La voz july 2017 english

FA R M L A B O R I N F O R M AT I O N B U L L E T I N

Voice of the Fields California

July 2017

FREE

Healthcare in California

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EALTHCARE can be confusing, and you may be wondering what options are available when it comes to plans and coverage.

Understanding Benefits and Costs

By law, all health plans in California must provide basic health services when medically necessary. A definition of what is medically necessary can be found in the contract of your health plan. Most plans do not cover dental, eyeglasses or hearing aids. Only some cover wheelchairs and oxygen tanks. What is covered and the quality of care differ from plan to plan.

Basic services include doctor and hospital services. Plans must cover both inpatient (overnight stays in a hospital) and outpatient services (minor surgeries at a surgery center.) According to the California Department of Managed Health Care (DMHC), other basic services and benefits all plans cover include: n Laboratory tests to diagnose problems n X-rays and mammograms n Vaccinations and checkups n Mental health care for some serious problems n Emergency and urgent care even if you are outside your health plan’s service area

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Rehabilitation therapy, such as physical, occupational and speech therapy Some home health or nursing home care after a hospital stay Standing referrals for patients with AIDS (This means that you do not have to get a referral and approval each time you see an AIDS specialist.)

Diabetes services and supplies Routine costs of clinical trials for cancer treatment Prosthetic devices or reconstructive surgery after a mastectomy (removal of a breast) Prosthetic devices to restore a method of speaking for a patient after a laryngectomy (removal of the vocal cords). This does not include electronic voice producing machines Reconstructive surgery to correct or repair abnormal structures of the body caused by congenital defects, developmental abnormalities, trauma, infection, tumors, or disease.

Services related to diagnosis, treatment, and management of osteoporosis (weak bones)

Volume 27, Number 7 It is important to ask what the costs of the plan are before joining. Some health plans and employers have online tools and calculators to help you find out what plan works best for you. You can also talk to your employer, insurance broker, Covered California, or call the health plan directly.

The DMHC provides a list of important questions to ask which include: n What is the monthly premium? n What is the yearly deductible? n Is there a separate deductible for different kinds of services? n What services apply towards the deductible? n What is the yearly out-of-pocketmaximum? (the amount you pay each year other than premiums for covered services) n What costs apply towards the yearly out-of-pocket-maximum? n What is the co-pay or co-insurance that you pay?

Most health plans cannot put a lifetime dollar limit on your benefits.

This means that if you have a serious and costly illness you can still get care. You may have to pay a significant portion or the whole bill if: n You see a specialist without a referral from your primary care doctor and prior approval from your medical group or health plan n You see a provider who is not in your Continued on next page

Healthcare

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health plan’s network, unless it is an emergency or you have a referral and prior approval. The network is all the doctors, hospitals, and other providers who have contracts with your plan to provide care to plan members You go to an emergency room for non-emergency care You get care outside your health plan’s service area, unless it is emergency or urgent care You fill a prescription for a drug that is not on your health plan’s list of approved drugs or you fill your prescription at a pharmacy outside your plan’s network

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You get services that are not part of your benefit package You get services that are determined to be experimental or not medically necessary

Low or No-Income and The Uninsured

Medi-Cal covers the basic benefits, prescriptions, vision and hearing care that all health plans cover for those that are low-income or have no-income.

Uninsured: If you do not have health insurance, you can contact Covered California at (800) 300-1506, TTY: (888) 889-4500 or visit their website at www. coveredca.com. Covered California can help you determine whether you qualify

Healthcare Rights

for Medi-Cal or federal subsidies, and can provide you with options and costs.

If you need medical care and have to pay for it yourself, try to figure out the cost. n Ask your doctor or hospital what the cost will be n Ask if there is a discount for people who pay with cash or credit card n Ask if you can make payments The law says that a hospital must give you a written estimate of hospital charges if you do not have insurance.

Hospitals must also give you information on financial aid and charity care.

Sources: California Department of Managed Health Care www.dmhc.ca.gov

You have the right to: • have an appointment when you need one. There are limits on how long you have wait for an appointment • have an appointment with a specialist when you need one • request continuity of care if your doctor or medical group leaves your plan For more information on • receive treatment for certain mental health conditions healthcare rights, benefits and • get a second doctor’s opinion costs, health plan issues or • know why your plan denies a service or treatment appeals and complaints, you • understand your health problems and treatments can visit the DMHC website • see a written description of your health problem at www.dmhc.ca.gov or call • give informed consent when you have a treatment the DMHC Help Center at • file a complaint or appeal with the DMHC 1-888-466-2219. if you have a problem with your health plan All services provided by the • choose your own doctor Help Center are free and • obtain services in your language available in many languages other than English.

• get a copy of your records (you may be charged) • keep your medical information private • purchase health insurance or determine Medi-Cal eligibility through Covered California • stay on a parent’s health plan until age 26 • get many preventive care services without a co-pay, co-insurance or deductible • have no annual or lifetime dollar limits on basic health care services

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The Zika Virus

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IKA IS A DISEASE caused by a virus that is primarily spread to people through the bite of an infected mosquito. These mosquitoes are not native to California. However, since 2011 they have been detected in several California counties. A mosquito can only transmit Zika virus after it bites a person who has this virus in their blood. To date there has been no local mosquito-borne transmission of Zika virus in California.

In California, Zika virus infections have been documented only in people who were infected while traveling to areas with ongoing Zika transmission, through sexual contact with an infected traveler, or through maternal-fetal transmission during pregnancy.

Many people who get infected do not feel sick. In people who get sick, symptoms (fever with rash, joint pain, or red eyes) are usually mild and resolve completely. Very few die or go to the hospital due to Zika.

Zika virus during pregnancy can cause microcephaly and other severe brain defects in infants. Babies with microcephaly often have smaller brains that might not have developed properly.

Other problems, such as eye defects, hearing loss, and impaired growth, have been detected among fetuses and infants infected with Zika virus before birth.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) research points to a link between Zika and Guillain-BarrĂŠ syndrome (GBS), a rare disorder that can cause weakness and paralysis for

a few weeks to several months. Only a small proportion of people with Zika virus infection get GBS. Most people fully recover from GBS, but some have permanent damage.

There have been 573 infections reported in California residents and 7 babies born with birth defects associated with Zika infection during pregnancy to date.

Traveling to Areas with Zika Risk

The CDC and the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) advise that potential travelers and visitors to family avoid travel to Zika risk areas such as Central and South America unless travel is absolutely necessary.

Pregnant women should not travel to any area with Zika. If travel to one of these areas is necessary, pregnant women should talk to their doctor or other healthcare provider first, strictly follow steps to prevent mosquito bites, and practice safe sex during the trip. For more information about pregnancy and Zika, visit www.cdc.

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gov/zika/pregnancy/ If you are pregnant and still travel to an area with Zika risk, talk to a doctor or other health care provider after your trip, even if you don’t feel sick. Pregnant travelers returning from Mexico or Central and South America or travelers who have had possible sexual exposure, should be offered testing for Zika virus infection up to 12 weeks after their return from travel or last possible sexual exposure.

If you develop a fever with a rash, joint pain, or red eyes, talk to your doctor immediately and tell him or her about your travel or possible sexual exposure.

Prevention

Unfortunately, there is no vaccine or cure for Zika Virus. The best way to prevent infection is to protect yourself from mosquito bites. Here are a few tips from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on how to reduce mosquito bites during travel: n Wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants n Treat your clothing and gear with bug spray, which can be found at local sporting stores, Wal-Mart, Target, and other stores that provide sporting gear n Use EPA-registered insect repellents with one of the following active ingredients: DEET, picaridin, IR3535, or oil of lemon eucalyptus or para-menthane-diol n Do not use insect repellents on babies younger than 2 months old Continued on page 5

Lactation Accommodations for Women in Agriculture

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EARLY A THIRD of California’s agricultural workers are women. The health of these women is an important concern, especially the health of mothers. One way for employers to promote good health is to provide lactation accommodation by giving mothers a clean, private space to pump milk during their break times. Under California law, breastfeeding in public is allowed and all employers must provide lactation accommodations.

Breastfeeding has many important health benefits for working mothers and children. Healthy babies and families mean fewer absences and lower healthcare costs. Lactation accommodation also increases employee job satisfaction, morale, and productivity.

The law states that employers must provide accommodations for breastfeeding mothers, allowing these women to take a reasonable amount of break time as needed and to provide a private space, other than a toilet stall, close to the employee’s work area so that she may breastfeed or pump milk for her baby. Time spent over and above the normally allotted break time may be unpaid, but must be allowed.

An example of a mother-baby friendly workplace can be as simple as allowing breastfeeding employees to

use the shared lunchroom with the door locked and a “Do Not Disturb” sign on it. Or it can be as creative as a portable pop-up tent used as lactation space for farmworker women or a vehicle such as a van or truck with sunshades on the windows for a private pumping space. In some cases, battery-operated breast pumps are used and breast milk is stored in coolers.

The California Breastfeeding Coalition advises women to talk to their supervisors about their needs.

Most employers want their employees to feel accommodated and want to meet their needs. Employers may need an idea on how best to help. It is important to start the conversation during pregnancy, so supervisors will have enough time to make any necessary arrangements.

Female farmworkers who are preg-

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nant and/or have young children are encouraged to go to their local Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program as a resource. There, women can find assistance in raising their families, including education in nutrition and breastfeeding. For more information about lactation accommodation and WIC services, please visit the WIC mobile website at m.wic.ca.gov or contact 1-888-WIC-WORKS. If your employer is not providing the required private space or enough break time to pump milk at work, you can make a complaint to the California Department of Industrial Relations, Labor Commissioner’s Bureau of Field Enforcement (BOFE) office nearest to your place of employment. To make a complaint, see www.dir.ca.gov/dlse/ HowToReportViolationtoBOFE.htm.

Failure to provide lactation accommodations is also a violation of the Fair Employment and Housing Act. California employees can also make a complaint to the Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH).

Complaints must be made within one year. To learn more about the complaint process, see www.dfeh.ca.gov/ complaint-process/ Sources: California Department of Public Health www.cdph.ca.gov California Breastfeeding Coalition californiabreastfeeding.org/breastfeedingrights/ breastfeeding-at-work/ California Department of Industrial Relations www.dir.ca.gov/dlse/Lactation_Accommodation. htm

Voice of the Fields California Circulation: 45,000 copies

www.LaCooperativa.org Published monthly by: La Cooperativa Campesina de California 1107 9th Street, Suite 420, Sacramento, CA 95814 Phone 916.388.2220 Fax 916.388.2425 This product was funded by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration.

The opinions expressed in this product are exclusive of the authors and does not necessarily reflect the official position of the U.S. Department of Labor. This product is copyrighted by the institution that created it. Internal use by an organization and/ or personal use by an individual for non-commercial purposes is permissible. All other uses require the prior authorization of the copyright owner.

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Zika Continued from page 3

Do not use products containing oil of lemon eucalyptus or paramenthane-diol on children younger than 3 years old n Take steps to control mosquitoes inside and outside your home by using screens and mosquito nets n If possible, stay in an air-conditioned area n Prevent sexual transmission by using condoms or not having sex, even if symptoms stop or aren’t showing If you travel to Mexico or Central and South America, you should take steps to prevent mosquito bites for 3 weeks after your trip, even if you don’t feel sick, so that you don’t spread Zika to uninfected mosquitoes that can spread the virus to other people.

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exposure to have unprotected sex or try to conceive—even if virus symptoms were never present. Women are recommended to wait a full eight weeks after Zika Virus exposure. However, it is not yet known how long people who have had Zika can pass it on to their partners through sex.

You can keep your homes free from mosquitoes by dumping out standing water, closing windows and cleaning gutters, birdbaths and pet bowls.

There is no medicine or vaccine for Zika virus. The best way to treat symptoms is by resting, staying hydrated, taking acetaminophen to reduce fever and pain. Do not take Aspirin or other non-steroidal antiinflammatory drugs.

Sources: California Department of Public Health www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CID/DCDC/Pages/ Zika.aspx Centers for Disease Control and Prevention www.cdc.gov/zika/index.html

Agricultural Jobs available to U.S. workers under H-2A contract You may apply for these jobs by phone or in person at your nearest Employment Development Department (EDD) field office CalJOBS Number

Job Title

Pay Rate

Contract Dates

Positions

City of Job

Employer’s County

America’s Job Centers of California (AJCC)

15361680

Agricultural Farmworker: Harvest Strawberry, CalVan Driver

$12.57/Hr.

07/03/2017 11/05/2017

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Salinas

Monterey

Salinas AJCC (800) 870-4750

15367495

Agricultural Farmworker: Harvest Strawberry, Raspberry, Blackberry

$12.57 /Hr.

07/04/2017 11/05/2017

40

Various Cities

Santa Cruz, San Benito, Monterey

Watsonville Career Center (831) 763-8933

15374786

Agricultural Farmworker: Harvest Bell Peppers, Corn, Garlic, Shallots

$12.57/Hr. or Piece Rate

07/15/2017 09/15/2017

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Various Cities

San Benito, Monterey, Santa Clara

San Benito One-Stop (831) 637-5627

15393188

Agricultural Farmworker: Harvest Broccoli, Cauliflower, Kale

$12.57/hr.

07/24/2017 11/30/2017

96

Santa Maria, Guadalupe, Lompoc

Santa Barbara

Santa Maria AJCC (805) 348-3231

15400885

Agricultural Farmworker: Harvest Strawberry, Raspberry

$12.57/hr.

07/12/2017 09/24/2017

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Macdoel

Siskiyou

Redding (530) 225-2185

Various

Sheep Herder

$1,777.98/Mo

Continous

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California and Western States

California and Western States

Call your local AJCC

The H-2A temporary agricultural program allows agricultural employers who anticipate a shortage of domestic workers to bring nonimmigrant foreign workers to the U.S. to perform agricultural labor or services of a temporary or seasonal nature. The H-2A employers must demonstrate that qualified U.S. workers are not available for the job and the employment of temporary foreign workers will not adversely affect the wages and working conditions of U.S. workers similarly employed. Preference in hiring will be given to qualified U.S. workers before employers are allowed to bring in foreign workers under the program.

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State of California Department of Community Services and Development

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

2018-19 Community Services Block Grant (CSBG)

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HE STATE LEGISLATURE will conduct a public hearing to receive comments on the 2018-19 State Plan and Application for the Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) Program.

The hearing is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. on August 22, 2017, at the State Capitol, Room 437, Sacramento, CA 95814. Persons presenting oral testimony are requested to provide a written statement of their presentation at the conclusion of their testimony.

If unable to attend, send written comments to: Department of Community Services and Development, 2389 Gateway Oaks Drive, Suite 100, Sacramento, CA 95833, Attention: Wilmer Brown, Jr. or email: CSBGDIV@CSD.ca.gov. Comments will be accepted until 5:00 p.m., August 22, 2017. The Department of Community Services and Development will review comments and may incorporate applicable changes to the final plan. A copy of the draft plan may be obtained on CSD’s website at www.csd.ca.gov or by calling (916) 576-7205.

*NOTICE*

Americans with Disabilities Act Individuals who, because of a disability, need special assistance to attend or participate in this hearing may request assistance by calling the California Assembly Human Services Committee at 916-319-2089. Requests should be made five working days in advance whenever possible.

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