National Standards for Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services (CLAS) in Health Care

Overview

In 2000, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (“HHS”) released Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services (“CLAS”) Standards. These standards sought to provide guidance for the provision of high-quality health care services that meet the needs of a diverse society. In 2013, HHS updated the CLAS Standards with the specific aim of incorporating a more culture-sensitive and “linguistically responsive” orientation. A Blueprint complements the report by offering additional guidance and implementation strategies.

In a release, HHS identified the disproportionate impact on racial and ethnic minorities of health care system inadequacies as a key motivation for updating the CLAS standards. Crucially, the controlling standard charges health care provides to aspire for “effective, equitable, understandable, and respectful quality care and services that are responsive to…preferred languages…and other communication needs.”

Purpose

The purpose of the release is to update the 2000 National Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services Standards.