WASHINGTON - Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), ranking member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee and Representative Bobby Scott (D-VA), Chairman of the House Committee on Education and Labor, released the following statement in response to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) release of a final rule designed to obstruct home care workers from directing their own wages to support their union.
“The administration’s final rule is a transparent attempt to limit the ability of home care workers and other independent providers to bargain for better working conditions, including safety protections and training. By making it harder for workers to support their own union and pay for their own health coverage, it would both harm the workers and jeopardize the quality of care they provide for seniors and people with disabilities.
“At a time of growing demand for home care workers, undermining their workplace rights and jeopardizing their access to benefits such as health insurance will worsen the shortage of professionals who provide compassionate care to our loved ones."
