Employment gains made in New York’s home health care industry were responsible for the recovery of the city’s overall health care jobs market between 2002 and 2008, according to an analysis published in the September 2009 issue of Monthly Labor Review. Read the full story

A new law in New York State will require nursing homes, hospitals, and diagnostic and treatment centers to publicly disclose staffing information beginning March 16, 2010.

As a result of the Nursing Care Quality Protection Act, which Gov. David Paterson (D) signed on September 16, patients and families will be able to review the staff-patient ratios on units and shifts in those health care facilities. Consumers will also be able to find out how the facilities determine direct-care staffing. Read the full story

By Carol Rodat, PHI New York Policy Director

Now that the state budget has passed, the governor and the New York state legislature have turned their attention to a variety of other issues, notably health insurance coverage.

The most sweeping proposal is that which was introduced in both houses by the chairs of the health committees, Assemblyman Richard Gottfried and Senator Thomas Duane. These bills (A7854/S4884) would create universal coverage for New Yorkers under New York Health Plus, a program based on Family Health Plus and Child Health Plus.

Under the proposal, New Yorkers would have a choice of plans including a publicly sponsored plan and would pay no premiums. A payroll tax, modeled on that which Medicare uses, and surcharge on upper bracket non-wage and salary taxable income would finance the proposal.

A full report describing New York Health Plus is available at Assemblyman Gottfried’s website.

Senator Neil Breslin, chair of the New York State Senate Insurance Committee, has introduced a bill (S5742) in the State Senate on behalf of Governor Paterson that takes more moderate steps towards coverage. This proposal would:

• Extend COBRA from 18 to 36 months, helping those individuals who have lost their jobs retain coverage if they can afford the premiums;
• Permit coverage of unmarried young adult dependents up to age 29 under the parent’s employer-sponsored coverage; and,
• Require health plans to get permission from the Superintendent of Insurance before increasing premiums; and,
• Institute a variety of managed care reforms that providers and consumers have requested such as setting a requirement for the number of providers in a network and reducing the time to review post-hospital authorizations from managed care companies to one business day.

PHI’s recent survey and report on the coverage status of home care aides in New York sheds additional light on the New York Health Plus proposal and its effect on home care workers. For example, many home care employers do not currently offer coverage due to premium costs and would likely oppose a payroll tax.

In addition, those personal care aides who are currently using Family Health Plus have found the eligibility process to be onerous and one which resulted in fewer individuals being covered.

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download podcast (mp3)
Recorded: Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Duration: 05:47
File Size: 2.65 MB

In this podcast, PHI NY policy director Carol Rodat discusses the importance of providing health coverage for New York’s home care workers. Rodat’s podcast has been released in conjunction with two reports (press release):

• Is New York Prepared to Care? A Comprehensive Coverage Solution for Home Care Workers (pdf)
• Health Insurance Coverage of New York’s Home Care Aides: Findings from a 2008 Survey of Home Care Employers Outside New York City (pdf)

This podcast was produced through the Fairness Initiative on Low-Wage Work.

PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Release

New York’s Caregivers Lack Coverage: PHI Urges State Action

Despite their importance to health care services, one in three personal and home care aides lacks insurance and those that do have coverage are in danger of losing eligibility every time they lose hours. Two new reports published by PHI and funded by the New York State Health Foundation (NYSHealth) call on policymakers to address the health care needs of this rapidly growing workforce. Read the full story

PHI’s Carol Rodat has been recognized with a Social Impact Award from AARP New York.  The awards, given in honor of the AARP’s 50th anniversary, were received by 50 New Yorkers who have been champions of social change.

According to the AARP, award recipients:

“have demonstrated an exceptional commitment to enhancing the lives of New Yorkers, improving their communities, and inspiring others in the areas of financial security, health care, livable communities, images of aging, giving back, arts and entertainment, and learning.”

As New York policy director for PHI, Rodat is responsible for strategic advocacy, research, and analysis on behalf of the state’s direct-care workers and long-term care consumers, improving the health care delivery system by emphasizing the policy and practice learning derived from PHI and its affiliates. She works closely with a variety of stakeholders in New York’s health care system, including consumers, workers and their representatives, and providers.

Rodat has over 20 years of policy experience, having worked first in the field of child welfare policy for the Child Welfare League of America in Washington, D. C., and then as executive director of Hospital Trustees of New York State, where she initiated one of the first quality improvement projects in the state’s hospitals. She was also a contributing editor to Health System Leader, which studied the development of integrated health systems.

Most recently Rodat served as president of the Home Care Association of New York State, a statewide not-for-profit organization active in state and federal home care policy.