Title: An Emerging Threat to Health Equity: Diminished Patient Access to Language Services
Authors: Sabrina Derrington, Amelia Barwise, Lynette Martins, and Rachel Fabi
Publication Date: October 28, 2025
The authors warn that new federal executive actions—specifically Executive Order 14224 designating English as the official U.S. language—threaten equitable access to care for the estimated 25 million people with limited English proficiency (LEP). By undermining prior federal protections for language services, these policies risk worsening health disparities, eroding patient–clinician trust, and discouraging LEP patients from seeking care. The article emphasizes that language access is both a legal right under Section 1557 of the ACA and a moral imperative. It cautions against replacing qualified interpreters with unproven AI-based tools and urges health institutions to uphold ethical duties, train staff, and advocate for maintaining professional language services to ensure safe, equitable, and humane care for all patients.
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