Little Known Facts About the PCA Program

 

In the spring of 2006, the state allowed family members for the first time to become paid caregivers under the PCA program. Today, more than 2,000 family members are being paid to be personal care attendants. MassHealth regulations were changed to allow certain non-legally responsible family members to serve as Personal Care Attendants (PCAs). This change is not well-known, in fact, many online resources still describe the old, more limited rules. Formerly barred relatives now allowed to serve as PCAs include adult children and daughters- or sons-in-law of the disabled adult, and parents of a disabled adult.

Currently, the only family members NOT allowed to serve as PCAs are a

Other attempts to address availability, quality and retention of PCAs include the availability of a database to help find a PCA and the legislation that allowed unionization of Massachusetts’ PCAs.

In response to difficulty experienced by many who do not have an eligible family member to serve as a PCA to find a PCA, and at the same time to help Mass. residents to find employment, the state’s Personal Care Attendant Workforce Council created a PCA referral directory. This directory will put MassHealth members needing PCAs in direct contact with PCAs looking for work. Consumers can access the online directory at www.mass.gov/findpca. Please note that the directory does not screen online applicants. It remains the responsibility of the consumer/employer to check the references of all potential employees. (See also a similar program www.rewardingwork.org or “Program Highlight: Rewarding Work”, MGH Community News, May 2008.)

In related developments, one of the most significant changes in the PCA program came with the passage in July 2006 of the Quality Home Care bill which allowed the unionization of PCA workers (but forbids the PCA union from striking). The law established the Quality Home Care Workforce Council as the PCA employer of record for the purpose of collective bargaining while maintaining consumer control over the hiring and firing process for PCA workers. The union negotiated a contract that gave a raise from $10.84 an hour, with no benefits or health insurance coverage, and no sick days or vacation time to what will shortly be $12.48 an hour and now requires health insurance coverage and paid time-off benefits based upon hours worked.

-Adapted from: MassHealth PCA Consumer Handbook, http://www.mass.gov/Eeohhs2/docs/masshealth/memlibrary/pca-consumer-handbook.txt retrieved, 5/20/10, and material from http://pcavoice.org/ Posted on 12.2.2008 retrieved 5/24/10. and http://pcavoice.org/pca-contract-negotiations/ dated January 16, 2008 retrieved 5/24/10.

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