Wage Parity for NYC Home Care Providers

On Nov. 26, the Department of Health (DOH) posted a Dear Administrator Letter (DAL) for Certified Home Health Agencies (CHHAs), Long Term Home Health Care Programs (LTHHCPs) and Managed Care Organizations (MCOs) in New York City to provide an update on the existing rates as they relate to the changes in the payment of overtime.

This is in reponse to the generally required at 1½ times the regular rate of compensation under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), as well as under the New York State Labor Law's provisions for minimum wage and for domestic workers. The exceptions to this general rule that applied to most employers of home care workers and to certain non profits prior to 2015, will become irrelevant after Dec. 31, 2014 when the new FLSA overtime rule go into effect.

Starting Jan. 1, 2015, home care employers will pay overtime at 1½ times the regular rate.

Today, Dec. 2 at 10:30 a.m., LeadingAge NY will conduct a free webinar for hospice and home care providers on what the changes in the companionship exemption mean to providers and managed care plans. This webinar will include a discussion of the potential fiscal and administrative impact. If you can't participate on Dec. 2, the webinar will be recorded.

Contact: Cheryl Udell, cudell@leadingageny.org, 518-867-8871