HR-2092 : Still Just a Bill

The "Supporting Patient Education And Knowledge Act of 2025" or the "SPEAK Act of 2025" (H.R. 2092) aims to improve access to healthcare information technology for individuals with limited English proficiency.

Key provisions of the bill include:

• Directing the Secretary of Health and Human Services to issue guidance on best practices for:
  • Facilitating the use of interpreters during telemedicine appointments.
  • Providing accessible instructions on accessing telecommunications systems for telemedicine.
  • Improving access to digital patient portals.
  • Integrating video platforms for multi-person video calls to provide interpretation during telemedicine.
  • Providing patient materials and communications in multiple languages.
• Requiring the Secretary to consult with various entities, including:
  • Health information technology service providers.
  • Healthcare providers.
  • Health insurers.
  • Language service companies.
  • Interpreter or translator professional associations.
  • Health and language services quality certification organizations.
  • Patient and consumer advocates.

In summary, the bill seeks to address language barriers in healthcare by promoting the integration of language assistance services into telehealth and digital health platforms.