Health Care for Health Care Workers
Health Care for Health Care Workers
The 2007 legislative session allocated funds to reimburse Medicaid personal assistance and private duty nursing providers that provide health insurance coverage to their workers. Funding for the program was sustained in the 2009 legislative session.
Program Enrollment
Beginning in January 2009 the Department began providing reimbursement to providers who offered health insurance coverage to their direct care workers. When the program began, 500 direct care workers enrolled in health insurance coverage. As of December 2011 almost 650 direct care workers were receiving health insurance coverage.
Health Insurance Benchmarks
To be eligible to receive the health insurance reimbursement a provider must submit an application to the Department. In the application the provider details the insurance plan they have selected, their eligibility criteria for workers to receive health insurance coverage, and the cost of the plan. The Department established set benchmarks for health insurance coverage and cost. For the calendar year 2011 a plan cannot exceed $550 per month per member. To receive Department approval a provider must offer their direct care workers a health insurance plan that meets a majority of the Department’s benchmark standards. In rare circumstances the Department will approve a plan that does not meet a majority of the benchmark standards.
History of the Program
In 2007 the Department organized a work group, the Health Care for Health Care Workers Work Group, comprised of Personal Assistance and Private Duty Nursing provider representatives, stakeholders from the Department, the Insurance Commissioner Office, interested community members, and insurance providers. The work group met monthly to discuss the best way to implement the health insurance funding initiative. The group worked to establish benchmarks for health insurance coverage, discuss eligibility criteria, and establish the distribution methodology for allocation of the funds. Recommendations and feedback from the group was used to inform the Department’s evaluation and implementation of the program.
2012 Insurance Application
-Cover Letter - PDF
-Application - PDF
-Provider Allocation
Health Insurance Program 2011 Report
Worker Retention Survey Results - PDF
Worker Retention Survey - PDF
2011 Insurance Application
-Cover Letter - PDF
-Application - PDF
-Provider Allocation
December 2010 Quarterly Report
-Cover Letter - PDF
-Section 1 and 2
Contact Information
For more information and to provide questions, comments or feedback please contact:
Abby Holm SLTC, Program Manager
(406) 444 - 4564 E-MAIL
Prior Years Information Here.
