Your Right to a Free Medical Interpreter in the U.S.
Su derecho a un intérprete médico gratis en EE. UU.
Written by a family medicine physician & certified medical interpreter · Ambos Health
As a certified medical interpreter, the most common thing I see is families who don't know this help exists — so a child ends up interpreting a diagnosis for a parent.
What the rules say
Under Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act (and Title VI of the Civil Rights Act), health programs that receive federal funding — which includes most hospitals and many clinics and pharmacies — must provide language assistance free of charge. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, they must offer a qualified interpreter (being bilingual isn't enough), can't require you to bring your own, and can't rely on minor children to interpret except briefly in an emergency (HHS Office for Civil Rights, Dec. 2024).
How to ask
- When you book: “I need a Spanish interpreter for my appointment.”
- At check-in or in the hospital, show a card that says it for you.
- Interpretation can be in person, by phone or by video.
- Ask for written instructions in your language, too.
Making the visit work
- Look at and speak to the doctor, in short sentences.
- Before you leave, repeat the plan in your own words.
- If no interpreter is offered, ask again — and ask for the patient advocate.
En español
La mayoría de los hospitales, clínicas y farmacias en EE. UU. que reciben fondos federales deben ofrecerle un intérprete médico calificado sin costo. No le pueden exigir que traiga su propio intérprete y no deben usar a niños como intérpretes, salvo brevemente en una emergencia. Diga: “Necesito un intérprete de español, por favor.”
Get the free Emergency Health Kit
Descargue gratis el kit de salud de emergencia
Three bilingual pages from our physician-designed binder: the one-page Emergency Health Summary, the “Where should I go?” guide and interpreter wallet cards.
Download free · Descargar gratis See the full binderGeneral education, not medical advice. Your own clinician's advice comes first. In an emergency, call 911.