The Herald, Sharon, Pa.

Local News

August 23, 2012

The check’s in the mail

Home health workers caught in payroll snafu

By Michael Roknick Herald Business Editor

MERCER COUNTY — Those who think health care providers have it made had better not talk with Bonnie Lather.

The Greenville resident who cares for a disabled client in his home hasn’t been properly paid from state funds in weeks.

“Try five weeks,’’ Lather said. “I received one week of pay this Saturday and that goes back to July.’’

In all, Lather figures she’s owed $1,000 in back pay.

And she’s not alone.

“I’ve gotten a dozen people calling on this at my office,’’ said state Rep. Mark Longietti of Hermitage, D-7th District. “Some of these people are calling every day trying to get paid.’’

Lots of finger pointing is going on as to who is at fault. Regardless, it’s a problem the state acknowledges it is quickly trying to resolve.

State Rep. Dick Stevenson, Grove City, R-8th District, said his office has gotten phone calls from people complaining they haven’t been paid.

“I do know the Welfare Department is working on this to correct the problem as fast as they can,’’ Stevenson said.

Under a program overseen by the state Department of Welfare, certain disabled or elderly people can get in-home health-care providers. Staffing is provided by businesses and nonprofits, but the workers are ultimately paid from state funds distributed by payroll firms hired by the state.

A foul-up in the paychecks began in July, when the state slashed the number of contracted financial management firms from 37 to three. Among other things, the firms provided payroll services.

A transition plan was to be in place July 1 so that the services would continue without interruption, said Terry Miller, a Welfare Department spokeswoman.

“One provider decided that their business was more important than consumers needs and stopped providing services,’’ Miller said. She declined to name the firm.

After discovering that firm had bailed out, the state quickly hired another, Pittsburgh-based Christian Financial Management, to resolve the situation and get people paid, Miller said.

“We have been working 24/7 trying to find a resolution to this,’’ Miller said.

Department of Welfare representatives are working at Christian Financial’s office, along with others in Harrisburg, to get the paperwork in order and the checks out, she added.

She acknowledged Christian Financial is a “smaller provider,” but the company hired temporary help to mow through the paperwork.

She did not know how many people have not received their checks nor the dollar figure involved. But, Miller said, it looked as if the problem is mainly in northwestern Pennsylvania.

Not all providers have been affected.

Nugent Group, which owns Nu Choice Health Partners, has been getting state checks, said Robert Freed, director of operations.

 “We noticed in July our payments from the state maybe slipped 10 days but we haven’t seen our payments not coming through.’’ He added all of the company’s employees have been paid on time.  

A message could not be left with Christian Financial because its voice mail service was full.

Health-care in-home workers who have not been paid have been asked to complete a form which also can be found on the welfare department’s website.   

“We want to have this resolved as quickly as possible,’’ Miller said,  however, she didn’t know how long it would take.

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