administration
Medical Interpreter Services
医療通訳サービス (iryō tsūyaku sābisu)
Medical interpreter services provide qualified language interpretation for patients with limited English proficiency during healthcare encounters. Under Section 1557 of the ACA, covered healthcare entities must provide free interpreter services — either in-person, by phone, or via video remote interpreting. Professional medical interpreters are trained in clinical terminology and ethics, unlike ad hoc interpreters such as family members or bilingual staff. Major language lines include Language Line Solutions and other telephonic interpretation services available at most hospitals.
Patients should proactively request an interpreter when scheduling appointments; using minor children to interpret in clinical settings is considered ethically inappropriate.
In 9 languages
| Language | Term |
|---|---|
| English | Medical Interpreter Services |
| Japanese (日本語) | 医療通訳サービス |
| Chinese (中文) | 医疗翻译服务 |
| Korean (한국어) | 의료 통역 서비스 |
| Portuguese | Serviços de Interpretação Médica |
| Spanish | Servicios de Interpretación Médica |
| Filipino | Serbisyo ng Medikal na Tagapagsalin |
| Thai | บริการล่ามทางการแพทย์ |
| Vietnamese | Dịch vụ thông dịch y tế |
| Romanization | iryō tsūyaku sābisu |
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Browse US healthcare guides →Last reviewed: September 2026