If English is not your strongest language, you do not have to face a doctor’s office, a clinic, or a social services agency alone. You can ask for an interpreter. An interpreter is a trained person who turns what you say into English, and turns what the staff say back into your language, so everyone understands each other. This guide explains your rights, why a trained interpreter is worth asking for, and how to make the visit go well.

You have the right to an interpreter, and it should not cost you

In the United States, programs that receive federal money are not allowed to shut people out because of the language they speak. This includes hospitals, clinics, community health centers, health departments, and many social services offices. A civil rights law called Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 protects you here. In 1974, the Supreme Court agreed that turning someone away, or giving them worse service, because they do not speak English counts as unfair treatment based on national origin.

For health care there is a newer, more specific rule, called Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act. Under it, a health program that gets federal money must take real steps to help you understand and be understood, and those language services must be given to you free of charge and without long delays. You should never be handed a bill for the interpreter, and you should never be told to bring your own.

The updated Section 1557 rule spells out what “qualified” means. A qualified interpreter must be able to interpret accurately and impartially, know the specialized words used in health care, and keep your meaning, tone, and feelings intact (American Translators Association, 2024). A staff member who simply says they “speak some” of your language is not enough. If a clinic uses a video screen instead of a person in the room, the video and sound must be clear, without freezing or blurring. And if a clinic uses a computer to translate an important document, a qualified human must check that translation for accuracy. Clinics also must post notices telling you that free language help is available (American Translators Association, 2024).

For many years a Presidential order from 2000, Executive Order 13166, also told federal agencies to make their services work for people who speak other languages. That order was cancelled in 2025. The main law behind your right, Title VI, is still in force, and health care programs still must follow Section 1557. So it is still right and reasonable to ask for an interpreter.

The short version: asking for an interpreter is not asking for a favor. It is asking for something you are meant to have.

Why a trained interpreter, and not a family member, friend, or your child

Many people bring a spouse, a friend, or a grown child to translate. It feels easier. But there are good reasons to use a trained interpreter instead.

The first reason is accuracy. Getting the words right in health care is not simple, and small mistakes can matter. Researchers once recorded real clinic visits and counted the interpreting mistakes. Visits that used untrained helpers, like a family member or a staff person who happened to speak the language, had more mistakes that could actually affect your care, such as leaving out a drug allergy or giving the wrong dose of medicine (Flores et al., 2003). A later study compared trained interpreters, untrained helpers, and no interpreter at all. Trained interpreters made far fewer mistakes of the harmful kind, and the interpreters with the most training made the fewest (Flores et al., 2012). Larger reviews that gathered many studies together reached the same conclusion: care goes better, and understanding is clearer, when a trained interpreter is in the room (Karliner et al., 2007).

The second reason is privacy. Some things are hard to say in front of family. Mental health, money, immigration, alcohol or drugs, violence at home, or anything about your body are all easier to talk about honestly with a neutral person who does not know you and who must keep what you say private. A trained interpreter is bound to keep your information confidential. A family member is not, and they may be too close to the situation to stay neutral. This matters most in mental health care: a review of studies found that people disclose more about painful experiences and symptoms when a professional interpreter is used than with an untrained helper or no interpreter (Bauer & Alegría, 2010).

The third reason is about children. Please do not let your child be your interpreter for serious appointments. It is a heavy weight to put on a child to carry adult medical or legal words, and children make more mistakes with those words. The health care rule agrees. A clinic is not supposed to use a minor child to interpret, except for a brief moment in a true emergency while a real interpreter is being found. Your child can be your child. The interpreting is not their job.

Who can help you, and when each one fits

Not every helper is the same. It helps to know the difference.

A clinic should offer you a qualified interpreter even when you arrive with someone, and it should never ask a child to interpret except for a brief moment in a true emergency.

How to ask for an interpreter

You can ask when you make the appointment, and again when you arrive. Asking early gives the office time to line one up. Here are simple things you can say. Use the one that fits.

• “I need an interpreter for [your language]. Please have one ready for my appointment.”
• “Please get me an interpreter before we start.”
• “I want a professional interpreter, not a family member.”
• “I would understand better in [your language]. Can you connect an interpreter now?”

You can also point to the language you speak on a card or a poster if speaking is hard. Many offices have a card that lists languages so you can point to yours.

What to do if you are told no

Sometimes staff say there is no interpreter, or that you should bring someone yourself, or that it costs money. You do not have to accept that. Stay calm and try these steps.

First, ask again and be clear: “This is my right. Health programs that get federal money must give me a free interpreter.” You can name the rule, Section 1557, if it helps. Second, ask for the person in charge, such as a supervisor, a patient advocate, or the office’s civil rights or language access contact. Larger clinics and hospitals are required to have someone responsible for this. Third, ask them to write down, or note in your record, that you asked for an interpreter and were refused. Fourth, if you are turned away or given worse care because of your language, you can file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights, which handles Section 1557. You can file online at ocrportal.hhs.gov or read how at hhs.gov/civil-rights/filing-a-complaint. Filing is free, and it is usually best to do it within 180 days of when the problem happened. A community health worker, a caseworker, or a legal aid group can help you do this.

How to get the most out of a visit with an interpreter

Once the interpreter is there, a few habits make the whole visit clearer.

Speak in short pieces. Say a sentence or two, then pause so the interpreter can catch up. If you talk for a long time without stopping, some of what you said can get lost.

Talk to the provider, not to the interpreter. Look at the doctor or the caseworker and speak to them as “you,” the way you normally would. It is fine to speak naturally and let the interpreter do their work.

Say so when you do not understand. If a word or an instruction is not clear, stop and say, “I did not understand that, please say it again.” That is not rude, and it is not a bother. Getting it right is the whole point.

Ask the provider to check that you got it. Before you leave, you can ask, “Can you tell me the main points again so I can make sure I have them right?” or repeat the plan back in your own words. This “say it back” step is one of the best ways to catch a mistake before it becomes a problem. Ask for written instructions in your language too, if they have them.

Everything you say through the interpreter stays private, the same as if you said it straight to the provider. You can raise anything, including things that feel hard.

Phone, video, or in person

Interpreters can join you in three ways, and all three connect you to a real, trained person.

If a phone or a screen is not working for you during a serious talk, it is fair to ask for an interpreter in person. Ask when the conversation matters to you.

Before the visit: how to prepare

A little preparation makes a visit with an interpreter go much smoother.

• Write down what you want to say and ask before you go, in your own language. You can bring a short list. It is easy to forget a question once you are in the room.
• Bring your medicines, or clear photos of the labels, and a note about any past counseling or hospital care. This helps the interpreter get the exact words right.
• Remember the interpreter relays everything. There is no private side chat with the interpreter during the visit; whatever is said gets interpreted for the provider. If you want to tell the provider something, just say it, and the interpreter will pass it on word for word.
• Ask for the same interpreter next time if you liked working with them and it is possible. Continuity can make the next visit easier.
• Ask for written instructions in your language before you leave, such as your care plan, your next appointment, and how to take any medicine. If the clinic used a computer to translate them, a qualified person should check the important parts.

Your right to a free, qualified interpreter is covered in more detail in the guide Your right to a free, qualified interpreter.

Sources

• American Translators Association. (2024). Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act and language access: Who, what, how. https://www.atanet.org/client-assistance/blog-section-1557-of-the-affordable-care-act-and-language-access-who-what-how/
• Bauer, A. M., & Alegría, M. (2010). Impact of patient language proficiency and interpreter service use on the quality of psychiatric care: A systematic review. Psychiatric Services, 61(8), 765-773. https://doi.org/10.1176/ps.2010.61.8.765
• Flores, G., Laws, M. B., Mayo, S. J., Zuckerman, B., Abreu, M., Medina, L., & Hardt, E. J. (2003). Errors in medical interpretation and their potential clinical consequences in pediatric encounters. Pediatrics, 111(1), 6-14. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.111.1.6
• Flores, G., Abreu, M., Barone, C. P., Bachur, R., & Lin, H. (2012). Errors of medical interpretation and their potential clinical consequences: A comparison of professional versus ad hoc versus no interpreters. Annals of Emergency Medicine, 60(5), 545-553. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.annemergmed.2012.01.025
• Karliner, L. S., Jacobs, E. A., Chen, A. H., & Mutha, S. (2007). Do professional interpreters improve clinical care for patients with limited English proficiency? A systematic review of the literature. Health Services Research, 42(2), 727-754. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1475-6773.2006.00629.x
• Khoong, E. C., Steinbrook, E., Brown, C., & Fernandez, A. (2019). Assessing the use of Google Translate for Spanish and Chinese translations of emergency department discharge instructions. JAMA Internal Medicine, 179(4), 580-582. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamainternmed.2018.7653
• U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights. Section 1557: Ensuring meaningful access for individuals with limited English proficiency. https://www.hhs.gov/civil-rights/for-individuals/section-1557/fs-limited-english-proficiency/index.html

---

LINC is a research prototype, not a medical or legal service. Translation can be wrong; you have the right to a free, qualified interpreter. For anything high-stakes, do it with a community health worker or someone you trust. In a crisis, call or text 988, or 911 for immediate danger.