Summary
The rule under Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act that requires health programs receiving federal funds to communicate as effectively with patients and companions who have disabilities as with others, providing auxiliary aids such as assistive listening devices free of charge.
Key findings
- Requires a covered entity to take appropriate steps so that communications with individuals with disabilities, including companions with disabilities, are as effective as communications with others in its health programs and activities, following the ADA Title II standards in 28 CFR 35.130 and 35.160 to 35.164, with "covered entity" read in place of "public entity".
- Requires appropriate auxiliary aids and services where necessary to give people with disabilities an equal opportunity to take part in and benefit from the health program or activity, provided free of charge, in accessible formats, in a timely manner and in a way that protects the privacy and independence of the individual.
- The definitions in the same part (section 92.4) list assistive listening devices, assistive listening systems, telephone handset amplifiers and telephones compatible with hearing aids among the auxiliary aids for people who are deaf or hard of hearing.
- Section 92.4 defines a covered entity as a recipient of federal financial assistance, the Department of Health and Human Services itself, or an entity established under Title I of the Affordable Care Act.
Limits
A general duty that names no technology for any setting and sets no performance limits or numbers of devices. Read from the eCFR text in force on 1 October 2026 (sections 92.202 and 92.4); the date is the section's latest amendment shown by eCFR, from the 2024 final rule. The incorporated Title II standards, including primary consideration of the aid a person asks for, are in 28 CFR 35.160, a separate record in this library.
Read the original
www.ecfr.gov/current/title-45/subtitle-A/subchapter-A/part-92/subpart-C/section-92.202
Cited in
- What works in hospitals, clinics and pharmacies, where a misheard word can matter most?Partly answered
Cite this source
US Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights. 45 CFR 92.202: effective communication for individuals with disabilities (Section 1557 regulation). eCFR. 5 July 2024. https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-45/subtitle-A/subchapter-A/part-92/subpart-C/section-92.202 (accessed 10 October 2026).
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