State flag of Vermont
PHI has partnered with the Vermont Campaign for Health Care Security’s Education Fund on an effort to increase outreach to direct care workers about their health insurance options in Vermont. The state of Vermont offers several subsidized health insurance products, including Medicaid, the Vermont Health Access Program (VHAP) and Catamount, which was launched in 2007. Despite these three health insurance options, collectively called Green Mountain Care, many direct care workers do not have health insurance.
According the 2007 Legislative Study of the Direct Care Workforce in Vermont (pdf) only one third of direct-care workers in Vermont receive health coverage as an employment benefit. Another finding of the study showed that workers with health coverage remain in their jobs for 2.5 years longer than those without it.
Alex Olins, PHI’s Northern New England Policy Director, will work with HCHCW and staff from the Vermont Campaign to reach out to direct care workers about their health insurance options. Activities will include: conducting Green Mountain Care meetings at eldercare/disability services employers around the state; developing a Q&A video with a direct care worker about health insurance options for the HCHCW Vermont webpage; creating a customized paycheck insert to send to the over 5,000 consumer-directed/independent providers about Green Mountain Care options; and hosting Green Mountain Care conference calls for direct care workers to call in with questions about health insurance. Please contact Alex Olins at aolins@phinational.org for more information.
Alex Olins
Northern New England Policy Director
PHI
aolins@phinational.org
