in innovative language-access solutions since 1982. The company sets the global standard for phone, video, and onsite interpreting, as well as translation of the written word. LanguageLine is trusted by more than 30,000 clients to enable communication with the limited English proficient, Deaf, and Hard of Hearing communities. LanguageLine provides the industry’s fastest and most dependable access to more than 35,000 professional linguists in 290-plus languages — 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. Please do not hesitate to contact us.

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