--- title: CA LAP Notice --- [![logo-small@2x](https://info.ampublic.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Ampublic_January2019%20Theme/image/logo-small@2x.png?width=200&height=78&name=logo-small@2x.png "logo-small@2x")](https://www.ampublic.com/) # California Assistance Language Program California Senate Bill 853, The Health Care Language Assistance Act, requires health plans to provide language assistance program services to eligible customers with limited English proficiency. To support this requirement, American Public Life developed a California Language Assistance Program (CA LAP) for eligible American Public Life customers, including those covered by our individual or group health insurance policies that provide coverage for hospital, medical, or surgical benefits. Through this program, we offer free interpreter services. ## Who is eligible for CA LAP services? All American Public Life customers who live in California are eligible, regardless of the American Public Life product. If you are an American Public Life health plan customer and have difficulty understanding English, we offer language assistance and interpreter services at no extra cost to you. ## How can California customers obtain American Public Life’s free interpreter services? Limited English-proficient patients with American Public Life plans who live in California can obtain free telephonic interpreter services, in any language, by calling the phone number listed on the language assistance notice. - For free telephonic interpreter services, call the American Public Life toll-free number: 1 (800) 662-1113. - American Public Life discourages the use of family and friends, especially minors, as interpreters. ## Requirements for American Public Life - Inform customers that interpreter and translation services are available free of charge in 15 non-English languages by providing a language assistance notice. - Offer verbal interpretation services in any language at all American Public Life and health care provider points of contact. - Discourage use of family and friends, especially minors, as interpreters. - Use qualified interpreters and bilingual staff who have been tested for proficiency and are knowledgeable about health care benefit terminology in non-English languages. - Provide cultural competency and CA LAP procedural training for all American Public Life staff that routinely interact with CA LAP-eligible customers. - Collect and store American Public Life customers’ race and ethnicity information, as well as their preferred spoken and written languages, in a secure database to ensure confidentiality. - Assess customer demographics at least every three years to identify threshold languages. - Keep a record of a customer’s refusal of interpreter services. - Document, track, and trend CA LAP complaints. - Monitor CA LAP compliance. ## Filing Grievances If you believe that American Public Life has failed to provide these services or discriminated in another way on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, or sex, you can file a grievance by sending an email to CustSvc@ampublic.com or by writing to the following address: P.O. Box 925 Jackson, MS 39205 If you need assistance filing a written grievance, please call 800-256-8606 or send an email to [CustSvc@ampublic.com](mailto:CustSvc@ampublic.com). You can also file a civil rights complaint with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights electronically through the Office for Civil Rights Complaint Portal, available at [https://ocrportal.hhs.gov/ocr/portal/lobby.jsf](https://ocrportal.hhs.gov/ocr/portal/lobby.jsf), or by mail or phone at: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services 200 Independence Avenue, SW Room 509F, HHH Building Washington, D.C. 20201 1-800-368-1019, or 1-800-537-7697 (TDD) Complaint forms are available at [http://www.hhs.gov/ocr/office/file/index.html](http://www.hhs.gov/ocr/office/file/index.html). [![California LAP Notice](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/506836/8f3b56fb-03ad-456b-9813-81d191ab9982.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/506836/8f3b56fb-03ad-456b-9813-81d191ab9982) (Rev 1221) APESB-967 [![APL ](https://info.ampublic.com/hubfs/APL%20Logos%202019/APL%20Logo%20Only%20-%20Color_RM.png)](https://www.ampublic.com/) © 2023 American Public Life Insurance Company. All rights reserved.