Homecare & IHSS News:

Humboldt County: A pay raise for In-Home Care Workers

News Channel 3, May 14, 2013

EUREKA- The Humboldt County Board of Supervisors unanimously voted to give IHSS workers a $1.00 raise over the course of three years. It’s been almost 2-years of protest and rallies for IHSS workers, and now the county has come through. But there fight isn’t over yet; union members say this is just a starting point. Union President Gail Ennis said, “This is a beginning process, not an end process. It took a village to make this happen so I’m grateful to everyone who was involved.”

Staring in July their pay rate will increase from $8.00 dollars an hour to $8.50, with a 25-cent raise for the next 2 years. Read more

‘So Many Moving Parts’ To Fit Together

By David Gorn, California Healthline, 5/10/13

The Department of Health Care Services announced this week that the Cal MediConnect duals demonstration project will not start until at least January, 2014, a delay from its previous expected launch date in October, 2013.

Advocates for seniors’ health care yesterday praised the decision, saying the extra three months will go a long way toward pulling all of the disparate pieces of Cal MediConnect into place. Read more

Wages, Hours and Training are Biggest Barriers to Recruiting Home Care Workers

By Elizabeth Ecker, Home Health Care News, 5/7/13

Compensation, lack of full-time hours and training are the largest barriers to recruiting and training direct-care workers in home and community-based programs, according to the findings of a new set of surveys of Michigan Medicaid-funded home and community-based service providers. Read more

Implementation of Coordinated Care Initiative set for October 1st will be delayed not sooner than January 2014

From CDCAN DISABILITY RIGHTS
Report #023-2013 – May 7, 2013 – Tuesday

Coordinated Care Initiative Includes Demonstration Project Called “Cal MediConnect” That Will Impact Adults With Disabilities and Seniors Eligible for Both Medicare and Medi-Cal in 8 Counties
Delay Impacts Implementation of the Other Pieces of the “Coordinated Care Initiative” That Includes Transitioning IHSS and Other Long Term Services and Supports Into A Medi-Cal Managed Care Benefit in Those 8 Counties

SACRAMENTO, CA (CDCAN) [Last updated 05/07/2013 10:55 AM] – The Brown Administration announced late yesterday afternoon that it will delay the implementation “no earlier than January 2014” of the 3 year demonstration project in 8 counties – called the “Coordinated Care Initiative”. The most recent start date of the initiative was “not sooner” than October 1, 2013.

Read the rest of this entry »

Weber’s Bill to Protect Providers of In-Home Supportive Services Passes the Assembly Health Committee

News Release from the Office of Assemblymember Shirley Weber, 4/17/13

Assemblymember Shirley N. Weber’s (D-San Diego) AB 784, which would establish a 13-member advisory committee to assess the impact of the Affordable Care Act on health care benefits for In-Home Supportive Services, providers passed the Assembly Public Safety Committee on Tuesday, April 16, 2013 with a 13-4 vote. AB 784 is sponsored by the United Domestic Workers and the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees.

Read More

AGING AMERICA: Poll finds people in denial about the need for long-term care as they get older

By Lauran Neergaard and Jennifer Agiesta, Associated Press, 4/24/13

WASHINGTON (AP) — We’re in denial: Americans underestimate their chances of needing long-term care as they get older — and are taking few steps to get ready.

A new poll examined how people 40 and over are preparing for this difficult and often pricey reality of aging, and found two-thirds say they’ve done little to no planning.

In fact, 3 in 10 would rather not think about getting older at all. Only a quarter predict it’s very likely that they’ll need help getting around or caring for themselves during their senior years, according to the poll by the AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. Read the rest of this entry »

Solano County grand jury eyes In-Home Supportive Services

By Melissa Murphy, Vacaville Reporter, 4/10/13

In-Home Supportive Services has once again fallen under the watchful eye of the Solano County grand jury. A report from the grand jury released Wednesday showed a few areas of concern with fraud, training investigative staff and time sheet deficiencies. Read more

The need for in-home care rises as baby boomers age

By Ana Veciana-Suarez, Miami Herald, 4/11/13

In the past four years alone, there has been a 40 percent growth in U.S. senior care agencies, according to Caregiverlist.com, a company that connects seniors and professional caregivers with care options. More than 4,000 caregivers are hired monthly. Read more

Court ruling in IHSS provider “subcontracting” case

Bedoe. V. County of San Diego
Download case summary

An appellate court in San Diego has ruled that IHSS providers cannot “subcontract” their work to another individual.

Bedoe. V. County of San Diego was a case involving an IHSS provider that signed timesheets and accepted payments through the program for the care of his mother. The IHSS consumer (Nancy Bedoe) chose her son Michael, as her provider. However for two years another family member living in the home with her, took responsibility for Nancy Bedoe’s care, and performed IHSS authorized tasks in exchange for room and board. Read the rest of this entry »

Information on Settlement in IHSS Cases

Below please find links to a flyer and the official class notice regarding the settlement of the Dominguez and Oster lawsuits challenging cuts to the IHSS program.

Notice of Class Action Settlements [pdf]
Settlement Notice, 1-page Flyer [pdf]
Full Settlement Agreement [pdf]

TRANSLATIONS Read the rest of this entry »

Coordinated Care Initiative is Moving Forward

State and federal governments have reached an agreement to move forward with integrated care for IHSS consumers.

Last year, we worked with advocacy groups to pass the Coordinated Care Initiative (CCI). CCI improves care for our consumers and loved ones, and streamlines the home care program for providers.

We are pleased to announce that the state and federal governments have reached an agreement on the implementation of this plan.

Cal MediConnect, the component of the plan for consumers who receive services through Medi-Cal and Medicare (dual eligibles), will start to be rolled out in October. Enrollment will begin in eight counties: Alameda, Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, San Mateo, and Santa Clara. Read the rest of this entry »

Together we stopped the 20% cuts to IHSS

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This week we reached a legal agreement to stop 20% cuts that would have devastated our families and clients.

For years, politicians have slashed the IHSS program and we filed lawsuits to stop them. Our agreement does not stop all of the cuts, but it is a step in the right direction.

Make sure to share this agreement with your client and fellow care providers! Read the rest of this entry »

Act now on fair wages for home care aides

The Hill’s Congress Blog. Where lawmakers come to blog
By Bruce C. Vladeck – 03/06/13

President Obama speaks frequently about the need to strengthen America’s middle class by creating more good-paying jobs and making the tax system more equitable. How the Congress will react to his proposals is highly uncertain, and what will emerge from the legislative process is unpredictable. But there is one action the president can take now that will accelerate movement of millions of Americans into the middle class, reduce inequality – and improve care for the nation’s elders and people with disability at the same time. With the stroke of his pen, the president can remove from the Fair Labor Standards Act the archaic “companionship exemption,” which excludes home care workers from federal wage protections. Read more

Who’s Responsible? A Sonoma County lawsuit over unpaid wages could radically alter the structure of in-home care

North Bay Bohemian News & Features » News
By Rachel Dovey, March 06, 2013

EMPTY BED Due to wording loopholes, the county's IHSS isn't required to pay in-home caregivers stiffed by their clients.

Photo credit: North Bay Bohemian. EMPTY BED- Due to wording loopholes, the county's IHSS isn't required to pay in-home caregivers stiffed by their clients.

In a lawsuit that could shake up the homecare industry statewide, a Sonoma County caregiver is claiming that she worked seven days a week for three months without ever being paid. While a local judge dismissed the case in 2011, an appellate court’s recent opinion may give it new life, revealing the confusing and sometimes contradictory language of in-home-care laws. Read more

More Counties Will be Moving to New Payroll System; Get the latest information on new IHSS Payroll System & Timesheets

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Watch video on filling out new timesheets

As of April 30, 2013 Orange, Riverside and Placer Counties will be using the new IHSS payroll and timesheet system (CMIPS II)..

If you work in one of these counties, we are offering numerous trainings on how to use the new system. Please call your local UDW office to participate in a meeting that will teach IHSS providers and their clients how to use the new timesheets. You will have a chance to see the timesheets and have your individual questions answered:

UDW Orange County office: (714) 663-1082 | Toll Free (877) 483-9937
UDW Riverside County office: (760) 251-5038 | Toll Free (888) 775‐7415
UDW Placer County office: (916) 751-2450 | Toll Free 888-228-0837

Also check for local meetings on our Event Calendar

CMIPS II is currently being used in the following UDW Counties: Kern, Merced, Orange, Riverside, San Diego and Stanislaus. Read Rollout Dates & Information for All California Counties (pdf) Read the rest of this entry »

Labor Council Backs Homecare Wage Increase and Immigration Reform

Redwood Times Humboldt County
February 26, 2012

Last week the Central Labor Council of Humboldt and Del Norte counties unanimously adopted resolutions of support for local In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) caregivers and for comprehensive immigration reform.

”Our members stand in solidarity with caregivers struggling for fair wages and respect on the job, neither of which they are currently getting from the county” said Central Labor Council president Mark Greenleaf.

The IHSS resolution calls on the county board of supervisors to resolve negotiations by immediately accepting a settlement proposal put forward by the California United Homecare Workers union. The resolution on immigration calls on Congress to pass comprehensive reform that includes a practical and inclusive roadmap to citizenship.

”Too often immigrant workers are mistreated and intimidated by employers who willfully exploit our broken immigration system,” said Greenleaf. “All working people have an interest in fixing it.”

IHSS Providers, Consumers: Get Free Help With Income Tax Preparation

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Income Taxes for Homecare Providers

It is that time of year again, and many homecare providers have questions about their income taxes and W-2′s.

Questions about W-2′s

W-2′s are issued in mid January. If you have not received your W-2 by the end of January or if you have questions about the wages reported in your W-2, you need to contact the payroll office of the county where you work. However bear in mind IHSS is not generally able to track a lost W-2 and can only request a duplicate.

However, undeliverable W-2’s that are returned to the processing center will be forwarded to the counties within two business days after they are received. If the county is in possession of an undeliverable W-2 and the provider stops by or calls with an updated address, counties have been instructed to give or mail the W-2 to the provider rather than requesting a reprint of the original form. Read the rest of this entry »

IHSS 2012 Consumer Survey

Download Full Survey (pdf)

The California Department of Social Services has released the results of its 2012 IHSS Consumer Satisfaction Survey. The survey was mailed to 5,878 randomly-selected IHSS consumers across California in March 2012. The Department released the following key findings from the survey:

Consumer response to the survey was 39%, which was consistent with the 40% response rate in the 2010 survey administration.
The majority of consumers remain very positive about the benefits they receive from the program and indicate that it meets their needs. About nine out of ten (89.1%) consumers reported that the IHSS program meets their needs–on par with the results of the last Consumer Survey in 2010 and up from 81.4% in 2008. Read the rest of this entry »

Appointments to Commission on Long-Term Care

Reid and Pelosi Appoint Members of LTC Commission
Leading Age, February 6, 2013

Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV) and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) have announced their appointments to the Long-Term Care Commission created by the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012 in lieu of the CLASS Act insurance program. Read the rest of this entry »

Home Care Aides Await Decision On New Labor Rules

National Public Radio
All Things Considered February 3, 2013

The industry has changed rapidly, but amendments on minimum wage and overtime have not.

Home health care aides are waiting to find out if they will be entitled to receive minimum wage. A decades-old amendment in labor law means that the workers, approximately 2.5 million people, do not always receive minimum wage or overtime.

The Obama administration has yet to formally approve revisions to the Fair Labor Standards Act that would change that classification.
On Dec. 15, 2011, Obama announced the proposal, and then-Labor Secretary Hilda Solis offered her support for the revisions in the Labor Department’s blog:

“This new rule would ensure that these hardworking professionals who provide valuable services to American families would receive the protections of minimum wage and overtime pay that nearly every employee in the United States already receives under the FLSA.”

The guidelines would affect a growing industry (revenues for home health care services nearly doubled to $55 billion between 2001 and 2009, according to the U.S. Census). Read more

Listen to radio broadcast

In-Home Care Providers Take Over the Courthouse Today: Their fight for higher wages continues

Tuesday, February 5, 2013

EUREKA, CA- The fight for a pay raise continues for In-Home Care Workers. Today they rallied at the Humboldt County Courthouse to mark the one-year anniversary of the ‘Have a Heart’ campaign.

It’s been over a year of protest and rallies, and IHSS workers are still making minimum wage. However, they tell us they will not stop until they get their 75-cent raise. Kathy Sobilo, an In-Home Care Provider told us, “Every excuse they give us we fight back with an answer and they keep coming up with more and more excuses. And we are just sick of it. We want to settle this.”

Sobilo is on the front line when it comes to protesting. She added, “We come to the meetings every single week. Every Tuesday we are here… every day I would just tell them how hard it is to be a home care worker and what we do.”

In a press release back in September the county publicly declined a pay raise for the IHSS workers. Citing cuts to public safety would have to be made. But Humboldt County Supervisor Rex Bohn says the county wants what’s best for all their staff. Bohn added, “The public authority board is designating negotiators for the purpose of interacting with the IHSS workers.”

Brown Administration will convene health care reform stakeholder public meeting Friday Feb 1st 1 pm to look at options to expand Medi-Cal eligibility could add over 1-4 million more Californians to Medi-Cal

CDCAN DISABILITY RIGHTS REPORT
CALIFORNIA DISABILITY COMMUNITY ACTION NETWORK

#008-2013 – January 31, 2013 – Thursday

Advocacy Without Borders: One Community – Accountability With Action

Health Care Reform:

SENIOR BROWN ADMINISTRATION OFFICIALS WILL CONVENE HEALTH CARE REFORM STAKEHOLDER GROUP PUBLIC MEETING FRIDAY FEB 1^ST AT 1 PM TO LOOK AT MEDI-CAL ELIGIBILITY EXPANSION OPTIONS

Public Can Participate Via Conference Call Number
Meeting First In A Series To Discuss How State Should Proceed In Expanding Medi-Cal Eligibility Under Federal Health Care Reform Act Beginning January 2014
Expansion Could Add Over 1.4 Million More Californians to Medi-Cal Program
Major Potential Impact to People With Disabilities, Seniors Who Are Not Currently Eligible for Medi-Cal, and Impact to Their Families and Support Workers With Low Incomes and No Health Insurance – And Major Potential Impact to Existing Medi-Cal Program Providers & State and Local Government Agencies Read the rest of this entry »

Department of Health Care Services releases new documents on Coordinated Care Initiative (includes IHSS); invites comments by email & stakeholder conference call

Jane Ogle
Deputy Director, Health Care Delivery Systems
Department of Health Care Services

We are pleased to release four documents that provide additional details around the integration of long-term services and supports (LTSS), care coordination and home and community based services (HCBS) for the duals demonstration. These documents are related to the Duals Demonstration, which is pending approval from CMS.

Please use this comment template and submit your comments by Wednesday, February 6th to info@calduals.org.

These documents include: Read the rest of this entry »

Support fellow homecare workers in Humboldt County; Rally on Tuesday February 5th, Eureka Courthouse

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LETS SETTLE THIS!

Download Flyer & Share (pdf)

We’d like to thank you for your support in our efforts to improve homecare in Humboldt County. You’re invited to join us as we continue our fight to improve the lives of those who keep our seniors and disabled healthy at home.

Date: Tuesday, February 5th
Time: 12:30
Location: Eureka Courthouse
825 5th St, Eureka
Contact: (707) 407-0542 Read the rest of this entry »