The Future of Healthcare: “Language barriers are a significant contributing factor to health disparities in the US.” With Scott W. Klein, CEO of LanguageLine

We see healthcare issues through the lens of language. To us, it’s not shocking that there are massive health disparities for minorities living in the U.S. For example, it’s astounding that 45 percent of Hispanic boys and 53 percent of Hispanic girls living in the U.S. are predicted to develop diabetes in their lifetimes. In general, ethnic minorities here are twice as likely to develop a chronic disease compared to their non-Hispanic white counterparts. Language barriers are a significant contributing factor to these disparities. They impact access to quality care and result in higher readmission rates for people with limited English proficiency. I would work to reduce these barriers to care by increasing access to qualified medical…