“There is now a consistent pattern of data showing that homecare workers receiving benefits have a lower rate of attrition and, therefore, a higher rate of stability,” says the latest report from the Los Angeles County In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) program.
Impact of Health Benefits on Retention of Homecare Workers: Analysis of the IHSS Health Benefits Program in LA County (pdf) is a follow-up to four reports from 2003-2006, which showed that offering medical benefits to the IHSS home care workers reduced turnover.
The present study, a five-year longitudinal retention analysis, echoes those findings. It also teases out more detail, comparing work patterns for workers who enrolled in the benefits program with those who did not, identifying traits that predict who will enroll, tracking changes in enrollment over time, and more.
Continue reading ‘Study Shows Link Between Health Care and Retention’
A new poll commissioned by the Women’s Voices Women Vote Action Fund found that unmarried women could be a key voting bloc in this election, and that they share key concerns with direct-care workers. But they’re less likely to vote than their married counterparts.
The survey found economic issues are of particular concern to this group. Asked to describe economic changes that would be most helpful, 40 percent identify lowering the price of gas and 38 percent say lowering the cost of health care.
Sounds like what matters to direct-care workers. Getting access to affordable health coverage is a huge economic issue for many our workforce, with nearly one in three lacking insurance and hundreds of thousands more stuck with punishingly high copays and deductibles. And for many home care workers, the rising cost of gas is reaching the crisis point.
Getting out this crucial part of the vote this November can make a big difference to direct-care workers.
Carol Regan, HCHCW National Project Director
cregan@PHInational.org
On August 16, members of the Health Care for America Now (HCAN) Coalition met with Iowa Senator Tom Harkin, sharing their concerns and stories about uninsured Iowans. They also talked about the struggles faced by both direct-care workers and the people they serve as a result of inadequate or no insurance.
That’s me in the back row of the photo right behind the senator, along with other members of the coalition, as he signs HCAN’s Which Side Are You On? pledge.
Senator Harkin supports the establishment of a comprehensive national health care plan. He mentioned two ways that goal might be achieved:
- Give all Americans the option to enroll in the Federal Employee Benefit Pool (the same insurance he has), with the rationale that enrolling more would lower the cost to individual members; or
- Expand Medicare to cover all Americans. It would be much more difficult to get Congress to pass the second, he noted.
Continue reading ‘Health Care Reform Advocates Meet with Senator Harkin’
POSTPONED: We’ll be back in touch with future plans. For more information or to join the campaign, please contact Tracy Lawless at 724-933-6164 or tlawless@phinational.org
EMPOWERING OUR FUTURE: A Conference for Pennsylvania Direct-Care Workers and Supporters
Celebrating the passion, commitment, and leadership that makes quality long-term care possible.
When: October 3, 2008, 7:30 AM to 4:00 PM
Where: Regional Learning Alliance Conference Center (directions)
Download the conference schedule (pdf)
Empowering our Future will bring together an emerging network of workers, worker-advocates, and their supporters who are concerned about the future of long-term care in Pennsylvania. It will provide a unique opportunity for direct-care workers to learn from each other and create new alliances with colleagues from across the state who understand the crucial role direct-care workers play in our state’s long-term care system. Continue reading ‘HCHW to Host Conference for PA Direct-Care Workers & Allies’
If you have something to share with other people who care about health coverage for direct-care workers, we can help you reach them.
Please send me any news, facts, or stories that you think would be interesting to the Health Care for Health Care Workers community. The HCHCW e-newsletter is published every other Tuesday, and our blog is up 24/7.
Allison Lee, HCHCW National Campaign Manager
alee@phinational.org
The Herndon Alliance has developed a package of very short papers to help health care reform advocates shape their messages. The documents discuss strategies and language to be used or avoided when communicating with the public, working with the media, or otherwise advocating for better health coverage.
The Alliance is a nationwide non-partisan coalition of more than 100 minority, faith, labor, advocacy, business, and healthcare provider organizations working to build a broad base of support for health care reform. HCHCW has been a member since its inception and has partnered with the group on various activites. Continue reading ‘National Group Unveils Key Messaging Tools’
Last Wednesday, the summer working group heard presentations on four models for health care coverage, three for members of a specific workforce and one for employees of small businesses. It also heard an argument for tailoring a health care plan to address obstacles encountered by all low-wage workers, not just one particular workforce.
Continue reading ‘Maine: Coverage Models Presented to Summer Working Group’
On August 11, the Iowa Choice Health Care Coverage Advisory Council, which is charged with designing a comprehensive plan to cover all children and adults in the state without health care coverage, held its first meeting. The council was created by health care reform legislation passed by the 2008 Iowa Legislature and signed into law by Governor Chet Culver in May. The legislation calls for new plans to be available for purchase as of January 1, 2010.
At the first meeting, the coucil discussed the challenges of coming up with definitions and parameters of adequacy and affordability, potential ways to administer the plans, and key issues such as who is eligible for coverage and whether or not coverage should be mandatory. The council also requested data on the various health plans that currently exist in Iowa and the associated costs. The Council will meet every two weeks.
Continue reading ‘Iowa Digs into Health Care Design’
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