Ending the global disconnect: over-the-phone interpreters help insurers bridge language barriers.

Insurance knows no boundaries, but the more than 6,800 languages and dialects that span the globe can sometimes make it difficult for insurers and adjusters to communicate with their clients.

Many insurers have found a solution to help bridge the language barrier. Language Line Services, a 22-year-old company based in Monterey, Calif., provides interpretation and translation services. While it services many industries, such as health care, government, entertainment, telecommunications, utilities and transportation, its leading clients include insurers, large brokerages and individual agents, as well as other members of the financial services industry.

The need for interpretation and translation services continues to grow as the number of non- or limited-English speaking individuals entering the United States climbs. The U.S. Census Bureau estimates that a new person with limited-to-no English enters the country every 22 seconds, said Dale Hansman, manager of Language Line Services' public relations.

Insurers contracting with Language Line Services call a toll-free number to reach trained interpreters who provide round-the-clock, over-the-phone interpretation in more than 150 languages. Callers enter an account number and are connected to an interpreter within seconds. Each call is a three-way conversation involving the client, such as an insurer, the prospect or the insured, and an interpreter.

Interpreters assist insurers with sales and claims for personal auto, homeowners, group life and health, and workers' compensation; life and health underwriting; fraud investigation; call center support; and roadside emergency assistance. In addition, the services can help reduce risk by assuring insurers are complying with Gramm-Leach-Bliley confidentiality standards. Examples of translation services include accident and medical reports, claims information and forms, receipts, statements and death certificates.

The company began in 1982 as a volunteer group organized by San Jose, Calif., police officer Jeff Munks and a Defense Language Institute instructor to serve the growing immigrant population in the Santa Clara County area. After responding to numerous 911 calls placed by limited-English speaking individuals--and encountering several language-based misunderstandings as to whether the caller was the victim or perpetrator--Munks saw the critical need for establishing a better communication system.

Language Line Services employs nearly 2,000 interpreters in 11 time zones. Interpreters not only are trained in multiple languages, but also are trained in industry-specific areas, including insurance. Training includes instruction in insurance terminology and role play exercises of insurance-related situations. Several major insurers serve as consultants so the company can learn from them the latest terminology and situations they often face, said Hansman.

Languages in highest demand for interpretation by insurers are Spanish and various Asian languages, including Mandarin, Vietnamese, Japanese and Cantonese. The most-requested languages represent 98% of all customer requests, said Hansman.

Insurers' feedback on the service has been positive. "It gets down to making it easier for a person to understand and complete their work by having an interpreter on the phone and having translated documents in front of them--all of which help speed up claims processing and make it more efficient," said Hansman. Call centers also benefit because calls are processed more quickly, thus allowing centers to meet and exceed their target goals, he added.

While there are several other companies that provide similar services, Hansman said Language Line Services' biggest competitor is often the clients themselves. "Insurers may have their own call centers and determine that a percentage of calls are from Spanish-speaking callers, for instance, so they will hire bilingual people to assist policyholders and then only need us for other languages or to handle the overflow."

To ensure that clients' on-staff interpreters are up to par, the company offers Language Line University, which offers testing and training to ensure clients' bilingual employees are able to efficiently and effectively communicate with callers.