Engaging Multicultural Members: Healthcare Open Enrollment

It’s that time of year when hundreds of healthcare benefits companies across the US are gearing up for the annual enrollment period. Given the increasing diversity of members, it’s both a moral and business imperative to present this critical information in the language of the member’s choice and to ensure that it is accessible. Providing linguistically and culturally appropriate language services, including accessible content, can directly correlate to higher member engagement and turnout.

Targeting multicultural communities and those with disabilities is essential from a regulatory standpoint. Federal civil rights laws like Section 1557 of the ACA and Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 require that healthcare organizations provide information to individuals with limited English language proficiency (LEP) in the languages they prefer. In addition, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 were created to assist those with disabilities.

Patients who are not native English speakers are less likely to seek preventive care and public health services. In addition, LEP patients without an interpreter have longer hospital stays and an increased risk of surgical delays due to language barriers. Addressing these barriers, and providing language services, helps to reduce the social determinants that stem from language and culture, improving individuals’ access to quality healthcare.

A language service provider (LSP) can help healthcare plan organizations prepare for open enrollment that naturally includes their entire targeted membership population. Here are some ways healthcare organizations and their LSP can authentically engage LEP and disability populations.

Identify Languages and Analyze Materials for Translation

To get started, research languages and analyze materials for translation.

Research Languages

The regulations implementing Section 1557 of the ACA require “covered entities to post – in their significant publications and communications – nondiscrimination notices in English, as well as taglines in at least the top 15 languages spoken by individuals with limited English proficiency (LEP) in the State(s) served.”

In addition, your language services partner can assist.

Identify and Prioritize Materials for Translation

Conduct a content audit and identify the breadth of content available to potential enrollees:

Marketing materials – membership forms, member testimonials, customer care, etc.
Documentation – welcome kits, summary of benefits and coverage, evidence of benefits, annual notices of change, etc.
Digital assets – websites, mobile apps, social media, and member portals
Communication – emails, newsletters, call center support, and chatbots

While it would be ideal, you don’t need to translate everything. When prioritizing content for translation, consider audience needs and feedback, regulatory requirements, key documents, educational content, and process documentation.

Meet Accessibility Needs

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), up to one in four US adults manage at least one disability. These include mobility, cognition, hearing, vision, self-care, and more. In addition, adults with disabilities are more likely to smoke, be obese, have diabetes, and/or experience heart disease. Yet those with disabilities face greater barriers to health care access. According to the CDC:

One in four adults with disabilities aged 18 to 44 do not have a consistent healthcare provider.
One in four adults with disabilities aged 18 to 44 had an unmet healthcare need in the past year due to cost.
One in five adults with disabilities aged 45 to 64 did not have a routine medical checkup in the past year.

To help reduce those barriers to healthcare access, healthcare organizations must make their content accessible and provide interpretation as needed (see the next section for interpreters) to best support open enrollment.

The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 provide details on making a website accessible. To learn more about these guidelines and how to make other types of content accessible, read our three-part blog series:

Provide Call Center Support for Open Enrollment

Healthcare benefits organizations should provide call center support for potential enrollees based on their preferred availability, which may not fit “standard” business hours of 8 AM–5 PM. Call center support should include:

A multilingual interactive voice response (IVR) to enable callers to select their preferred language at the beginning of the call
Professional and specialized call center staff with prepared translated call scripts, documentation, FAQs, etc. to ensure consistency of messaging and brand
Interpretation services for languages not covered by standard support
Artificial intelligence (AI) support to understand and process non-English voicemails and other inbound communication
Chatbot support in non-English languages

Choose the Right Language Partner

When choosing a language partner to assist with translation needs for open enrollment, consider the following.

Industry Expertise

Look for a partner with expertise in the healthcare industry, including experience with open enrollment content needs and the required timing.

You should also request healthcare references and get feedback from their clients directly. You want a language partner with a solid track record for the long term.

Language and Cultural Proficiency

Ensure your translation partner provides services in the languages your target audience requires, including regionalization for various dialects. For instance, Spanish spoken in Florida differs slightly from Spanish spoken in California. In addition, inquire about the experience that your partner’s translators have in the medical benefits industry. This specialized field requires understanding complex medical terminology to produce accurate translations.

Additional Capabilities

An effective language partner must be able to provide a range of language services, including translation, localization, interpretation, call center support, chatbots, and a robust AI offering. These services require different technologies, language specialists, project managers, and more. Verify that a potential partner can provide the level of service, expertise, and technology you require.

Privacy and Confidentiality

Privacy and confidentiality are critical in today’s business climate. Be sure to conduct the appropriate data privacy and information security due diligence to ensure the company can meet your privacy and confidentiality requirements to protect sensitive information during translation.

Conclusion

During open enrollment, healthcare organizations have a fantastic opportunity to support potential members with limited English proficiency and disabilities by providing language and other services to ensure inclusivity. Enabling access to medical coverage is the right thing to do and can be beneficial for business growth. Healthcare organizations can expand their reach by partnering with a professional language and cultural partner to offer engaging communication and content.