We hear it all too often from In-Home Support Services (IHSS) care providers considering opting out of their union: “If I do, I’ll lose my dental insurance.”
It’s a bogus argument, but one the union shamelessly uses to ensure its misinformed members keep handing over dues every month for services they don’t need.
In fact, many counties in California do not provide dental or health insurance for IHSS providers, and the union offers it as a member-only perk.
Members assume they’re getting a group discount by purchasing the coverage through IHSS.
The reality is that they’re likely overpaying for both the dental service and their monthly dues.
One caregiver who recently called the Freedom Foundation hadn’t checked her pay stubs in a while and thought she was only paying $15 dollars a month in dues plus the dental insurance. Turns out she was actually paying nearly $50 a month in dues alone.
Another provider who called for help navigating the union’s intentionally complicated opt-out process reported she was paying $45 a month in dues in addition to $53 a month for the dental insurance for just herself.
That’s a whopping $98 dollars to hold onto dental insurance that could be purchased from an independent third party at a fraction of the cost.
SEIU Local 2015 and United Domestic Workers (UDW), AFSMCE Local 3930 are the two unions representing more than a half million providers. Collectively, they rake in over $100 million in dues every year — money spent on inflated salaries for its leaders and political activity while providing lackluster representation.
Yet the “discounted” dental packages can cost up to a third of a provider’s gross pay if they are only allotted a few hours a month.
If you or someone you know is an IHSS provider, don’t let the union keep you from overpaying for an already affordable commodity.
Go to OptOutToday.com to ditch the dues, save money, and purchase your own dental insurance at a cheaper rate.
