Home Care

Shomit Sengupta, West Hartford
Karen Dowou, Consumer-Employer

Application Period is Open through September 15

The healthcare premium stipend is an amount paid to qualified PCAs each year to help cover the cost of health insurance. The payment is not automatic, and PCAs must apply and meet all the requirements every year. The application period is open now through September 15.

Eligibility Requirements

You are encouraged to fill out the Premium Assistance Contributions application if you can show that you meet all of the following requirements:

You have been employed a full six months and earned a wage from your employer.
You are currently employed and actively working for that same employer.
You do not have medical coverage options from any other source (such as through another job or a spouse) OR you currently pay out of pocket for a health insurance plan on ACCESS Health CT.
You have applied for and been denied coverage for both HUSKY Health and Covered CT between April 1 and September 15 of this year. You must submit your dated denial letter as proof.

Eligibility Requirements
You can get an updated Husky denial by applying online at www.accesshealthct.com, or calling ACCESS Health CT at 844-589-3612. You must then apply for the stipend using the Premium Assistance Contributions Application. The application should be filled out and submitted through the portal by September 15. If you need help completing it, please contact GT Independence at 1-877-659-4500 or at customerservice@gtsd.org. Once you submit the application, you can expect to learn if you qualify for the stipend within 2 to 3 weeks.

Premium Assistance Contribution Application

HCPA Frequently Asked Questions

Stipend Payment Schedule
PCAs who qualify for the healthcare premium stipend will receive a payment once each year. The payment will be made in the form of an electronic deposit, as directed by the union, and it will be made on the first pay date following October 1. This annual schedule is a change from previous years, when PCAs received payments twice each year.

Stipend Payment Amounts
The amount of the healthcare premium stipend is different for each worker. The stipend is calculated as 7% of a worker’s annual pay per employer, and the upcoming payment considers wages earned on services provided between July 1, 2023, and June 30, 2024 (the state’s fiscal year). The most that each worker can be paid is $5,000 per employer relationship. Please note that wages used for the stipend calculation include hourly and per diem codes. Any type of reimbursement, such as for mileage, is not included. To receive the stipend, PCAs must be an active worker for the same employer with whom the benefit was earned.

Continuing Stipend Payments
To receive the healthcare premium stipend every year, PCAs must complete this application process each year. PCAs must provide annual proof of denial of coverage for both HUSKY Health and Coverage CT. The annual proof of denial and the Premium Assistance Contributions application should be submitted through the electronic application form.

Have questions? If you have any questions about how to apply for the healthcare premium stipend benefit, please contact GT Independence or ACCESS Health CT.

GTI: 1-877-659-4500 or customerservice@gtsd.org
ACCESS Health CT: 844-589-3612

	WHAT WE HAVE NOW	WHAT’S IN THE TENTATIVE AGREEMENT
WAGE INCREASES & BONUSES	Minimum PCA Rate is $18.25/hour; caregivers earning higher than the minimum rate received 4-8% in increases in 2022 A settlement on the delay of PTO implementation resulted in a $250 PTO bonus paid in June 2023	Minimum PCA Rate will increase to $20.50 by 7/1/24 and onward to $23/hour by January 2026; caregivers earning higher than the minimum rate will receive 7.5% by January 2026, and Per Diems will receive 12% by January 2026 First-Ever Longevity Bonuses will be Paid out in 2026: $800 per Consumer for those averaging >20 hours/week and $400 per Consumer for those averaging < 20 hours/week
HEALTH INSURANCE	6% Annual Health Insurance Stipend for those without Husky or health insurance through another job, parent or spouse	Increase to 7% Annual Health Insurance Stipend for those without Husky or health insurance through another job, parent or spouse
PAID TIME OFF	Paid Time Off Accruing since Dec 2022 up to a maximum of 40 hours per year; can roll over up to 80 hours per year and will be available for use when the new payroll company, GT Independence, takes over	Increased Paid Time Off Accrual Rate up to a maximum of 50 hours per year; can roll over up to 100 hours per year and will be available for use when GT Independence takes over (estimated April 2024)
TRAINING AND CAREER ADVANCEMENT	Funding for Paid Voluntary Trainings and Tuition Reimbursement for health care related courses	Funding for Paid Voluntary Trainings and Tuition Reimbursement for health care related courses
HOLIDAY PAY	Time and a Half Holiday Pay for Hours Worked on 6 Holidays: New Years Day, MLK Day, Memorial Day, July Fourth, Thanksgiving & Christmas	Time and a Half Holiday Pay for Hours Worked on 8 Holidays: New Years Day, MLK Day, Memorial Day, Juneteenth, July Fourth, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, & Christmas

Other Resources & Links:

Paid Family & Medical Leave: The new Paid Family & Medical leave law went into effect 1/1/22 and is designed for CT workers who need time off due to a serious health condition or to care for a loved one with a serious health condition (when 3+ consecutive days off are needed). Apply here: https://bit.ly/3v0QjYr

COVID-19 Essential Worker Relief Fund: If you had COVID between March 10th, 2020 and December 31st 2022, you are eligible to apply for the COVID-19 Essential Worker Relief fund to cover missed work, out of pocket medical costs, or burial costs. Link here: https://bit.ly/3Phi4DJ

Health Insurance Stipend: If you do not have access to HUSKY or health insurance through another job, spouse, or parent, you are eligible to apply for a health insurance stipend equal to 7% of your annual income. The next application is expected to open in September 2024.

Workers Compensation Insurance: For injuries on the job that occur prior to 01/01/2024, contact Atlantic Charter Insurance at 617-488-6546 (Fax 617-207-4344). For injuries on the job occurring on or after 01/01/2024 contact GT Independence at 877-659-4500.

If you haven’t been paid accurately or on time: File a Notice of Nonpayment at https://bit.ly/39p592c

If your Consumer needs to contact their Care Manager Regarding budgetary problems or to Access Overtime: Contact your care manager for DSS consumers at https://bit.ly/3N9jtdy and for DDS consumers at https://bit.ly/3PmE0NO. If your Consumer needs to request a fair Hearing to appeal changes to their budget, go to https://bit.ly/3MeozVX.

How to Join the Union: Help home care workers have a stronger voice by standing with us and joining the Union today at: https://bit.ly/3NeHOP6 (Disponible en español aquí: https://bit.ly/3ByuYZ5)

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