The importance of medical interpreters has grown during the COVID-19 pandemic, when isolation policies meant patients couldn’t bring family members to help translate during doctor’s visits. Approximately 8.3% of the U.S. population, more than 27.5 million people, have limited English-language proficiency, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Roughly 15% of adults—more than 37.5 million people—have some difficulty hearing, the National Center for Health Statistics found. While the practice of healthcare interpretation has grown over the past couple decades with advances in technology and certification programs, the field still faces significant challenges related to the availability of language services and the reimbursement of those services by insurers.
Read the full article: Medical Interpreters Face High Demand, Low Reimbursement //
Source: https://www.modernhealthcare.com/safety-quality/medical-interpreters-demand-covid-19-pandemic-recruiting-training-amn