Sick of Anthem and Mega Raising Your Rates? Join Us at Upcoming Public Hearings & Speak out about It!

Mega Life and Health Insurance and Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield want to raise their rates again.  But if you have something to say about it-- speaking out may make a difference.  There are several public hearings coming up on the issue (listed below) and if you can't make any of them, you can write your opinion about it to the Bureau of Insurance (address below).

Mega is asking the Bureau of Insurance to allow them to raise rates an average of 21% on its small groups policies with maximum increases of 33%.  It's asking for increases up to 25% on individual policies with average increases of 12.5%.  These increases would affect nearly 8,000 policy holders.  They are set to take effect April 1, 2010. 

Anthem wants to raise its rates for people who buy their own insurance too.   Average proposed increases for HealthChoice, HealthChoice Standard and Basic, and Lumenos Consumer Directed Health Plan products about 23%.  At least 11,000 policy holders will be affected by these rate hikes.  Anthem requests that its proposed rate revisions become effective on July 1, 2010.

Dates of public hearings around the state and contact information for the Bureau of Insurance is below.

For Both Mega and Anthem:

Location:  Portland

Cumberland County Civic Center, 1 Civic Center Sq., Maine Lobby Room

Date:  February 22, 2010

Time:  beginning at 4:00 PM

  

Location:  Bangor

1 College Circle, Husson University @ Libra Lecture Hall Date:  February 24, 2010

Time:  beginning at 4:00 PM

For Mega Only:

Location: Gardiner

76 Northern Avenue, Central Conference Room, Department of Professional and Financial Regulation

Date: February 25 and 26, 2010

Time: beginning at 9:00 AM

  

For Anthem Only:

NOTE: Bureau says this may be rescheduled.  We will keep you posted.

Location: Gardiner

76 Northern Avenue, Central Conference Room, Department of Professional and Financial Regulation

Date: April 8, 2010

Time: beginning at 9:00 AM

Comments may also be provided for the Superintendent of Insurance's consideration in these matters as follows:

B

y e-mail:

Pat.Galouch@maine.gov

By U.S. Mail:

Superintendent of Insurance
Attn: Pat Galouch (INS-09-1002)
34 State House Station
Augusta, Maine 04333

Don't Let Insurers Make More Record Profits Off of Us!

If you'd like to testify at the public comment sessions or write a letter of testimony, but feel you could use some help, feel free to contact Cherilee at Consumers for Affordable Health Care.  She might be able to give you a hand.

Thank you for helping us step closer to quality, affordable health care for all Maine people. 

Companion Exemption Does Not Apply to Workers in Community-Based Settings, Court Confirms

Posted on14 January 2010. 

Western Missouri District Court, Kansas City, MO

Supportive services workers who care for people with Medicaid in community-based residential care settings are not exempt from federal minimum wage and overtime requirements, confirmed a U.S. district court in Western Missouri.

The case of Solis v. Firstcall Staffing Solutions, Inc. (pdf) involved 10 developmentally disabled consumers sharing four dwellings in an Independence, MO, apartment complex. The employer, Firstcall Staffing Solutions, had argued that because the community-based care facility had been set up as individual apartments, it should be treated as the recipients’ homes.

Under the Fair Labor Standards Act’s “companionship” exemption, workers providing certain services in a consumer’s private home are currently exempt from minimum wage and overtime protections.

Backs Longstanding DOL Position

The court agreed with the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) that the community-based residential setting did not qualify as a private home.

“The DOL and most federal courts have taken the position that the companionship exemption does not apply in such settings,” said Paul Sonn of the National Employment Law Project.

Community-Based Care Not Affected by Possible Exemption Reforms

“Because service workers employed in community-based residential care settings are already covered by the Fair Labor Standards Act’s minimum wage and overtime requirements, they would not be affected by possible reforms to the companionship exemption,” Sonn continued.

PHI and other advocates have called on DOL to narrow the exemption in order to extend wage and overtime protections to a greater number of home care workers.

“While we await Department action on limiting applicability of the companionship exemption to agency-employed home care workers, it is heartening to see DOL’s vigilance in combating efforts to extend the exemption more broadly and deprive direct-care workers of their rightful wage and overtime protections,” said Steve Edelstein, PHI’s National Policy Director.

PHI Blog - PolicyWorks

Local 771 Chapter Meeting Minutes

MSEA-SEIU Local 1989, Local 771

MINUTES

Chapter Meeting, February 12, 2010, 10 am to Noon

The Solidarity Center, 20 Ivers Street, Brewer, Maine

 

In attendance:

771 Members: Lois DiCesare, Dee Dee Strout, Carolann Cammack; Ted Rippy, Sheila O'Donnell (by phone), Helen Hanson

Wade Colpitts, 771 MSEA Board Liason; C.J. Betit, MSEA Field Rep; Maryanne Turowski, MSEA Political Director

Guests: Laura Binger, Food and Medicine; Jeff Siddons, Change that Works

Minutes from November meeting reviewed, Carolann Cammack made motion to accept, Ted Rippy seconded the motion, unanimous vote to accept the minutes.

Treasurer's Report given by Helen Hanson, as 771's treasurer, Pat Crowell is in Florida (lucky girl!) until April. 771's savings account $1,266.22, 771's checking account $517.59. $44.25 was spent on food for the meeting.

Membership Count Report, Wade asked Helen to call him for the numbers, as there is an MSEA board meeting Friday, Feb. 19. Wade also mentioned that he will ask for an update from Mike Sylvester on how Local 771 and KidsFirst will continue to grow without an organizer. Wade is bringing this concern from MSEA's Care Division to the Board at their next meeting.

Legislative Update from Maryanne, cuts to be made at 10% to all Medicaid (MaineCare) providers; nursing homes, home care, mentally disabled, mental health, cuts to state workers, hospitals, education, the governor is not proposing to increase taxes

The budget will cause loss of 7,000 to 10,000 jobs, the budget has the potential to increase property taxes for homeowners, people will lose jobs.

SEIU is lobby Senators Snowe and Collins about jobs money.

Representative Matt Peterson is the champion for home and community based care.

The LEAN process: providers are not happy with Matt's proposal to streamline the system, get money from administrative costs, and not out of the pay of the workers, the providers want no cuts, it is easy for them to say it.

Maryanne; Bruce Hodsdon, MSEA president; and Steve Butterfield, MSEA executive director, met with Governor Baldacci yesterday (Feb. 12). Ryan Lowe, he oversees the budget process, was also in attendance. The governor said that no program is coming out unscathed, there will be cuts. MSEA brought forth the Lean of Home and Community Based Care and said there are alternatives in the report. MSEA and Local 771 want the Department of Health and Human Services to take the recommendations coming out of the Lean seriously. The governor said he understands that nursing homes are very important. Nursing homes are #1, Residential Care Facilities are #2, Home-Based Care is #3.

The union is working on a message coming from workers to legislators about the Lean and streamlining the system, what is happening with the Lean report not being presented by DHHS to the Legislature.

Wade suggested that we workers write letters to the governor, we workers involved in the process sign on.

There was discussion about the work of a direct care worker, the Goold assessment and Elder Independence of Maine. Discussion on the self-directed programs and how that care delivery method is so much different than that of agency care delivery. Ted talked about his consumer in the self-directed program of Alpha One and how his workers are the team that keeps him home and as independent as possible.

More discussion on the Lean and how it gives consumers more choice. We have a shot at implementing the recommendations in the Lean, but not by July 1^st.

The state budget cuts currently under discussion will go into effect on July 1^st.

The contracts with Home Care for Maine and Alpha One cannot unilaterally cut workers' pay. Management has to reopen contracts.

Alpha One has a new contract with 34 votes in favor and 2 opposed.

The Direct Care Alliance, a national worker advocacy group that works on issues workers face in their jobs wants to set up a chapter here in Maine. Three 771 members have graduated from the DCA's Voices Institute, Helen Hanson in 2008, Ted Rippy and Dee Dee Strout in 2009. 771 wants to work with the DCA on setting up the chapter.

The DCA is also setting up a pilot project where workers can obtain a DCA credential that will be recognized across the country. The credential is for personal assistance workers who support elders and people with disabilities with the activities of daily living in their homes. The credential is based on what personal assistance workers need to know and be able to do in order to do their work well. The DCA will administer a test to those interested in obtaining the credential. The benefits to workers are that they will be able to demonstrate a broad knowledge base that is applicable to performing a high-quality direct care job. They will also formally receive professional recognition for their achievement at a national level. Workers can experience a sense of pride in their work and receive professional recognition from their colleagues.

Local 771 president, Helen Hanson, wants to roll this opportunity out to members in 771.

Maine PASA is conducting a membership outreach. Many 771 members are also members of Maine PASA. PASA is holding regional worker get together on March 27^th. One meeting will be in Bangor, one in Waterville and one in the Lewiston area. PASA's leadership council is in the process of making phone calls to members, asking them what concerns they have.

Food and Medicine in partnership with the Eastern Maine Labor Council is hosting a Legislative Breakfast on February 20^th at 8 am. This is a great opportunity for 771 members in the Bangor area to go and talk about their jobs and what the potential cuts to home care services mean to them. Carolann Cammack is attending and she'll bring up the Lean report and the fact that DHHS is not presenting it back to the Legislature. Food and Medicine has invited many labor unions to attend and talk to legislators in a show of solidarity. It is time for legislators to hear from labor. The cost is $5 to attend.

C.J. Betit mentioned that Home Care for Maine is currently not hiring. When they do hire, new workers wait three months for work, they do not get any, and then are taken off the company rolls. EIM is not putting new cases out to providers. Assessing those in need has changed; people get assessed then go onto the waiting lists, so Goold is not doing assessing.

Change that Works, Jeff Siddons, he covers Somerset, Piscataquis and Penobscot counties for Change that Works, still working on the Employee Free Choice Act and on Health Care Reform.

Feb. 24^th at 4 pm at Husson in Bangor, Anthem rate increase public hearing, the public has the chance to ask Anthem why they are requesting a rate hike, again, on their individual policy holders. 771 members in the Bangor area are encouraged to attend. March 18 and March 19 rally and hearing in Portland.

Next 771 meeting: April 24^th, 10 to noon, the Solidarity Center in Brewer.

Local 771 Chapter Meeting Notice

Local 771 is having its Chapter Meeting on February 13th at Food and Medicine on 20 Ivers Street in Brewer.

All members are welcome.

Directions to Food and Medicine: Exit 182 off I-95 onto I-395, towards Brewer, go over bridge, take a left off the exit ramp (ME-15/South Main Street) onto South Main Street. Follow South Main about .5 mile. Pass Van Raymond's Outfitters on your left and a playground on your right. Just after the playground and just before St. Theresa's Church, take a right onto Ivers Street. The Solidarity Center is at the top of the hill.

Thanks to Ted Rippy for setting this up for us.

Alpha One Contract ratified by workers

The Alpha One contract was ratified by workers. It received 94% of the votes cast.

To view it, click on ALPHA ONE contract.

Congratulations to the Alpha One workers!