Los Angeles, August 8 (EFE).- The US government announced on Thursday increased access to programs and services of 25 Health and Human Services agencies for people with limited English proficiency, including millions of Latinos.
Today, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released an update to its so-called Language Access Plan.
The idea is for HHS agencies to publish web pages in other languages, including Spanish, as part of the plan.
All agencies will have helplines with interpreters in their language and will translate and post vital documents in languages other than English.
“Removing barriers that prevent people from accessing health care and supporting human services is one of our top priorities,” Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra said in a statement.
In addition to the Department of Health and Human Services’ comprehensive plan, each department within the department has developed its own goals and plans aimed at further expanding access, Becerra said.
There are about 26 million people in the United States who have limited English proficiency (LEP), representing about 8% of people ages 5 and older, according to a recent study by the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF).
The majority of LEP American adults speak Spanish (62%), followed by Chinese (7%), Vietnamese (3%), Arabic (2%), Tagalog (2%), and the rest speak a variety of different languages from regions around the world, according to a recent study by KFF.
The KFF study found that English-proficient adults were more likely to report their physical health as “fair” or “poor” than English-proficient adults (34% vs. 19%).
Despite this difference in health status, LEP adults report lower health care use and greater barriers to accessing health care than their English-proficient counterparts.
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