New York Medicaid: Cultural competency training required by Oct. 1, 2025

Earn credits in this free online course

Every year, the New York State Department of Health requires health care providers to complete cultural competency training. Physicians, physician assistants and nurse practitioners can take the state’s free accredited online course, Think Cultural Health, and earn 9 credits or 9 hours of continuing education upon completion.

The Think Cultural Health training gives an overview of cultural, health literacy and language needs for diverse populations. By understanding these needs, you can build a relationship of trust and help enhance patients’ overall health outcomes.

How to take the required training

There are 2 ways to access the Think Cultural Health training: through the UnitedHealthcare Provider Portal or the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. Going through the UnitedHealthcare Provider Portal simplifies the attestation process and tracks that you’ve fulfilled your requirement.

• UnitedHealthcare Provider Portal
  From any page on UHCprovider.com, select Sign In at the top-right corner
  • Enter your One Healthcare ID and password
    • New users without a One Healthcare ID: Visit UHCprovider.com/access to get started 
  • Go to the Tailored Training page under Profile & Settings
    • On the Required Training tab, click on the course titled U.S. Department of Health and Human Services — Think Cultural Health. This will bring you to the Guide, where you can log in or register to take the training.
  • Once you complete the training, return to our Tailored Training page
    • Click the link under the Provider Status heading
    • Click on the applicable provider name(s) and choose “Mark as Completed” under Bulk Options. This will automatically provide evidence that you’ve completed the course.

• U.S. Department of Health & Human Services
  • If you don’t have access to the Provider Portal, go directly to the Guide and complete the following steps:
    • Log in and choose the program that corresponds with your scope of practice
  • Once you complete the training, download the roster, fill out the requested information and email it to our Cultural Competency team. Use the subject line: Think Cultural Health training.

Note: Taking the Think Cultural Health training through the UnitedHealthcare Provider Portal eliminates the need to download the roster and manually email it to our team.

Questions? We’re here to help.

For questions about the training, email the Cultural Competency team. For chat options and contact information, visit our contact resources.