Health Insurance for IPs and Agency Home Care Workers

The SEIU Healthcare 775 NW MultiEmployer Benefits Trust provides affordable medical, prescription drugs, vision and dental benefits to home care workers.

How to Enroll: Individual Providers: Click here to enter your zip code and  download your correct enrollment form. Agency Employees: You can obtain enrollment information from your employer's Human Resources department. Agency employees or IPs may call toll-free either SEIU Healthcare 775's Member Service Center (1-866-371-3200) or the Trust Benefits Office (1-866-771-7359) to request that a form be mailed to you. Have questions? Call the Trust Benefits Office (1-866-771-7359).

Individual Provider home care workers who work at least 86 hours a month for three consecutive months are eligible to apply for the Trust Plan.

The table below displays your hours-worked requirement, upcoming application deadline and date of coverage (as of today's date:

* Rolling application deadlines fall on the 20th of each month.

• You must complete an enrollment form and mail it to the Trust Benefits Office. The address is: BSI; PO Box 6; Mukilteo, WA; 98275-0006.
• Enter your zip code to download your IP enrollment application form, or call the Member Service Center toll free 1-866-371-3200 or the Trust Benefits Office toll-free at 1-866-771-7359 to request that one be mailed to you.
• Enrollment applications typically take one to two months to process, and your eligibility will start the first day of the following month. Upon receiving your application, the Trust Benefits Office will contact you to confirm your effective date of coverage.
  
• Once you are enrolled in the Trust Plan, your insurance cards should arrive in 7 to 10 days. After you receive them, you can select regular doctors and dentists.
  
• The Plan is available only to IPs—children and family members are not eligible.
• To check your eligibility, call the Trust Benefits Office toll-free: 1-866-771-7359.
• IPs may enroll at any time. Agency employees may enroll upon initial employment or during annual enrollment periods.
  
• If your hours fall below 86 hours a month, you will drop off the Plan until your hours come back up to 86 hours per month. If your hours fall below 86, you will receive a "COBRA" notice from the Trust Benefits Office, and you may choose to pay for continued coverage until your hours increase back up to 86/month or more.
  
• Workers may not combine hours from multiple employers, and may not combine IP hours with Agency hours, for purposes of eligibility.
  
• Each union contract may have additional rules, such as rules for how long Agency employees may remain eligible if their hours drop below 20 hours/week for more than a month. Your contract can be found on this website; you may also call the Member Service center for more information. ResCare/Armstrong is the only home care agency which does not participate in the Trust. See the ResCare page for more information. Montana Home Care Services workers will be eligible in your first union contract starting some time in 2008 or 2009 (subject to negotiations with the employer).

• You pay $17 a month, which will be automatically deducted from your state paycheck once you have enrolled and picked an insurance carrier (Premera Blue Cross, Kaiser, or Group Health - your choice depends on where you live). The state must deduct the $17 for one month before your coverage starts.
• There is NO annual deductible (when using an in-network provider) before your coverage starts.
• There are affordable co-pays for office visits and services. For more information about benefits, click here.

The SEIU Healthcare 775 NW MultiEmployer Benefits Trust provides affordable medical, prescription drugs, vision and dental benefits to home care workers.

• Medical, vision and prescription drug benefits are provided through three companies: Premera Blue Cross, Group Health Cooperative and Kaiser Permanente in SW Washington. To see a summary of benefits provided by the three plans, click here.
• If you live outside Southwest Washington, your insurance company choices are Premera Blue Cross (statewide in Washington and Montana) or Group Health Cooperative (in most parts of Washington state).
• If you live in Southwest Washington (Clark, Wahkiakum, Cowlitz, Lewis, and Skamania counties), your insurance company will be Kaiser Permanente.
• Go straight to the right application for you by entering your zip code.
  
• If you’re not sure which insurance company will provide your coverage, call the Member Service Center toll free at 1-866-371-3200 or the Trust Benefits Office toll-free: 1-866-771-7359.
  

• For IPs: You can switch to the Trust Plan if you already have health insurance through your spouse or another employer.
• For IPs: If you currently have other insurance, you must cancel that insurance when your new coverage starts through the Trust.
• If you are 65 or over, you can obtain primary insurance through the Trust Plan. Medicare may then become your secondary coverage.

• The Trust Plan covers pre-existing medical conditions after a three-month waiting period. The waiting period may be less if you have been insured before.