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Originally Posted by gadwall  in the health care industry and there is no state or federal law requiring them to have an interperter on hand. |
You are correct but, (there's always a "but").
As part of the accredidation process for certain health care facilities, which includes almost all hospitals as well as some surgery centers, home health agencies, and hospices there is a requirement that care givers be able to communicate fully with the patient through an objective source with a basic understanding of medical terminology in the language.
It is a patient and employee safety issue. It might as well be a law, since it is a "standard of care" and insurance payors generally require an accreditation/certification before they will make payment.