Washington, DC – Yesterday, the House of Representatives passed the Supporting Patient Education and Knowledge (SPEAK) Act (H.R. 6033), a bipartisan bill Rep. Young Kim (CA-40) helped introduce with Rep. Michelle Steel (CA-45) to reduce language barriers to health care access.
The SPEAK Act would require Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Becerra to create a task force to develop recommendations and best practices for addressing barriers for Americans with limited English proficiency in health care information technology, such as telehealth and patient portals.
“I am one of many proud Americans whose second language is English, and I represent a diverse district with Americans of different backgrounds. Language barriers shouldn’t keep patients from accessing healthcare services,” said Rep. Kim. “The SPEAK Act will allow us to establish best practices to reduce barriers and ensure Americans of all backgrounds can access the care and resources they need.”
“Telehealth services are transforming health care by increasing access, reducing costs, and improving outcomes. As we continue to improve access to care via new technologies, I’m focused on ensuring no American’s health care needs are left behind in the digital age. I’m thrilled to see the House pass the SPEAK Act to ensure affordable health care services are available to all Americans, regardless of language,” said Rep. Steel.
