Reimbursement for interpreter services Last updated 06/02/2021
Fee-for-service reimbursement for interpreter services
Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Section 1557 of the
Affordable Care Act and corresponding regulations 45 CFR Part 92 (Section 1557) require providers
to ensure meaningful access to language services at all health care visits as described on the US
Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Civil Rights website.
To support the cost of health care interpreter services provided at fee-for-service visits covered by
the Oregon Health Plan (OHP), the Oregon Health Authority (OHA) now pays enrolled Oregon
Medicaid providers a $60 add-on fee per date of service.
Coverage criteria
OHA will cover this fee only when:
The fee is billed in conjunction with a covered OHP service or medically necessary follow-up
visit(s) related to the initial covered service;
The fee is not billed in conjunction with bundled rate services that incorporate administrative
costs (e.g., inpatient hospital stays, home health or hospice visits, services provided by long-
term care facilities, or services billed at an encounter rate by rural health clinics, federally
qualified health centers and tribal health centers); and
The language assistance service is provided by a qualified or certified health care interpreter
as described in Oregon Revised Statute (ORS) Chapter 413.
How to find qualified or certified health care interpreters
OHA’s Health Care Interpreter Registry lists all qualified or certified health care interpreters.
Providers who normally use a local CCO’s interpreter service may want to use the same service for
fee-for-service members. In this case.
Verify that the interpreter is registered with OHA’s Health Care Interpreter Registry.
If the interpreter is registered, providers would pay the interpreter service directly for the
services provided, then bill OHA for the add-on fee.
Billing
Enrolled Oregon Medicaid providers can bill for the add-on fee when billing for the covered health
care visit. To do this, add the fee as a new detail line on the new or adjusted claim.
Field
Description
Procedure
CDT code D9990 for dental visits.
HCPCS code T1013 for other visits.
Date(s) of service
The date of the covered health care visit
Units
1
Charges
$60
Documentation requirements
Keep documentation in the medical record that indicates use of qualified or certified health care
interpreters for any potential audit of services billed.
HEALTH SYSTEMS DIVISION
Medicaid Programs
