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29.2.33 Sign Language Interpreting Services
Sign language interpreting services are available to CSHCN Services Program clients who are deaf or hard of hearing or to a parent or guardian of a person receiving CSHCN Services Program benefits, who is deaf or hard of hearing.
The sign language interpreting services must be requested by a physician and provided by a qualified interpreter. A physician's determination of the need for sign language interpreting services must give primary consideration to the needs of the individual who is deaf or hard of hearing.
Sign language interpreting services are benefits of the CSHCN Services Program. Providers must use procedure code T1013 with modifier U1 for the first hour of service, and modifier UA for each additional 15 minutes of service. Procedure code T1013 billed with modifier U1 is limited to once per day, per provider, and procedure code T1013 billed with modifier UA is limited to a quantity of 28 per day.
Physicians in private or group practices with fewer than 15 employees may be reimbursed for this service. The physician will be responsible for arranging and paying for the sign language interpreting services to facilitate the medical services being provided. The physician will then seek reimbursement from the CSHCN Services Program for providing this service.
Sign language interpreting services must be provided by an interpreter who possesses one of the following certification levels (i.e., levels a through h) issued by either the Department of Assistive and Rehabilitative Services (DARS), the Office for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services, the Board for Evaluation of Interpreters (BEI), or the National Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf (RID):
| a) |
BEI Level I/Ii and BEI OC: B (Oral Certificate: Basic). |
| b) |
BEI Basic and RID NIC (National Interpreter Certificate) Certified. |
| c) |
BEI Level II/IIi, RID CI (Certificate of Interpretation), RID CT (Certificate of Transliteration), RID IC (Interpretation Certificate), and RID TC (Transliteration Certificate). |
| d) |
BEI Level III/IIIi, BEI OC: C (Oral Certificate: Comprehensive), BEI OC: V (Oral Certificate: Visible), RID CSC (Comprehensive Skills Certificate), RID IC/TC, RID CI/CT, RID RSC (Reverse Skills Certificate), and RID CDI (Certified Deaf Interpreter). |
| e) |
BEI Advanced and RID NIC Advanced. |
| f) |
BEI IV/IVi, RID MCSC (Master Comprehensive Skills Certificate), and RID SC: L (Specialist Certificate: Legal). |
| h) |
BEI Master; and RID NIC Master. |
Interpreting services include the provision of voice-to-sign, sign-to-voice, gestural-to-sign, sign-to-gestural, voice-to-visual, visual-to-voice, sign-to-visual, or visual-to-sign services for communication access provided by a certified interpreter.
The physician requesting interpreting services must maintain documentation verifying the provision of interpreting services. Documentation of the service must be included in the client's medical record and must include the name of the sign language interpreter and the interpreter's certification level. Documentation must be made available if requested by the DSHS-CSHCN Services Program or its designee.
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