Cultural Competency Resources and Language Services Available

Date: 09/16/21

A major component of delivering quality health care is treating the whole patient and not just the medical condition. Superior and its providers must understand a member’s level of health literacy and language skills, as well as demonstrate sensitivity to differing cultural influences, beliefs and backgrounds to effectively communicate with members and establish a relationship. This promotes positive health outcomes and encourages member participation with their doctor by increasing trust and understanding, and decreasing anxiety associated with health care. In order to ensure our member’s whole health is considered, please review the following information regarding:

• Superior Language Services
• Cultural Competency Trainings
• Health Disparities and Social Determinants of Health (SDoH)

Superior Language Services

Better cross-cultural and linguistic communications can play a role in reducing health disparities prevalent throughout Texas. Superior annually assesses the language profile of Superior members using state-level census data to determine the languages spoken in Superior’s service delivery areas. Evaluating the population language profile of Texas helps Superior anticipate and plan for changes in the language services Superior provides. The most recent Decennial U.S. Census language data (2010) revealed that of the nearly 24 million people in Texas five years old or older, 65.8% reported English as their preferred spoken language and 34.2% of Texans reported speaking a language other than English. The following graph, from the MLA Language Map Data Center, breaks down non-English languages reported by Texas residents, with Spanish being the most prominent non-English language (85.4% or 6,543,702 residents) spoken by Texas residents:

Superior supports members and practitioners by providing free language assistance services, including by not limited to:

• Telephonic interpreter assistance
• Face-to-face (F2F) interpreter assistance
• Translations of member materials
  • Superior provides member materials in English and Spanish. Translations for all other languages are available upon request.

To request interpreter assistance, translated materials or inquire about member's preferred language, please contact Superior’s Member Services by calling the toll free number located on the back of the member’s ID card.

Cultural Competency

Superior implements the 15 principles of the National Cultural and Linguistically Appropriate Services (CLAS) standards to improve the quality of care provided to all members. CLAS standards assist in promoting and sustaining cultural and linguistic appropriate services to members regardless of socio-cultural or socio-economic status, ethnic background, age, gender, religion, health status, physical and intellectual ability and communication vulnerability. Superior’s Quality Improvement Committees assist in ensuring compliance with CLAS standards by working with providers to implement strategies for improving cultural competency. Providers are encouraged to review the CLAS-related resources below:

• CLAS Standards
• The Quality Assessment and Performance Improvement (QAPI) Program

Providers can participate in Superior’s Cultural Competency Health Literacy Training conducted through monthly webinars, as well as participate in training opportunities administered by the state or nationally recognized organizations. For additional information regarding resources and trainings visit:  

• Superior’s Quality Improvement Program webpage (Cultural Competency and Health Literacy Plan and Resources)
• Provider Training Calendar (Webinar - Cultural Competency and Disability Sensitivity Training)
• Culturally Effective Health Care (free physician CME training course from Texas Health and Human Services and the Texas Department of Health Services)
• A Physician’s Practical Guide to Culturally Competent Care (self-directed training course developed by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Minority Health)
• The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) (Health Literacy Trainings)

Superior also encourages providers to list their race and ethnicity on the Individual and Group Provider Credentialing Application, found under the Credentialing section, on Superior’s Provider Forms webpage. With this information, Superior can match a member’s cultural needs with a provider of the same cultural or ethnic background, to help improve health outcomes.

Health Disparities and SDoH

Superior works to enhance quality of life for members by striving to address health disparities and Social Determinants of Health (SDoH). These are factors that may influence a member’s health and well-being, including access to health care and/or basic services, such as housing, food, exercise and medications. To learn more about SDoH, please visit the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention at Social Determinants of Health: Know What Affects Health.

Superior utilizes a variety of methods to address health disparities and SDoH and their barriers, such as:

• Aunt Bertha – This resource helps providers and members quickly and easily search for free or reduced cost services like medical care, food and job training.
  • This tool can be accessed on Superior’s Member Resources webpage, or by visiting www.AuntBertha.com.
• 2-1-1 Texas – This resource is a free, anonymous social service hotline available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. This program, provided by Texas Health and Human Services (HHS), is committed to helping Texas residents connect with the services they need.
  • Providers and members can access services by dialing 2-1-1 or 1-877-541-7905 or online at www.211texas.org.
• Community Health Workers – These individuals help members successfully navigate through the health-care system, by establishing ongoing outpatient services with primary care providers, addressing all access to care, social barriers, and following up after hospital discharge for a time period of 90 days. This leads to better health outcomes and reduction in potentially preventable ER visits, inpatient admissions and readmissions. 
  • To refer a member, please contact Superior Member Services, and ask to speak to a Community Health Worker.

Superior’s commitment to CLAS and addressing health disparities and SDoH is demonstrated through internal cultural competency, health disparities and SDoH work plans, which focuses on various initiatives such as provider and staff trainings, interventions and complaint tracking.

For more information on CLAS standards and addressing health disparities and SDoH, please contact us using the email address below, and CC/SDoH in your subject line: SHP.HEDIS@SuperiorHealthPlan.com.