Committee advances DHR proposal to change administration and rules for TJ Anthony catastrophic-illness program

The Rules Committee voted to forward proposed amendments to the TJ Anthony catastrophic-illness program to the full Board after Human Resources Director Carol Eisen outlined changes she said would simplify administration and improve access.

Eisen told the committee the department seeks to move full administration and appeals of the program from the Department of Public Health to the Department of Human Resources, reflecting that much of the staff work already resides in DHR. "We want to change the way that sick time is donated to the pool," Eisen said, proposing a general pool rather than donors earmarking donations for specific employees. She also proposed allowing employees with less than a year of service to access the pool after three months instead of waiting a full year.

Julian Robinson of DHR prepared materials for the committee, and Fiona Wilson, chief physician for city employees, said she reviews applications and estimated roughly 85 percent are approved because the cases meet catastrophic criteria such as organ failure or widespread cancer; Wilson said denials are usually for chronic conditions that do not meet the program’s definition of "catastrophic."

Committee members asked for clarification about denial criteria and Eisen and Wilson described review standards and the appeals process. No members of the public spoke on the item. The committee voted unanimously to forward the ordinance with a positive recommendation to the full Board for consideration.