Spotlight on Your Funds
February 2022
Benefit Funds Reimburse Members for At-home COVID-19 Tests
In compliance with Biden administration guidance, the Benefit Funds will reimburse your 1199SEIU employees and members for at-home COVID-19 tests approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), up to eight tests per covered individual, per calendar month as long as the U.S. public health emergency is in effect. Members can get the tests at no cost—over the counter—at most pharmacies by presenting their 1199SEIU Health Benefits ID cards. Effective February 1, 2022, the Benefit Funds’ reimbursement to members for the cost of personal, at-home testing is limited to $12 per individual test or the cost per test, whichever is less. Please note: The Funds do not cover testing (including at-home over-the-counter COVID-19 tests) for employment purposes.

To submit a reimbursement claim online, members will need to upload documents, including a payment receipt or invoice from the seller of the test that shows where the test was purchased, the date of purchase and the cost of the test. For more information about the reimbursement process, as well as a complete list of FDA-approved tests, members may visit the Benefit Funds’ website.

In addition, effective January 19, the Biden administration announced that every U.S. household may order four free at-home COVID-19 tests at www.COVIDTests.gov.
Benefit Funds Hosted Facebook Live Event on COVID-19 and Variants in January
The Benefit Funds’ Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Van H. Dunn, and Funds’ Wellness nurse Karen Larane, RN, hosted a Facebook Live panel discussion for your 1199SEIU employees and members, featuring an 1199SEIU member who shared her experience being vaccinated. Your 1199SEIU employees and members may view the event on the Benefit Funds’ Facebook and Instagram pages, at www.Facebook.com/1199SEIUBenefitFunds and www.Instagram.com/1199SEIUBenefitFunds, as well as on the Benefits Channel.
Training and Employment Funds Offer Foundational and Pre-College Programs
The Training and Employment Funds offer a variety of programs that provide your 1199SEIU employees and members with the academic and communication skills they need to advance in their healthcare careers. Night and weekend classes are available.

  • Prep Academy prepares members to return to school at various levels of education, including high school and college. Classes focus on reading comprehension, essay writing, math and science.
  • The High School Equivalency Program helps members earn a high school equivalency diploma. The program has two options: one relies on classroom instruction and test practice, while the other is self-guided with assistance from tutors and assessors.
  • College Prep prepares members to perform college-level work by attending classes on how to take college entrance exams or by completing three-credit math and English courses at various City University of New York campuses.
  • Skills Enhancement Training helps workers adapt to and thrive in a quickly changing healthcare industry through real-world learning experiences and competency-based instruction.
  • Facility-based Training focuses on skills and occupations in areas of need identified by labor-management committees. Previous areas have included Electronic Health Records, Computer Education, Hospital Acquired Conditions and Care Coordination Fundamentals. Training is contingent on funding availability.
  • Computers and Digital Literacy helps members become more comfortable with technology and proficient with the tools they need for work or school. Topics include using computer hardware, software and operating systems; the Internet; email; and video conferencing services.
  • Spanish for Healthcare Workers Program helps members respond to the needs of the growing Latinx patient population. Participants develop conversational skills to communicate effectively with immigrant patients and their families and improve their awareness of and sensitivity to cultural values.
  • English for Speakers of Other Languages Program helps adult learners improve their English-language conversation, reading and writing skills. The program offers six levels of instruction, from beginner to advanced, and incorporates healthcare topics into classroom teaching.
  • Health Career College Core Curriculum is a supported program run through the College of Staten Island, Lehman College and Monroe College exclusively for 1199SEIU members with little or no experience in higher education who are pursuing undergraduate degrees in various allied health fields. Participants can earn up to 32 credits toward their undergraduate degree, with no out-of-pocket expense for tuition or fees. Free counseling and tutoring are available. Programs are currently being offered online, with some limited clinical work being conducted in-person.

For more information, including how to register, your 1199SEIU employees and members may call (844) 833-1199.
Rossmery Dais Named Executive Director and President of CCF and CCC
On February 1, Rossmery Dais steps into her new role as the Executive Director of the 1199SEIU Child Care Funds (CCF) and President of the 1199SEIU Child Care Corporation. Ms. Dais succeeds Vivian Fox, who led CCF and CCC since 2006.

Since 2008, Ms. Dais has held various positions at CCF and CCC, most recently as CCF’s Deputy Executive Director, and she served as Co-Director of the 1199SEIU/City of New York Education, Child and Eldercare Fund. Throughout her tenure at CCF, she has worked to further its mission of offering access to quality, affordable programs for 1199SEIU members’ children through her oversight of administrative and budgetary operations, as well as developing and managing the various programs and services that it provides to thousands of families each year.

Ms. Dais has served as an advisory board member for a number of nonprofit organizations and currently sits on the Executive Committee of her local community board. She holds a Master’s in Public Administration from New York University and a Bachelor of Science in Human Development and Gerontology Concentration from Cornell University.
Child Care Funds Will Host Online Seminar for Special Needs Summer Day Camp
On February 16, the 1199SEIU Child Care Funds (CCF) will host a mandatory online seminar for your 1199SEIU employees and members who were approved to have their child attend a Special Needs Summer Day Camp. The seminar will assist members with their camp benefit, including the co-pay process. In addition, a guest speaker from Advocates for Children of New York, which focuses on students from low-income backgrounds who are struggling academically or experiencing school-based discrimination, will share tips and resources to help members navigate their child’s school experience. Your 1199SEIU employees and members may sign up for the seminar online.

To accommodate children ages 3 to 17 with documented special needs, the Child Care Funds contract with summer day camp providers that provide special needs programs in New York City and the metro area. Members may contact the Child Care Resource and Referral Services Unit by emailing PSU_CCR&R@1199Funds.org or calling (212) 564-2220 to connect with counselors who can assist them with their search for Special Needs Summer Day Camp providers.
Meet Our Featured Member

Russell Smith credits his 1199SEIU health benefits with helping save his life after a terminal cancer diagnosis.
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