AHRQ Innovations Exchange | 24-Hour, Bilingual Nurse Line Provides Advice and Interpreter Services for Plan Members, Leading to Wiser Decisions and Cost Savings

24-Hour, Bilingual Nurse Line Provides Advice and Interpreter Services for Plan Members, Leading to Wiser Decisions and Cost Savings

Summary
Molina Healthcare, a Medicaid managed care organization serving medically underserved individuals who depend on government assistance, instituted a 24-hour bilingual advice line to address the health and language needs of its low-income, Spanish-speaking members. Known as TeleSalud, the advice line provides callers with direct access to a registered nurse who can address their health and interpreter needs in their preferred language. The bilingual nurse advice line has significantly increased the number of calls coming from Spanish-speaking members and has helped members to make wiser choices, leading to fewer emergency department visits and significant cost savings.

Please see the Description of the Innovative Activity section for information on new marketing approaches, the Results section for updated data on call volume and cost savings, and the Context of the Innovation and Resources Used sections for information on program expansion and updated costs (updated September 2010).

Evidence Rating
Moderate: The evidence consists of post-implementation data on advice line use and caller satisfaction; pre- and post-implementation comparisons of the percentage of Spanish-speaking callers to the advice line; anecdotal reports from staff; post-implementation data comparing ED use between those with and without access to the line; and estimates of the cost savings generated due to these reductions in ED visits.

Developing Organizations

Molina Healthcare

Date First Implemented
2004

Patient Population

Race and Ethnicity > Hispanic/Latino-Latina; Vulnerable Populations > Immigrants; Impoverished; Non-English speaking/limited English proficiency; Racial minorities

full-text:
AHRQ Innovations Exchange | 24-Hour, Bilingual Nurse Line Provides Advice and Interpreter Services for Plan Members, Leading to Wiser Decisions and Cost Savings