administration
Section 1557 — Language Access Rights
第1557条（言語アクセス権） (dai 1557-jō (gengo akusesu-ken))
Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act prohibits discrimination in healthcare on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, or disability in programs receiving federal funding. It requires covered healthcare entities to provide meaningful access for people with limited English proficiency, including free qualified interpreter services and translated written materials. Patients have the right to a competent medical interpreter at no cost; using family members as interpreters is discouraged for clinical encounters. Complaints can be filed with HHS Office for Civil Rights.
Any hospital, clinic, or health plan receiving federal funding — including Medicare and Medicaid reimbursements — is subject to Section 1557.
In 9 languages
| Language | Term |
|---|---|
| English | Section 1557 — Language Access Rights |
| Japanese (日本語) | 第1557条（言語アクセス権） |
| Chinese (中文) | 第1557条 — 语言访问权利 |
| Korean (한국어) | 제1557조 — 언어 접근 권리 |
| Portuguese | Seção 1557 — Direitos de Acesso a Idiomas |
| Spanish | Sección 1557 — Derechos de Acceso al Idioma |
| Filipino | Seksyon 1557 — Karapatan sa Wikang Access |
| Thai | มาตรา 1557 — สิทธิ์การเข้าถึงภาษา |
| Vietnamese | Điều 1557 — Quyền tiếp cận ngôn ngữ |
| Romanization | dai 1557-jō (gengo akusesu-ken) |
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Browse US healthcare guides →Last reviewed: September 2026