Are You Ready for the SPEAK Act?

Health payers and providers should start preparing for the SPEAK Act. There are actually a few laws commonly referred to as the SPEAK Act, but there’s a new one that was passed in February 2026 related to language access in healthcare. The Supporting Patient Education and Knowledge (SPEAK) Act highlights the role of language access as a key element of clinical infrastructure and critical to better patient outcomes for patients with limited English proficiency (LEP). LEP patients represent a significant portion of the patient populations supported by healthcare providers and healthcare payers every day. Nearly 26 million U.S. adults are considered to have limited English proficiency (LEP). In some states, LEP individuals make up 10, 13, or even 17% of the population. Strengthening interpretation and translation services for healthcare is vital to fully support these numerous members and patients. Read our blog to learn more about the SPEAK Act, including what to expect, how to prepare for it, and what it may require.

What is the SPEAK Act?

This legislation is focused on enhancing patient education and access to healthcare information. This legislation aims to empower patients by ensuring (via language access services in healthcare) they have all relevant information in their own language to make informed decisions.

Who does the SPEAK Act impact?

Under this legislation, patients and providers who offer telemedicine services and related health information technology will be required to take action. Health systems include: hospitals, clinics, healthcare professionals, and public health agencies. Notably, healthcare payers (public and private plan insurers) will also be impacted by this legislation. They should be ready to participate in HHS guidance development and to meet higher HHS language access in healthcare standards.

When do health systems and payers need to take action for improved language access in healthcare?

HHS isn’t required to publish guidance for the SPEAK Act until February 2027. Health providers and payers should start planning for changes now, though. Compliance timelines will be short, so it’s better to begin by:

• Auditing current telehealth language access infrastructure
• Identifying any gaps related to the five SPEAK Act focus areas:
  • Interpretation in telehealth
  • Accessible instructions for using telehealth platforms
  • LEP-accessible digital patient portals
  • Video remote interpreting for telehealth
  • Accessible textual materials (appointment reminders, prescription information, etc.)
• Developing strategies to close gaps

The SPEAK Act offers a framework that healthcare providers and payers can use for this evaluation process. It offers these auditable questions:

• Does your telehealth platform support multi-person video calls with medical interpreters?
• Can providers connect with a qualified healthcare interpreter in a reasonable timeframe that isn’t disruptive to the clinical experience?
• Do patient records include interpreter access?
• Can your LEP patient population navigate your patient portal in their primary language? What percentage of LEP patients can do this easily?
• Can LEP patients, caregivers, and families easily access clinical care results, instructions, and messaging in their native languages?
• What are your patient population’s language needs? Are you covering this gap adequately with medical interpreting services and healthcare translation?
• Can LEP patients, caregivers, and families easily access appointment reminders, discharge instructions, and prescription notifications?
• What is your current language coverage strategy for providing language access in healthcare to your highest volume non-English language populations?

What steps can healthcare providers and payers take to get started right now?

These parties can start by evaluating their own systems and building relationships with language access partners in healthcare who can help them achieve compliance.

1. Evaluate your platform’s capacity for interpreter services for healthcare soon. Consider that it takes significant time to implement:
   • Multi-person video capability 
   • API integration for language access platforms
   • Documentation automation
2. Start working with platform providers now to ensure they can help make your language access SPEAK-ready. 
3. Work closely with your current healthcare translation and interpretation services, or choose a new partner who is informed and prepared to help you meet and maintain compliance with the upcoming HHS guidance.

Get in touch

What’s your plan for the SPEAK Act? Need a language partner who can help you maintain compliance while reducing language service costs and connection times with AI solutions? Let’s get in touch.