Under the Federal 2009 Omnibus Appropriations bill, $75 million in State Health Access Program grants will be available to states that are ready to expand health coverage to targeted uninsured groups. This is an opportunity for states to develop programs to cover direct care workers. Continue reading ‘Millions in Health Access Grants Available for States’
Monthly Archive for April, 2009
The Iowa legislature adjourned early Sunday morning having made promising advances on health care for direct-care workers – despite the bleak economic outlook for the state. Continue reading ‘Funding for Iowa Pilot Program Approved’
As Congress is gearing up to draft national health reform legislation, a major element will be how “affordable” is defined for what individuals and families will have to pay for coverage.
We are asking YOU to share your definition of what affordable means to you (price, premiums, co-payments, deductible, share of family income, coverage, etc.) We’ll share your views with members of Congress and state leaders in the coming months.
Click here to take our short survey
Allison Lee
National Campaign Manager
HCHCW
alee@phinational.org
A few weeks ago, a handful of members of the Maine Direct Care Worker Coalition brought together department heads and legislative leaders in an unprecedented meeting to discuss health insurance options for the direct-care workforce. The meeting was held in the office of the Speaker of the House and was arranged by home-care worker Helen Hanson. The policymakers in attendance at the meeting were:
- Senator Nancy Sullivan
- Speaker of the House Hannah Pingree
- Senate President Libby Mitchell
- Trish Riley, the director of the Governor’s Office of Health Policy and Finance
- Brenda Harvey, Commissioner of the Department of Health and Human Services
- Mila Kofman, Superintendent of the Maine Bureau of Insurance
- Representative Adam Goode
- Representative Steve Butterfield
- Representative James Campbell Continue reading ‘Worker-Led Effort Results in High Stakes Meeting’
HCHCW Vermont joined with the Vermont Campaign for Health Security to produce a new video designed to explain the health insurance options available to direct-care workers in Vermont. The video, “Health Insurance Options for Direct-Care Workers in Vermont”, features PHI’s Northern New England Policy Director, Alex Olins, and Diane McGill, a direct-care worker from Vermont. In the short video, Alex answers questions from Diane about the various plans available under Green Mountain Care, a family of health insurance plans subsidized by the state.
The video is being promoted to workers through long-term care employers, the Vermont Association of Professional Caregivers, and the Vermont Campaign for Health Care Security.
Allison Lee
National Campaign Manager
HCHCW
alee@phinational.org
Rep. Matt Smith and Mrs. Dombrowski
On Monday, state Representative Matt Smith (D-Allegheny) participated in the third Come Care With Me day as part of a program sponsored by the PA Health Care for Health Care Workers Campaign. Rep. Smith shadowed direct care worker Faith Buckel as she provided routine in-home care for consumer Ann Dombrowski. Dombrowski, age 90, suffers from pulmonary disease COPD and Dementia.
Three times a week, Buckel assists Mrs. Dombrowski with such day-to-day tasks as bathing, housekeeping and meal preparation. Dombroski’s family, who noted the strong relationship between Mrs. Dombroski and her caregiver, said that they can’t imagine what they would do without Buckel’s help. Unfortunately, within the year, they might be facing the unimaginable. Continue reading ‘“Come Care with Me” Program Highlights Impact of Health Coverage’
We have another small victory in the ongoing battle to gain health care insurance for Maine’s DCWs!
Last Thursday, at the Insurance and Financial Services Committee held a work session for the Direct Care Worker Coalition’s bill for a pilot for health insurance for direct care workers (LD1059). Geoff Green, Deputy Commissioner of the Health and Human Services, spoke in support of our efforts. He said that DHHS is strongly supportive and wants to do a further study into the Montana Plan that provides a Medicaid reimbursement rate increase for employers who provide health insurance to their workers. He said the Department wants to work further with the Center for Medicare Services to figure this out how to do this in Maine. He said the Department is “willing to commit” to this, but told the committee that more time is needed than this legislative session allows.
The committee asked DHHS to come back with specifics on the plan. Green told them that pilots are hard to set up and that he wants to work with stakeholders to design a program but being so early in the process it was hard to say how long the process will take.
Here’s the best part, the Committee voted unanimously to carry over LD 1059 until the next session. We did it!
I say this is a small victory because never before has DHHS even offered to look into this for Maine’s direct care workers. Everyone who has worked on this a lot longer than I have has told me that this is the closest we’ve ever gotten. To have gained that commitment from DHHS is a big deal.
I know that we still have a long way to go before insurance is actually implemented, but every small victory counts. This is a hill we’ve been climbing for a while now, we are one more step closer to the top.
The Direct Care Worker Coalition’s next steps are to keep DHHS on task, and try to get more providers on board.
Again, I am willing to do what I can to keep this moving. I hear from so many workers that health insurance is important to them, they need it.
This is great news.
Helen Hanson
Direct-Care Worker and Coalition Leader
China, Maine
Please join the PA-DCW Association at its annual conference on Monday, May 18th in Harrisburg. In support of this conference, The Health Care for Health Care Workers Campaign will host a grassroots advocacy training and legislative briefing.
Come help us bring legislators and their staff up to speed on the issues that are most important to the direct care workforce. A slate of issues will be presented to a host of invited lawmakers by the Pennsylvania Direct Care Worker Association steering committee. Topics presented will include:
- Securing health care for all direct care workers
- Getting your CNA certification and recognition as professionals
- Severe worker shortages
- Sustainability and growth
- Educational and career advancement opportunities.
There will be time for a Q & A session for the legislators, staff, and audience members. Additionally, you can learn how you can advocate for the best environment for the direct care field, using health care reform for health care workers as an example. Get all the tools you need to talk to legislators or write to your newspaper about any issue. Hear directly from legislative staff about current health care reform legislation, as well as someone from the journalism field who can advise you on how to write letters to the editor.
Other workshops will include:
- End of life care
- How to live on $20,000 a year
- Self-defense for women
- Bringing your best self to the workplace
- Reiki for caregivers
- How to initiate culture change in your workplace.
About the DCW Association: Back in 2006, direct care workers around the state convened the Pennsylvania Direct Care Worker Association. Since then, they have grown to include 700-plus members from across the state. Their mission is to promote compassion and quality care for persons who are elderly, living with disabilities, chronically or terminally ill by providing education, advocacy and support for the state’s direct care profession.
To register or for more information, please contact Brenda Nachtway at 570-412-1446 or brendanachtway@gmail.com. We hope you will “spring into action” with us.
Tracy Lawless
PA State Campaign Coordinator
HCHCW
Tlawless@phinational.org
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