US Senator Urges CMS Review of Union Dues Taken from Medicaid Home Health Wages

On April 30, Senator Ron Johnson (R-WI) wrote a letter to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) requesting that the agency review whether states allow unions to collect dues from home health care workers who offer services under the Medicaid program. Specifically, his concern is that dues are being deducted from salaries without the workers’ consent.

His letter specifically requested that CMS:

• Review the practice of collecting union dues from home health care workers supporting people who receive Medicaid;
• Explain what actions it is undertaking to prevent dues being collected without the consent of the workers;
• Provide the amount of funds that went towards union dues; and
• Produce all written materials related to “the diversion of Medicaid funds for home health care services to third parties other than the healthcare provider.”

Senator Johnson set a deadline of May 14, 2018 for CMS to reply. Read the full letter here.

According to a snippet from Politico Pro: “The practice is permitted in 11 states, but Johnson — who chairs the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs committee — warned it could violate federal law.”