Get Smart About Wage Parity

Attention home care agencies in Nassau, Suffolk, and Westchester counties: A new Wage Parity increase is coming, and so is TSGF SmartPlan.

Starting March 1^st, 2016, the above affected counties will see their DOH-required total compensation increase from $11.50/hour to $13.22/hour. Of those funds, $3.22/hour can be used for wage parity benefits.

A great benefit for both home care workers and their agencies is TSG Financial and Mobile Health’s  TSGF SmartPlan℠, which includes CityMD access. TSGF SmartPlan℠ is a unique collection of benefits designed by TSG Financial that satisfies many home care industry needs. Your agency will stay more compliant and provide workers with better access to healthcare.

What is TSGF SmartPlan?

TSGF SmartPlan is a Minimum Essential Coverage plan that is:

• Affordable Care Act (ACA) compliant
• Wage Parity compliant
• A low-cost, high value alternative to higher cost insurance only products
• Used by home care agencies throughout New York City, Long Island, and Westchester County

Where is the Value in TSGF SmartPla?

TSGF SmartPlan provides protection to the HHA from ACA individual mandate penalties of $695 per person in 2016 for not being insured. In satisfying this basic need, we established a program valuable to both the employer and employee, as follows:

1. HHA’s are required to do post-employment annual screenings including PPD, Drug Screen, Health Review and Immunizations. Mobile Health, a widely used, recognizable provider in the marketplace, delivers these services. These services are often (but not always) paid for by the employee. In the case of the employee expense, we include the cost of these required, post-employment screenings in our program.
2. When the HHA visits Mobile Health for the required screening, they can ask whether they are being screened for other diseases. This option is provided by the ACA preventive description for Minimum Essential Coverage. It facilitates bringing quality prevention and wellness to our healthcare workers. We are all in the healthcare business and need to promote this.
3. One great waste of time and resources is using the ER as an urgent care facility. In our program, we teamed with CityMD, the largest provider of storefront urgent care, to offer up to 5 visits per year, at a small copayment for HHA’s.

Wage Parity Solutions

Mobile Health’s Wage Parity solutions like TSGF SmartPlan are an excellent way to provide your aides with a comprehensive version of the annual compliance exams that they already enjoy while simultaneously facilitating a healthier and more informed workplace. You stay ACA compliant, and your workers get a great benefit. It’s a win-win.

Keep in mind that there’s not much time to spare. The next round of state-required Home Care Worker Wage Parity Law certification forms is due March 1. Affected agencies include CHHAs, LTHHCPs, managed care organizations (MCOs), and LHCSAs. It also includes other entities that contract with CHHAs, LTHHCPs and/or MCOs who serve New York City, Long Island and Westchester.

Has your organization found a way to deal with the rise in Wage Parity rates? If not, consider a partnership with an organization who can get you compliant quickly and just in time to spare you auditing troubles.

However, if all of this is a little overwhelming, or if your organization has fallen a little bit behind, Mobile Health will hold its third Wage Parity Clarity Symposium soon. Look out for our press release as the March 1^st deadline approaches.