Urge the Governor & DOH to Include All ALP Workers in Healthcare Worker Bonus Program!

While assisted living programs (ALPs), are an eligible employer within the scope of the state's healthcare worker bonus program, very few workers in this setting are actually eligible.

Unfortunately, the category of “other healthcare support workers” are eligible for the bonus only if they worked in hospitals and nursing homes. This means that workers in dining, housekeeping, maintenance, and environmental services that served in the ALP throughout the pandemic are left out of the bonus program. This is incomprehensible, as these staff were critical to the operations of the ALP throughout the pandemic.

Furthermore, ALPs were treated and regulated in the same manner as  nursing homes throughout the pandemic. In fact, the most recent state directed COVID guidance continues to point ALPs to CDC Nursing Home COVID guidance. How the state suddenly now views ALPs as different from nursing homes and other healthcare settings is puzzling.

Treating ALPs as nursing homes when it comes to requirements and restrictions, but neglecting to include our dedicated staff in the healthcare worker bonus program is incomprehensible and irresponsible.

Enter your information below to send a letter to the Governor and the Commissioner of Health, urging them to specifically include the category of “other healthcare support workers working in ALPs” as eligible for the bonus program!