Health Equity: Meaningful Access to Health Care Services for Persons with Limited English Proficiency, or Meaningful Language Access (MLA)
For the 2021 measurement year, the OHA has introduced a new incentive metric: Health Equity: Meaningful Access to Health Care Services for Persons with Limited English Proficiency, or Meaningful Language Access (MLA). The measure is incentivizing the use of qualified and certified healthcare interpreters and translators. Implementation is structured on a three-year glide path to allow time for the development and integration of CCO and provider/clinic infrastructure to improve access to certified and qualified healthcare interpreters and be able to report use of those services at the member level. There are two components to the measure, an attestation of the CCO’s and its network’s ability to provide interpretation services as well as reporting use of these services. In year one (2021), CHA is responsible for completion of the attestation and development of its reporting infrastructure. In year two and three (2022 and 2023), in addition to CHA’s completion of the attestation, both CHA and providers are expected to report on the proportion of spoken and sign language interpreter needs that are fulfilled by certified and qualified interpreters. In year two (2022), the data report mirrors CHA’s quarterly contract reporting structure and includes a chart review of a sample population. Please contact qualitymanagement@cascadecomp.com for more information or a copy of the measure specifications.