Tandet workers protest against management [The Stamford Advocate, Conn.]

July 01--STAMFORD -- More than a dozen nursing assistants and other workers at the William and Sally Tandet Center for Continuing Care picketed outside the West Broad Street facility Wednesday, demanding the home stop bouncing their paychecks and drop a plan to self-insure workers' health benefits to cut costs.

Clothilde Mercius, a nursing assistant at the 130-bed facility, and other members of the SEIU Health Care Workers Union Chapter 1199 argued the new self-insurance coverage was adopted without their consent, which is required under their contract, a claim that Doug Mittleider, president of the home's operator, AltaCare, of Alpharetta, Ga., said was not true, and that self-insurance covers the health care requirement of the agreement.

"Every employee of the home still has health insurance," Tandet Center Executive Director Marjorie Simpson said. "As they submit claims, they are paid."

Mercius said the self-insurance policy causes problems because workers must submit claims to their employer, which jeopardizes their privacy, and requires employees to pay for medical treatment out of pocket with no guarantee the company will reimburse them.

On June 22, the state Department of Social Services authorized an $495,000 advance to the company against future Medicaid billings to help assure coverage of worker health care benefits.

"We have no guarantee that they will pay for the benefits," Mercius said.

Mittleider said the decision to transition from coverage by Anthem Blue Cross-Blue Shield to a self-insurance policy is part of efforts to rein in costs at the home, which the company has operated since August 2007.

The home lost money every year from 2003 to 2006 before Stamford Health Systems sold the facility to Altacare in 2007.

"We're trying to close that gap," Mittleider said.

Workers also said that each month since last July, anywhere between 2 to 12 paychecks have bounced, raising concerns about

AltaCare's ability to pay their health insurance claims.

"Even their paychecks aren't secure," said Suzanne Clark, an elected organizer for District 1199 health care workers. "Paychecks bounce so often that local banks now hold Tandet Center paychecks for six to nine days after deposit until the check clears."

Mittleider acknowledged instances where payroll accounts were overdrawn, but that the problem has never resulted in lengthy delays of checks being cashed.

"There have been instances on several occasions where there was a problem, but as far as I know no one has ever been without money," Mittleider said.

Staff Writer Martin B. Cassidy can be reached

at [email protected] or

203-964-2264.

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