Pilot Health Plan for Iowa Direct-Care Workers Moving Forward

A report (pdf) by the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services and the Division of Insurance outlines a demonstration project that would provide health insurance for up to 250 direct care workers through a voluntary employer-sponsored plan. The report was a directive of HF 2539, a health insurance reform bill passed during the 2008 legislative session.

Report recommendations include:

• eligibility requirements for both workers and employers
• coverage and cost parameters, and
• criteria for measuring success

Employee contributions would be limited to 2.5% of gross family income and employers would be required to contribute at least 50% of the cost of an employee’s single plan. The remainder would be subsidized by the state.

The goal of the project, as stated in the report, is to determine whether the availability of affordable health care coverage helps to stabilize the direct care workforce and improve quality of care. However, there was acknowledgment that the size of the project which is limited to 250 workers may not be large enough to adequately evaluate whether the goal of the project is met.

The recommendations of the report must now be introduced in legislation and passed in both the House and the Senate.

Allison Lee

National Campaign Manager

Health Care for Health Care Workers

alee@phinational.org

2 Responses to “Pilot Health Plan for Iowa Direct-Care Workers Moving Forward” Becky Johnson, January 22, 2009 at 8:27 am

"This is a start in the right direction,although, I don’t think 250 is a big enough number to evaluate. I know, from experience, that if a person has some kind of benefits they will do a better job and stay at the job longer. I live in a small town in Iowa, and one of our nursing homes have increased starting wage, CNA’s left other nursing homes to work there. This particular nursing home is doing quite well with an adequate staff and residents getting better care.

I am going to Des Moines next week for “A Day At The Capitol” and talk to my legislators about health insurance for the direct care worker."

Helen Hanson, January 23, 2009 at 9:40 am "I too think this is a step in the right direction, and 250 is not a large enough number, but at least it is a start.

Here in Maine, we successfully got a bill into the Legislature for this session. Our bill will also set up a pilot to insure direct care workers.

We do not yet have the specifics, this will be hammered out in the upcoming weeks, but like in Iowa, it is a step in the right direction.

It takes small steps, and sometimes steps backwards, to achieve your goals. I keep saying, 'Let’s keep this moving forward!'

Thanks to PHI, we in Maine will be watching what happens in Iowa.

I think not having health insurance through our work is a grave injustice to direct care workers. I hear from co-workers that having health insurance will greatly help them."