***MEDIA ADVISORY*** 

For event at 4-5PM on Wednesday, August 30

Contact: 
Mindy Berman
mindyb@1199.org
518-229-0468

Hundreds of caregivers set to lose their health insurance at one of Long Island’s largest nursing homes.

WHAT:
A press conference to call on the NYS Department of Health to urgently use its power to appoint a temporary receiver at Cold Spring Hills to safeguard resident care and protect workers’ healthcare benefits—which are slated to expire on September 15 after management failed to make their required contributions for months.

WHEN:
4PM on Wednesday, August 30.

WHERE: 
Hilton Long Island/Huntington, 598 Broadhollow Rd., Melville, NY 11747

WHY:
​​​​​​​443 workers at Cold Spring Hills will lose their health insurance on September 15 after management failed, for months, to make some $4.5 million in required payments to the workers’ health fund to cover health, dental, vision, prescription, disability and paid family leave benefits.  The loss of healthcare would spell disaster for workers and their families at a time New York is already facing a severe caregiver shortage. The employer received numerous warnings of this looming issue but has not taken the action required preserve employees’ health benefits.

In December of last year, AG Letitia James filed a lawsuit against Cold Spring Hills, alleging that the owners “diverted over $22.6 million in Medicaid and Medicare funds from resident care through a fraudulent network of companies that were used to conceal up-front profit taking.”

WHO: 
Healthcare workers, members of 1199SEIU, who work as certified nursing assistants, nurses, housekeepers, dietary aides, recreation aides, and other titles will be joined by Long Island elected officials.

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1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East is the largest and fastest-growing healthcare union in New York and nationwide. We represent over 450,000 total members throughout New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Maryland, Florida, and Washington, D.C. Our mission is to achieve quality care and good jobs for all.