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BUYERS BEWARE! Who Is Really Liable?
Currently,
there are two different business models of
non-medical home care services for Consumers in
Arizona to choose from. They are:
-
Businesses
that have caregivers as employees
-
"Registries" or "placement" services that
have independent contractors as caregivers
In Arizona
there are NO laws that govern home care
companies. Registries are not required
to disclose that they furnish independent
contractors, leaving unaware Consumers liable to
pay IRS, State, Unemployment, and Workers’
Compensation costs and penalties.
Some red flags
of being fooled into believing you are getting
caregiver employees when you really are getting
independent contractor caregivers include:
PROTECT YOURSELF
Get verification of what
kind of home care company you are dealing with
by asking for copies of the home care company's:
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Workers' Compensation
Insurance proof of insurance for caregivers
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Insurance for care
giver theft Issues
-
Consumer Disclosure
Statement that details:
-
If the home care
company is an employer, a registry, or some
other non-employer,
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The responsibility it
will assume (if any) for the payment an
filing applicable reports and forms for
caregivers':
§
Wages,
§
Payroll Taxes, including
Social Security and Medicare taxes
§
Overtime wages,
§
Workers’ Compensation
Insurance,
§
Liability Insurance,
§
Insurance against Theft,
§
and State and Federal
Unemployment Compensation liabilities.
If you are interviewing Home Care Service
Providers or Private Caregivers for care
services, have them complete and sign a Consumer
Disclosure Statement you can download and print
by clicking here.
Remember:
The sweet taste of
cheap prices for home care services never lasts as long as
the sour taste of the train wreck of your home
care when you realize you were fooled into
believing you were hiring a company that has
employees and is protecting you, when in all
reality they could have cared less.
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