Comments on: Vote for PHI’s Question at Change.gov http://phinational.org/archives/vote-for-our-question-at-changegov/ PHI works to improve long-term care -- by improving the jobs of home health aides, certified nurse aides, & personal care attendants. Tue, 07 Feb 2012 00:41:13 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Barbara Wisnefski http://phinational.org/archives/vote-for-our-question-at-changegov/comment-page-1/#comment-2266 Barbara Wisnefski Fri, 09 Jan 2009 15:09:40 +0000 http://phinational.org/?p=1615#comment-2266 The Long Term Care Health industry needs direct care workers and many Americans are unemployed, yet our government does nothing to help the industry recruit or train this potential workforce as personal care workers, home health aides or certified nursing assistants.Government is a large part of the problem rather than the solution. Problem: 1) State medicaid reimbursement rates for long term care services are not sufficient to pay worker a living wage. Most direct caregivers earn $7 - $12 an hour. 2) Deptartment of Labor requires that workers trained by the Displaced Workers funds or Workforce Investment Act make at least $13.58 an hours. Consequence is that no job centers train or recruit direct care giver for long term care. Solution: 1) States receivivng match dollars for medicaid, must ensure that State Medicaid reimbursement rates for long term care services assure direct care workers a living wage. 2) DOL should waiver the wage exclusion so training dollars to support LTC worker training. Government has a duty to provide and ensure health care for its vulnerable citizens, right now there is an opportunity for federal and state government to use the untagged resource of long term care industry for job creation and economic growth. Barb Wisnefski Kenosha Co. LTC Workforce Project 8600 Sheridan Road Kenosha, WI 53143 Phone (262) 697-4637 The Long Term Care Health industry needs direct care workers and many Americans are unemployed, yet our government does nothing to help the industry recruit or train this potential workforce as personal care workers, home health aides or certified nursing assistants.Government is a large part of the problem rather than the solution.
Problem:
1) State medicaid reimbursement rates for long term care services are not sufficient to pay worker a living wage. Most direct caregivers earn $7 – $12 an hour.
2) Deptartment of Labor requires that workers trained by the Displaced Workers funds or Workforce Investment Act make at least $13.58 an hours. Consequence is that no job centers train or recruit direct care giver for long term care.

Solution:
1) States receivivng match dollars for medicaid, must ensure that State Medicaid reimbursement rates for long term care services assure direct care workers a living wage.
2) DOL should waiver the wage exclusion so training dollars to support LTC worker training.

Government has a duty to provide and ensure health care for its vulnerable citizens, right now there is an opportunity for federal and state government to use the untagged resource of long term care industry for job creation and economic growth.

Barb Wisnefski
Kenosha Co. LTC Workforce Project
8600 Sheridan Road
Kenosha, WI 53143
Phone (262) 697-4637

]]> By: Tracy http://phinational.org/archives/vote-for-our-question-at-changegov/comment-page-1/#comment-2265 Tracy Fri, 09 Jan 2009 14:47:38 +0000 http://phinational.org/?p=1615#comment-2265 I voted for your question. I only hope we can get others to vote and America to wake up to this crisis that is looming. We need to get people to understand what will happen and make changes. I voted for your question. I only hope we can get others to vote and America to wake up to this crisis that is looming. We need to get people to understand what will happen and make changes.

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