Public Authority Insurance Benefits

Insurance benefits are available to IHSS Providers who work 75 or more hours per month. The total hours for the month must be 75 or more, but can be for different recipients. For example, if you work 50 hours for one recipient, and 25 for another each month, you would be eligible for insurance.

How to Qualify for Benefits

In order to be eligible for benefits, a provider must show an average of 75 hours per month for three months before they can be placed on our waiting list. Once you have turned in timecards showing an average of 75 hours per month for three months, you may call our office at 558-4787 to be placed on the waiting list for insurance.

Reason for Waiting List

Link2Care receives money from the state to purchase insurance. We purchase as much as we can with the funds we are given, but it is not enough to pay for every eligible provider. Because of this, we have started a waiting list. Every month Link2Care checks the hours of those providers currently enrolled in the insurance program. If a provider is no longer working the 75 hour minimum, they receive a warning. If they do not increase their hours within 45 days, their insurance is terminated and a spot becomes available for a provider who is working the required hours.

Length of Time You Must Wait to Receive Benefits

Because we cannot predict how many providers will drop below 75 hours each month, we cannot tell providers on the wait list when benefits will become available to them. We can tell providers what number they are on the waiting list, and they are welcome to call the office and check their status each month to see if they have moved up the list.

To find out more information about insurance, or to put your name on the waiting list, please call our office at 558-4787.

Benefit Costs and Coverage*

We currently 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.)

For more information about insurance benefits, call our office at 558-4787.

*Information as of 04/2007

Keeping Insurance Coverage

In order to keep your insurance coverage, you must continue to work 75 hours per month. Each month Link2Care checks to make sure providers with insurance are still working. If your hours drop below the required amount, you will receive a Warning Letter and you will be given 45 days to increase your hours. YOU MUST CALL OUR OFFICE IF YOU RECEIVE A WARNING LETTER AND WANT TO KEEP YOUR BENEFITS. If you are having timecard problems or some other temporary situation caused your hours to drop, we can make a note in our system alerting us to check with IHSS staff to verify your hours.

If you do not contact us, even if you are working, we may cancel your insurance if payroll does not show that you have turned in timecards by the deadline listed on the letter.

When insurance is cancelled for a Provider, this creates an opening for a Provider on the waiting list. The Provider at the top of the waiting list is given your spot and you must be put back on the waiting list to receive insurance again. To be eligible for the waiting list, you must work an average of 75 hours per month for three months.