Community HealthCorps AmeriCorps Benefits Summary

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1 Community HealthCorps AmeriCorps Benefits Summary Living Stipend (also referred to as the Living Allowance) Community HealthCorps Members receive a living allowance (stipend) during their term of service. The modest living stipend is meant to assist Members with their living expenses during their term of service. The living allowance for full time Members in the program year is $12,100. The living allowance is taxable. The frequency of the stipend payments varies by program site, but many sites provide payments on a bi-weekly basis. The living stipend may affect state or government aid programs, but in most cases this does not occur. It is best to discuss this with a social or case worker if you are receiving any additional support. Professional Development Community HealthCorps Members receive training in a diverse range of subjects. Foundational trainings include the Prescriptions for Success Member training curriculum and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau s Your Money, Your Goals curriculum. All Community HealthCorps members receive trainings from these curricula with topics including health disparities, primary care environment, case management, cultural sensitivity, disaster preparedness, and financial health literacy. Members also have the opportunity to attend monthly web-based professional development trainings on topics like personal and professional goal setting, careers in community health and pursuing higher education. The overall Member training experience gives our Members a head start as they move on to pursue further educational or professional opportunities. Community HealthCorps Members also have opportunities to take on leadership roles by serving on Member committees that help document Member service activities and help plan national days of service like the Martin Luther King Holiday and service celebrations like AmeriCorps Week. Health Insurance As a full-time (minimum 1,700 hours) AmeriCorps program, Community HealthCorps Program Sites must provide, or make available, healthcare insurance to Members if they are not otherwise covered by a healthcare policy at the time they begin the term of service. The Program Site must also provide, or make available, healthcare insurance to Members if who lose coverage during the term of service as a result of service or through no deliberate act of his/her own. Page 1 of 5

2 A summary of the benefits offered by each Program Site will be provided to the Members. Member should speak with the Program Coordinator of the site for specific information about what benefits are offered by the Program Site for Members who do not have health insurance. Community HealthCorps Members are offered health insurance as provided by the Program Site and must enroll in this coverage if not covered by private health insurance. Community HealthCorps Program Sites have the option to meet their health insurance obligation to Members through any one of the following: 1. by allowing Members to stay on a parents or spouse s plan; 2. by helping Members obtain insurance through the Federal Health Insurance Marketplace of at least the Bronze level plan; 3. by helping Members obtain insurance through a State Health Insurance Marketplace of at least a Bronze level plan on the Federal Health Insurance Marketplace; 4. by providing Members with insurance coverage obtained through a private insurance broker; 5. by ensuring that Members receive Medicaid, Medicare or military health benefits. Members must immediately inform the Program Site of their coverage status, complete the Community HealthCorps Member Health Insurance New Enrollment or Waiver Form, provide proof of private coverage, if applicable, and keep receipts for any reimbursements from the Program Site for insurance purchased through the Federal or State Health Insurance Marketplaces. Members are not eligible for continuing coverage under the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA) after the term of service. Please note that under provisions of the Affordable Care Act, Members may remain on their parents health insurance until age 26. Special Enrollment Period. Per a May 14, 2014 notice, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued the following guidance that created a special enrollment period (through December 31, 2014) for all AmeriCorps State and National members (this includes all Community HealthCorps Members): Starting Service: If you start AmeriCorps State and National service after the open enrollment period which ended on March 30, 2014, you have 60 days from the service start date to sign-up for healthcare coverage through the federal* healthcare marketplace. Page 2 of 5

3 Ending Service: At the conclusion of service, you will also be able to purchase a qualified health plan from the federal* healthcare marketplace outside of the annual open enrollment period. You have 60 days from the service end date to sign-up for healthcare coverage. * Note: State-run healthcare marketplaces have the option to adopt this policy, and may offer the same or a similar 60-day special enrollment period for AmeriCorps members as is provided through the federally run healthcare exchange. Please contact your state-run healthcare marketplace authority to confirm the availability of a special enrollment period for your circumstances. Hardship Exemption and Other Exemptions. If a Member does not have coverage that meets the Minimal Essential Coverage (MEC) standards of the ACA she/he may be subject to a tax payment under the individual shared responsibility provision. However, the Department of Health and Human Services has exercised its authority to establish an additional hardship exemption for all national service members who do not have coverage that meets the minimum essential coverage (MEC) requirements in the calendar year 2014 only. Members may also qualify for an exemption from coverage for different reasons. For a complete list of exemptions and information on how to apply, please visit: For information from Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) on specific healthcare insurance options and guidelines for AmeriCorps members, please click here. Child Care Benefits Program (CCBP) Members serving in the Community HealthCorps program may be eligible to receive a child care benefit to pay all or part of their child care costs. These child care benefit payments are made directly to qualified child care providers for child care services provided to eligible children on behalf of eligible Members who need child care services after the Member s term of service with Community HealthCorps begins. To be eligible to receive a child care subsidy benefit, a Community HealthCorps Member must meet the following requirements: 1. Be an active full-time member of AmeriCorps; 2. Need child care services in order to participate in the AmeriCorps program; 3. Have household income that does not exceed the maximum amount under the Child Care & Development Fund Block Grant rules established by the state or territory in which the child care services are provided; and 4. Be a custodial parent or legal guardian of a child under the age of 13. Page 3 of 5

4 The child for whom the Member is eligible must be living with the member. Once the Member is approved and accepts the AmeriCorps CCBP benefits, the Member must not be receiving a child care benefit for the same child from any other source. Loan Forbearance Post-Service Benefit & Interest Accrual Payment Loan Forbearance. Members who are currently serving a term of service with the Community HealthCorps program may be eligible to postpone the repayment of their qualified student loans for the length of their service term through an action called loan forbearance. The loan holder makes the determination if a loan is eligible for forbearance, but generally, most federally-guaranteed student loans qualify. Interest Accrual Payment. While your loan is in forbearance during the term of service, interest continues to accrue. However, if you successfully complete your term of service, you are eligible to have the National Service Trust pay all or a portion of the interest that accrued on your qualified student loans in that were placed in forbearance during your service term. Post-Service Benefit Segal AmeriCorps Education Award Eli J. Segal s legacy to AmeriCorps is significant. Eli oversaw the creation of the legislation to create the Corporation for National and Community Service, and one of its signature programs, AmeriCorps. Starting in 1993, Segal served three years as the first chief executive of AmeriCorps. An AmeriCorps member who successfully completes a term of service in the Community HealthCorps program is eligible to receive a Segal AmeriCorps Education Award. The education award can be used to pay education costs at qualified institutions of higher education, for educational training, or to repay qualified student loans. A qualified loan is defined as a loan backed by the federal government under Title IV of the Higher Education Act (except PLUS Loans to parents of students), or under Titles VII or VIII of the Public Health Service Act. A school is defined as qualified if it is a Title IV institution of higher education. This means that it participates in the US Department of Education s Title IV Student Aid Programs, meaning that students who attend the school are eligible for Federal student aid. Community HealthCorps Members must serve a minimum of 1700 service hours and fulfill the terms of their Member Contract to successfully complete their term of service and be eligible Page 4 of 5

5 for the full education award. The amount of the award for Community HealthCorps Members enrolled in the program year starting August 1, 2014 is $5,645. The award can be used for up to seven years after the date that a Member completes their service term. The award is considered taxable income in the year that is utilized. Matching Institutions: Many colleges and universities value AmeriCorps alums for their commitment to fulltime service and the experience and skills gained as an AmeriCorps member. These institutions offer various scholarships and incentives for alums, such as matching tuition funding to the Segal Education Award. To see a complete list of matching institutions and the benefits each offers, click here. For more information on the Community HealthCorps program, visit our website at Page 5 of 5