Executive Summary
Language access remains a significant barrier for millions of Medi-Cal members in California, hindering their ability to fully understand medical information, provide informed consent, and engage effectively in their own care. This often leads to misdiagnosis, treatment errors, reduced adherence to medical advice, and persistent health disparities. Existing solutions have often been fragmented or insufficient, underscoring the critical need for a comprehensive and standardized approach to language services.
To address these challenges, the California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) launched MIPP in 2022 to enhance equitable access to healthcare for Medi-Cal members with limited English proficiency (LEP) by embedding culturally competent professional medical interpretation services into clinic workflows.
In accordance with California Senate Bill 165 (Chapter 365, Statutes of 2019), UC Berkeley School of Public Health's Center for Health Management and Policy Research (CHAMP) conducted an independent, mixed-methods evaluation of MIPP to assess impacts on quality of care, patient experience, potential cost savings, and clinician satisfaction for Medi-Cal members with LEP.
The evaluation analyzed data collected over a 24-month period (October 2022–September 2024) across three pilot community health centers in Contra Costa, Los Angeles, and San Diego Counties. During this time, MIPP supported 8,702 clinical encounters for 4,126 unique Medi-Cal members with LEP, delivering more than 320,000 minutes of professional medical interpretation across 31 languages and 23 clinical service areas, including primary care, dental care, obstetrics/gynecology, and health education.
