Provider Updates for MHS

Date: 08/12/26

Welcome to Provider Updates for Managed Health Services (MHS). We remain committed to supporting providers with the tools and resources necessary to deliver culturally and linguistically appropriate care. We strive to ensure that all network providers have the information and resources they need to serve our members.

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Serving Members Better by Speaking Their Language

Treating the whole patient not only their conditions is a major component of delivering quality healthcare. MHS offers you information and tools to help make that possible.

Member Demographics and Our Members

MHS members continue to represent a culturally and linguistically diverse population. In MY 2025, White members represented the largest reported racial group (52.7%), followed by Black or African American (19.0%). Hispanic or Latino members represented 13.2% of membership. Spanish remained the most frequently reported non-English language (5.91%), followed by Haitian (0.88%) and Burmese (0.62%). Interpreter utilization data showed continued demand for Spanish, Haitian Creole, and Burmese language services, reinforcing the importance of maintaining accessible language assistance resources for both members and providers.

Table 1: Member Reported Race and Ethnicity Composition (MY 2025)

Reported Race	Count	Percent
American Indian or Alaska Native	1,848	0.6%
Asian	6,388	2.2%
Black or African American	55,321	19.0%
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander	235	0.1%
White	153,231	52.7%
Reported Ethnicity
Hispanic or Latino	38,273	13.2%
Non-Hispanic or Latino	209,626	72.0%

Source: MHS Direct Member Race and Ethnicity Data, MY 2025

Table 2: Top 10 Non-English Languages Reported by Membership (MY 2025)

Language	Count	Percent
Spanish	17,196	5.91%
Haitian	2,556	0.88%
Burmese	1,792	0.62%
French	640	0.22%
Arabic	471	0.16%
Russian	112	0.04%
Swahili	105	0.04%
Hakka Chinese	76	0.03%
Chinese	74	0.03%
Basque	61	0.02%

Source: Sources:  834 file, Portico/Xcelys.

Table 3: Indiana Household Language Census Data- Non English Languages (MY 2025)

Population Language	Count	Percent
Spanish	381,198	5.85%
German	40,333	0.62%
Yiddish/Pennsylvania Dutch/Other West Germanic	37,403	0.57%
Chinese (incl. Mandarin/Cantonese)	25,119	0.39%
Yoruba, Twi, Igbo and Other West African Languages	24,763	0.38%
Other Languages of Asia	23,308	0.36%
Haitian	16,124	0.25%
Arabic	13,224	0.20%
Hindi	12,943	0.20%
Punjabi	12,173	0.19%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 2024

Table 4: Threshold Language Analysis (MY 2025)

Languages Meeting Threshold Criteria

Language	Members	Percent
Spanish	17,196	5.91%
Haitian	2,556	0.88%
Burmese	1,792	0.62%
French	640	0.22%
Arabic	471	0.16%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024*. Threshold Languages Determination, Non-English Languages Spoken by 5% of the Service Area Population or 1,000 Members, whichever is Less.

Language Assistance Services Available to Providers

MHS offers language Assistance at no cost to support effective communication with patients who speak a language other than English. Not sure of your patient’s language? You may find out a patient’s language by logging on to our Provider Portal and downloading your Patient List, or by contacting MHS Member Services at 1-877-647-4848. You may also work with the interpreter service to identify the right language.

MHS offers the following language assistance services. All interpreters are trained professionals.

Over-the-Phone Interpretation

Telephonic interpreter services are available 24/7 and in approximately 150 languages to assist providers and members in communicating with each other when there are no other interpreters available. Members and providers can call MHS at 1-877-647-4848 to request an interpreter, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. ET, Monday through Friday.

Outside these hours, members and providers can get an interpreter any time 24/7 via the Nurse Advice Line:

• Call 1-877-647-4848 
• Press Option 2 (Member), then select your health plan
• Choose the Nurse option, then select Option 2 to speak to a Nurse
• When the Nurse answers, ask to be connected to an interpreter

Video Remote Interpretation

Multiple languages are available for remote interpretation. Supported platforms include Zoom, Google Hangouts Meet, GoToMeeting, Webex, and any telehealth platform in which an interpreter can join as a guest or provider attendee. Please contact our Member Advocate Team at language_services@mhsindiana.com to request an Interpreter.

 

In-Person Interpretation

MHS offers face-to-face interpreters practicing in more than 150 languages including Spanish, Burmese and American Sign Language. Email requests to: Language_services@mhsindiana.com. When possible MHS requests a five-day prior notification for face-to-face services.

All participating MHS providers are required to comply with certain interpreter requirements.

• Providers must ensure that bilingual staff who act as interpreters are qualified and meet the quality standards, which includes documentation that the staff member’s proficiency was assessed. Providers that use bilingual staff to communicate with patients must ensure that bilingual staff can interpret effectively, accurately, and to and from the language of the patient and English, using any necessary specialized vocabulary terminology and phraseology.
• Patients are never required to bring their own interpreters.
• Minors may not interpret, even if their parent or other relative consent, unless there is an emergency, and there is not a qualified interpreter immediately available.
• An accompanying adult may interpret if the patient agrees and if it is appropriate to the situation.
• Providers are strongly encouraged to document in the medical record the use of family, friends, and minors as interpreters. If an interpreter is offered and the patient declines, the provider should also document this in the medical record.

Reach out to your Provider Relations Specialist with MHS to learn more about these requirements, and how you can use them to make your relationship with your patients stronger and more effective.

Provider updates are posted to our website frequently.

Check the Provider News page of our website often for the latest information.