Helen Hanson
PHI’s Health Care for Health Care Workers initiative has issued two new resources for people working to improve health care coverage for direct care workers.
Health Care Coverage for Direct-Care Workers: 2008 Update, (pdf) a brief overview of the most recent available federal data on health care coverage among direct care workers, finds that direct-care workers continued to have considerably higher rates of uninsurance than the general public under 65 years of age (26.1 percent vs. 17.3 percent) in 2008. “If direct-care workers are to rely on employer-sponsored coverage, policy makers must establish effective payment methods that build the cost of health coverage into the reimbursement rates that eldercare and disability service providers receive,” the three-page report concludes.
The other resource is a series of testimonials from five direct care workers and one employer about how they have been affected by inadequate health insurance. The first two are from graduates of the Voices Institute’s National Leadership Program: home care worker Helen Hanson and CNA Cindy Ramer.
I really do not want the health care that you are fighting to get us, I feel that when Obama gets the national healthcare he wants us to have we will lose it anyway, I would much prefer that you fight to get me paid sick days, and accrued time so i can have a day off with pay like the schedulers and other office workers in my agency get.
Kathleen, What state are you in? Here in Minnesota we get PTO (paid time off) now. We are blessed here in MN compared to the rest of the country. What I push for is a flexible benefit package. All wages no bennies, or a combination depending on your situation. The more bennies you choose, the less take-home pay you would get. Let me know how I can help. Mike.
Hi Kathleen: Health care is a huge need among direct care workers, not only covearge, but affordable coverage that meets the health needs of workers and your familes. It is something that we all need to fighj for as so many direct care wrokers and their allies have been doing. But I also agree that it isn’t an either/or. DCW need and deserve paid sick days too, and it is a major issue that we ought to join in the fight for as well.
Kathleen,
I also want to let you know that the DCA is indeed fighting for the direct care workers on these other issues critical to direct care workers. On paid sick leave we are partners to a national campaign on that issue with the National Partnership of Women and Families. We know how important sick leave is, but we can’t let health care reform go by and leave the front line health care workers behind. It would not only be unjust, but also leave millions of Americans without coverage. Email me at lvega@directcarealliance.org if you have more questions. We need your support!