Health care is not the time to guess words. If English is hard for you, especially when you are sick or scared, you can ask for an interpreter.
Federal civil rights laws (Title VI and Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act) require hospitals, clinics, health plans and doctors that receive federal health funding, for example from Medicare or Medicaid, to give language help free of charge. That includes almost all hospitals and most clinics.
This means:
An interpreter in person, by video or by phone.
No extra charge on your bill.
Important documents, like consent forms, explained in your language.
Sign language interpreters for deaf and hard-of-hearing patients.
When you book, say: "I need a [your language] interpreter for my visit."
When you arrive, say it again at the front desk.
In an emergency, say your language clearly: "Interpreter, Spanish" or "Interpreter, Arabic". Many hospitals keep a card where you can point to your language.
On the phone with your insurer, say "interpreter" and your language. Most can connect one in minutes.
You can ask a family member to come for support, but a trained medical interpreter is safer for medical words.
Children should not interpret except in an emergency. It is hard for them and mistakes happen.
If you choose a family member, the staff may still use a professional interpreter to be sure.
Even if you speak some English
You can still ask. Many people speak English well every day but want an interpreter for test results, surgery, medicines or bad news. That is normal.
Ask to speak to the patient advocate or patient relations office.
Write down the date, the place and the name of the person.
You can file a complaint with the HHS Office for Civil Rights at hhs.gov/ocr. It is free.
Nodding when you do not understand. Say: "Please say that again, slowly," or "I need an interpreter."
Signing a consent form you cannot read. Ask for it to be explained first.