Insurance (Pacificare Medical and Dental Coverage)
Registry/Employment
Current IHSS Registry Providers
How do I get benefits? [top]
In order to qualify for benefits, you must have worked an average of 75 hours for the last three months. Once you have met this requirement, you can call our office at 558-4787 to have your name placed on the waiting list for insurance.
What kind of benefits are offered? [top]
We currently (11/07), offer medical, dental and vision insurance to eligible IHSS Providers for a $20 per month premium. Twenty dollars is deducted once each month directly from your IHSS paycheck and this covers all three benefits.
Medical Insurance: Medical benefits are offered through PacifiCare. There is a $20 co pay for visits to your primary care physician. There is a $15 co pay for generic prescriptions and $35 for brand name.
Dental Insurance: Dental insurance is offered through SafeGuard. There is no cost for routine exams, cleanings and x-rays. If other services are needed, the amount of the co-pay will depend on the type of services being performed. (For example, the co-pay for a basic filling is $8.)
Vision Insurance: Vision insurance is also offered through SafeGuard. There is a $10 co-pay for an annual eye exam, basic lenses are covered in full (one pair/yr) and up to $85 is allowed toward frames every 24 months if you use a doctor from their network. (Out of network benefits are available, but more limited.)
When will my benefits begin? [top]
Once you are contacted to come to the office to enroll, your insurance will begin on the first day of the month after you complete the paperwork.
What happens if I quit or my hours are reduced? [top]
- If your hours are reduced, you will be sent a warning letter that your insurance may be cancelled. You will have a certain number of days (usually 45) to increase your hours. If you do not increase your hours, your insurance will be cancelled and you will receive a COBRA notice.
- You can increase your hours by signing up for the IHSS Registry and working for another recipient. Or, if your recipient's condition has worsened, you can contact their IHSS Social Worker and request a re-evaluation.
What is COBRA? [top]
- COBRA is a program through which you can continue your health insurance, at your cost, without worrying about pre-existing health conditions. You can receive COBRA benefits for up to 18 months.
- After receiving your COBRA notice in the mail, you have sixty (60) days to respond.
- COBRA coverage is retroactive, which means if you sign up for COBRA, your insurance will continue as though it were never cancelled, back to the day Link2Care notified you of your loss of coverage.
What doctors can I see? [top]
You must choose a primary care provider at the time of application from the approved list. If you need to change your doctor, you can call Pacificare at 1-800-624-8822.
How much is a Dr. visit and medications? [top]
Your co-pay for a visit to your primary care physician is currently $20. Visits to other doctors may cost more. Your co-pay for medications is currently $15 for generic, $35 for brand name. You may take advantage of the mail-in pharmacy, which reduces your co-pay to $30 for 3 prescription units or 90 days of medication.
I have other questions. Whom do I contact? [top]
You may contact the Public Authority office at 558-4787 for general questions. You may also contact Pacificare Medical at 1-800-624-8822. For SafeGuard Dental or Vision questions, you may call them at 1-800-880-1800. Be sure to have your insurance cards handy when calling the insurance companies.
How do I get my name added to the Registry? [top]
You must attend a Registry Orientation class. Call 558-4881 to register for this orientation. At the class they will explain the fingerprinting and background process, have you complete an application, and explain the training requirements.
How much does the IHSS Registry pay? [top]
The Registry is a referral service for Recipients on IHSS. In Stanislaus County, the current rate of pay for IHSS Providers is $8.84 an hour.
How does the Registry work? [top]
Once you have completed the Orientation and Training class, your name is placed in a Registry Database. This database is used to match Recipients with Providers. For example, if a Recipient lives in Patterson and needs assistance with bathing, we search the database for Providers willing to work in Patterson and assist with bathing. When a list of Providers is found, we send a letter to the Recipient with the names of three Providers that match their criteria.
What if I have been on the Registry before? Do I still need to re-apply? [top]
Link2Care assumed responsibility for the registry on January 1, 2006. No information from previous Registries had been given to Link2Care, so all Providers need to re-apply for the new Registry and complete new paperwork.
If you have applied for the Link2Care registry previously, but have been inactive for more than six months, you may be required to complete additional training before becoming active again.
I have worked as an IHSS Provider for years. Do I still have to take the Caregiver Class? [top]
Yes. Even though you have experience with IHSS recipients, we require that all Registry Providers attend the Caregiver Training. This training includes information on personal care, safety, nutrition, and other important issues relating to care giving. Recipients all have different needs, and we assure them that our Providers have been trained. Previous experience is helpful, but the training is still required.
What if I have taken the Caregiver Class through another Registry? [top]
You are still required to complete the Orientation and Training classes.
What if I am a licensed CNA or Home Health Care Aid? [top]
You are still required to complete the Orientation and Training classes.
I was recently fingerprinted. Do I have to be fingerprinted again? [top]
Unfortunately, the Department of Justice will only release fingerprinting and background results to the requesting agency. So, if even if you have been fingerprinted before, you must be fingerprinted again using paperwork that requests the information be sent to Link2Care.
What if something shows up on my background check? [top]
Some offenses can prevent you from being on the registry permanently, while other offenses may prevent you from being on the registry for a certain length of time.
Please see the matrix if you have questions about exclusions.
Minor offenses will not prevent you from being on the registry, but you must disclose these offenses during your application process. If a Recipient requests information regarding your background check, we will release this information to them if you are their Provider (or are being considered for employment with them).
Can you guarantee me full time work? [top]
The IHSS Recipients are responsible for hiring and firing their own Providers. Link2Care cannot guarantee that a Recipient will hire you, or that they will have enough hours to qualify as "full time". However, we are in need of Providers, and those that have flexible schedules and are willing to do most of the personal care tasks typically find that they are employed quickly.
What kind of experience is required to be an IHSS Provider? [top]
No experience is required to be an IHSS Provider, however you must complete the background check, fingerprinting and training class before we will refer you to our Recipients. Many people have experience caring for another person, even if it was not in a formal or professional setting. Some of the typical tasks of the job include preparing meals, house cleaning, doing laundry, and grocery shopping.
What if I find a Recipient on my own, through friends or family? [top]
If you already know who you will work for, you do not need to apply to be a Registry Provider. The registry is for Providers who will be referred to Recipients they do not know. This is why we require a background check, fingerprinting, and training class.
If the Recipient you will work for is willing to hire you without completing the above requirements, then you do not need to sign up for the Registry. Simply contact the Recipient's Social Worker to get your paperwork to begin working.
A Recipient has hired me – what do I do now? [top]
Once a Recipient hires you, please call our office at 558-4881 to report that a match has been made. A Registry Specialist will then review the information of the case with you, and refer you to the appropriate IHSS Support Coordinator to get your hire packet and timecards.
I received a call that my name was sent out, but I have not heard anything. Why? [top]
Link2Care sends letters to the Recipients with the names of three eligible Providers. It is up to the Recipient to call the names on the list and set up an interview. Some Recipients are very good about calling all the Providers on the list, but others call only one or two, or none at all. Link2Care calls to let you know that we are matching you with Recipients, but we cannot control the length of time it will take to hear from a Recipient, or whether the Recipient will contact you at all.
Remember, the phone number you have given us to report to the Recipient is now a business phone. If a Recipient calls and cannot understand the message, they may not leave a request for you to interview. Leaving "funny" messages, music, or other unclear messages may result in confusion for the Recipient. A clear, easily understood message will help the Recipient when contacting you.
How do I stay active on the Registry? [top]
Please contact us at 558-4881 each month if you have not heard from us recently. As long as we have contact with you monthly, we will keep you active on the Registry until you request to go inactive. Even if you are referred to a Recipient, you will remain active on the registry and continue to be matched with Recipients until you request not to.
Once I have been referred to a Recipient, how long until I will be referred again? [top]
The Registry is run as fairly as possible, giving each Provider a chance to be employed by a Recipient that matches his or her criteria. Referrals are made based on different criteria, such as tasks required, location, and hours. If you are one of three Providers that match the needs of two different Recipients, your name will be sent to both of those Recipients on the same day. In the same way, if you are one of twenty matching Providers, Link2Care uses a fair system based on recent referrals and hire dates to send out a list of three of those names. Link2Care will not place an eligible provider inactive unless requested or unreachable. |
