September 06, 2023

Affordable Care Act And Medicare Customer Service Representatives Can't Afford Insurance Themselves, They Are Underpaid And They Are Victims Of Discrimination

40 minutes

Katherine Clark and Camille Wade are both customer service representatives for Maximus.

Maximus operates the largest federally-contracted call centers in the country under a contract with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), which is operated by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Maximus workers handle tens of millions of Obamacare/Affordable Care Act and Medicare calls under a $6.6 billion federal contract. These customer service representatives are predominantly Black and Latina women, at ten call centers mostly located in the South.

Maximus workers have been facing unacceptable labor practices for years including low pay, unaffordable health care, unfair layoffs, harsh attendance policies, and significant racial inequities within its workforce. These challenges become even more pressing during the open enrollment period, and particularly following recent layoffs affecting nearly 800 workers.

Workers are calling on Maximus for more affordable healthcare, a living wage of at least $25 per hour, and the freedom to organize a union free from employer intimidation.

Workers are putting Maximus on notice that they are prepared to go on strike during the open enrollment period unless Maximus addresses their demands.

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By Make It Plain MIP with Rev. Mark Thompson

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