The Future of the ACA Nondiscrimination Rules Under Trump

Jill Mead, In-house Compliance Counsel for Vocalink, Inc.

“On July 18, 2016, the long-awaited final rule implementing Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) Nondiscrimination in Health Programs and Activities went into effect. The new rule provides a comprehensive framework of what it means to provide effective communication and meaningful access to health care for Limited English Proficient (“LEP”) and disabled patients, including the deaf/hard-of-hearing community,” says Jill Mead, in-house Compliance Counsel for Vocalink, Inc., a full service language solutions company.

“As part of his ‘first 100 days’ initiatives, President-Elect Donald Trump has stated an intention to ‘repeal and replace’ the ACA, which would naturally include the new Section 1557 regulations. Whether it occurs in the first 100 days or not, we are likely to see major changes to the ACA, perhaps including a total repeal, over the next several months. Because of this, many in the health care community are left questioning whether Section 1557 compliance remains relevant and necessary,” says Mead.

In our new two-part series, Mead explores what organizations can expect moving forward. Our new article looks at the requirements for the written word (both print and digital) and how they apply. In a future installment, Mead will delve into the rules for interpreting services (spoken language).

Read the first installment now:

Language Access in Health Care Under a Trump Presidency Part 1: Exploring Guidelines for Written (Print and Digital) Work

Best regards,
Matt Humphrey
President