What Is Your Interpreting Service Really Costing You? Lets Talk Real ROI.

The hidden costs of low-quality language services in healthcare...and how smarter language access drives better returns.

In healthcare, interpreting services are often viewed through a narrow lens: What’s the rate per minute? However, when organizations fixate only on the most obvious cost, they miss the bigger picture: how language access affects every layer of operations.

Poor-quality interpreting can create significant hidden costs, from hiring and staffing to patient throughput, legal exposure, and burnout. Meanwhile, effective language access—built on speed, accuracy, and healthcare expertise—does far more than translate; it streamlines workflows, improves outcomes, and unlocks real ROI across organizations.

This post explores the key areas where interpreting services impact your bottom line, often in ways not reflected on a monthly invoice.

1. Time is Money—And Poor Interpreting Eats Both

Whether you're using on-site, phone, or video interpreters, every minute of delay adds cost. Clinical staff waste valuable time, and patients sit idle, causing appointment schedules to slide.

Example of real-world impacts:
📉 One clinic found NEP (Non-English Preferred) patient appointments took twice as long when using friends, family members, or bilingual staff compared to Jeenie interpreters.

These time costs ripple outward, with fewer patients seen, longer wait times, and more overtime for staff. All of these add up to major losses in productivity.

2. The Hidden Drain on Staff Efficiency

In many organizations, language access gaps are filled by bilingual front desk workers, medical assistants, and nurses. While well-intentioned, this practice pulls licensed professionals away from their core work and places an unfair burden on bilingual staff.

This creates:

• Workflow disruption across the care team
• Inefficient use of highly trained clinical talent
• Higher risk of burnout, especially among bilingual employees

When language support is handled by professionals, your staff can focus on what they do best—providing care.

3. Staffing and Hiring Bottlenecks

Requiring second-language fluency as a job qualification narrows the hiring pool, especially in rural or underserved regions. In some cases, organizations compromise on clinical expertise just to secure language coverage.

But when interpreting is reliably accessible through your platform, language fluency becomes a bonus, not a necessity. That opens up access to more qualified candidates, simplifies scheduling, and eases onboarding.

🏥 In this Chicago-based case study, an extensive family services nonprofit removed bilingual requirements from hiring after adopting Jeenie’s on-demand interpreting platform. The result? A 25% increase in staff productivity due to more flexible scheduling and faster hiring timelines.

4. The Financial Risk of Miscommunication

Even a minor misunderstanding can carry major consequences in healthcare, especially when it involves medication instructions, symptoms, or consent. Miscommunication is estimated to contribute to over $1.7 billion in malpractice costs annually in the U.S.¹

 Poorly executed interpreting increases the risk of:

• Misdiagnosis and delayed treatment
• Repeat visits and additional testing
• Legal exposure and malpractice claims
• Regulatory violations (HIPAA, ADA)
  
  

By contrast, trained medical interpreters: 

• Significantly reduce this risk by delivering accuracy in complex, high-stakes conversations
• Ensure understanding between patients and providers
• Improve efficiency by minimizing the need for repetition, clarification, or follow-up appointments.

Each of these benefits contributes directly to stronger outcomes and lower costs—clinically, operationally, and legally. Each avoided error isn’t just a clinical win—it’s a financial one.

5. Compliance Isn’t Optional

Language access isn’t just about good service; it’s also about legal and regulatory responsibility. Federal laws require meaningful access to care for patients with limited English proficiency (LEP). Or, as we now say, Non-English Preferred (NEP) patients.

Using friends or family members, or relying on untrained bilingual staff, puts organizations at risk for:

• Noncompliance with HIPAA and ADA
• Violations of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act
• Fines, lawsuits, and reputational damage

To meet those obligations, a high-quality platform like Jeenie provides fully HIPAA-compliant sessions and trained, vetted interpreters.

✅ Remember, it’s not just about compliance, it’s about creating a foundation of trust, safety, and quality for every patient interaction.

The Takeaway: Better Interpreting = Better ROI

Too often, language access is treated as a line-item expense. Zooming out, it’s clear that interpreting is more nuanced and embedded throughout organizational performance. Quality interpreting is a strategic lever, not just a compliance box.

Organizations that invest in fast, accurate, medically trained interpreters gain real returns:

• Faster appointments and improved throughput
• Better clinical outcomes and fewer errors
• Reduced burden on staff and better hiring flexibility
• Stronger compliance posture and legal protection

Platforms like Jeenie don’t just connect speakers; they also drive (or undermine) outcomes. Before you compare vendors based on per-minute pricing, ask yourself the bigger question: What is your current interpreting solution really costing you?