Can a health care provider charge a deaf or hard-of-hearing patient for part or all of the costs of providing an auxiliary aid or service?
No. A health care provider cannot charge a patient for the costs of providing auxiliary aids and services, either directly or through the patient’s insurance carrier. 28 C.F.R. Š 36.301 (c). According to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), a business or organization cannot charge a person with a disability for the cost of the accommodation, i.e., a sign language interpreter. For more information, refer to the ADA website. The doctor may not charge the patient for the cost of interpreter service, either directly or by billing the patient’s insurance carrier: A public accommodation may not impose a surcharge on a particular individual with a disability or any group of individuals with disabilities to cover the costs of measures, such as the provision of auxiliary aids, barrier removal…and reasonable modifications… that are required to provide that individual or group with the nondiscriminatory treatment required by the Act or this part.
Related Questions
- Must a health care provider pay for an auxiliary aid or service for a medical appointment if the cost of that aid or service exceeds the providers charge for the appointment?
- Can a health care provider charge a deaf or hard of hearing patient for part or all of the costs of providing an auxiliary aid or service?
- Can a health care provider charge a deaf or hard-of-hearing patient for part or all of the costs of providing an auxiliary aid or service?