WSRID Announcement Regarding the Incorporation of ASL Interpreters in the New Medicaid Decision
To the Membership of WSRID:
During the recent WSRID retreat, your board of directors discussed at length the issue concerning Health Care Authority’s (HCA) decision to incorporate sign language interpreters into the Broker system. The Broker system is managed by HCA to assign interpreters of any language for Medicaid appointments. To learn more about these alarming changes, you can review the attached State/Broker contract for detailed information or visit the WSRID website at www.wsrid.com for a synopsis of the changes.
The WSRID Board of Directors feel that it is imperative we stand together as sign language interpreters, as professionals, as business owners and as advocates for the deaf, deaf-blind, and hard-of-hearing consumers we serve to oppose this contract and the terms it includes.
As your appointed board we have written an “Open Letter to HCA” opposing their proposed contact, you will find that letter attached. The letter to HCA includes a cc to several interpreter and deaf stakeholders; in addition, we have included organizations and state agencies close to this issue.
We encourage you as individuals to take the following steps:
1) Read the contract thoroughly and carefully; then, consider whether this contract reflects standards of practice for our profession and whether you are willing to accept this contract and its terms.
2) Send your own letters of concern to the HCA representatives listed below. You may reference the WSRID “Open Letter to HCA” and its contents within your own letter for examples.
Doug Porter
HCA, Administration
P. O. Box 42682
Olympia, WA 98504-2682
360-923-2829
Heidi Robbins Brown
HCA, Deputy Administrator
P. O. Box 42682
Olympia, WA 98504-2682
360-412-4307
Todd Slettvet
HCA, Chief, Office of Community Services
P.O. Box 42682
Olympia, WA 98504-2682
360-725-1626
Elena Safariants
HCA, Interpreter Service Program Manager
P. O. Box 42682
Olympia, WA 98504-2682
360-725-1315
3) Engage in ongoing conversations about these changes with deaf, deaf-blind and hard of hearing consumers
4) Contact the WSRID Legislative Committee at to become a volunteer with the goal of representing our organization on topics related to governmental decisions
The WSRID board will continue the process the gathering of information regarding the HCA contract and promptly disseminate that information to our members. As written in our letter to HCA: As an organization representing professional interpreters, the WSRID Board of Directors and its members must emphatically support the provision of ethical and appropriate interpreting services that do not compromise the established minimum standards.
If you have further questions, feel free to contact us
WSRID Board of Directors
