Cultural competency and health literacy
State and federal legislative requirements emphasize the importance of demonstrating cultural competency when providing health care services. This means care should be inclusive of members who may:
- Be homeless
- Have physical or mental disabilities
- Have a diverse cultural or ethnic background
Be limited in English proficiency and/or reading skills
We seek providers who speak languages in addition to English and who have an awareness of the social and cultural composition of the community. Additionally, we require that Medicare Advantage members have access to information in their primary language, and that PCP offices have provisions for non-English speaking Medicare Advantage patients.
Review these resources to develop and improve your cultural competency and health literacy as you and your staff provide care for our members.
In addition, see the social determinants of health (SDoH) section below for information about the ICD-10 Z codes to use to capture a more holistic view your patients' health.