At the Doctor's Office

Today one of us was speaking to a woman who works in a physician’s office here in Hazleton.
She told us that because they treat Hispanic patients and get reimbursed through a federal program, the government has made a requirement that the office has to hire a translator.
According to this woman, the amount that the office is reimbursed would not make hiring a translator cost-effective.
She also made mention of the fact that Hazleton has many residents that have emigrated here from Eastern Europe, but that there is no requirement for a translator for these people because they have at least made an effort to learn to speak English!
What’s next, a translator riding on an ambulance?
Imagine an EMT or Paramedic responding to a call In Hazleton.
Chances are, the call they will be responding to will involve a person who doesn’t speak or understand English. The patient can’t tell the first-responder what’s wrong, and the EMT or Paramedic can’t make the patient understand what treatment they are trying to perform.
But you could be sure that if the person that was being treated didn’t feel that they received the highest level of care, the ACLU would be right there ready to file a lawsuit for negligence.

Anyway.

We didn’t want to put this lady on the spot.
We didn’t ask if she thought that any of the people being treated were illegals.
But we were left wondering what has happened to our country when a first-responder could possibly be sued for not speaking a foreign language, and how someone who claims not to speak or understand English still knows enough to receive free medical care.