New York -- May 02, 2018
Starting today, that changes. Like employees that do similar work in hospitals and nursing homes, millions of home care providers across the country--including California's roughly 400,000 IHSS providers--will now earn overtime pay if they work more than 40 hours a week. They will also receive pay for wait time for when they accompany their clients to doctors' appointments and travel time for the time they spend driving between clients.
While extra pay will make a tremendous difference in caregivers' lives and help to ensure quality care for their clients, it is actually far less expensive for our state than placing those with care needs in expensive institutions. One study by the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) proved that home-based care delivered quality care for the highest utilizers of Medicare services at a lower cost than nursing homes and institutions. Staying at home can also help people retain their independence and social connections.
Working overtime allows caregivers to provide more efficient and effective care because many disabled and elderly patients need more than 40 hours of weekly assistance. Without care that meets their full needs, these patients are left vulnerable to serious injury and hospitalization. Many home care workers already worked overtime to keep their clients healthy, but they weren't getting paid for their commitment. Overtime pay fixes this injustice and rewards them for their time.