Contracted Interpretation Vendors Change June 2022
CareOregon contracts with the following interpretation agencies as of May 2022:
- Immigrant & Refugee Community Organization (IRCO)
- Linguava
- (NEW!) National Interpreting Service
- (NEW!) Oregon Certified Interpreter Network
Please note that the CareOregon contract with Passport to Languages expires June 30th, 2022; CareOregon will pay for CareOregon member appointments that were previously scheduled through September 30th, 2022 to help reduce any access issues. All CareOregon providers will need to select one of the above vendors to start working with no later than July 1, 2022. Please remember that CareOregon pays only for interpreting services that providers coordinate through our approved vendors.
In addition, while interpreting services can be scheduled with short notice, to ensure coverage, please schedule as soon as a member makes an appointment. CareOregon recommends providers verify that each patient is covered by the Oregon Health Plan both at the time of scheduling, and at the time of the appointment.
If your organization currently serves members who have requested American Sign Language (ASL) for interpretation, we now contract with National Interpreting Service to better meet quality and access needs for these members.
Our goal is to help you and our members get the interpreting services that meet your needs. We’ve included examples of resources you may find useful. Information on printing or requesting these resources can be found online via https://careoregon.org/providers/support/language-services:
- “How to schedule no-cost interpreting.” This one-pager summarizes our interpreting service options and how to schedule our vendors. The backside offers tips for a successful multi-language encounter.
- “Do you need an interpreter?" This sheet repeats the statement “I need an interpreter” in more than a dozen languages. Patients simply point to their language.
- A multilingual Language Access poster. This is another language identification tool, available in two sizes: 11x17 | 12x23 (sandwich board size) to display in your clinic. Patients can point to their language. It also tells them they have a right to free interpreting services, and to file a complaint if they are not satisfied. You can co-brand these with your logo.
- Wallet-sized “I speak” cards. You can print these to give to patients, enabling them to easily request interpretation services. The cards are available in about 25 languages and include a version for those who are deaf, deaf-blind or hard of hearing.
If you have questions, please contact Provider Customer Service at 800-224-4840, option 3.
