Individuals who said they are ACA and Medicare call center employees with federal contractor Maximus were arrested Dec. 12 during a labor protest outside HHS' headquarters in Washington, D.C.
More than 100 workers at the protest called on HHS and the Biden administration to raise the minimum wage for federal call center employees to $25 per hour and ensure affordable healthcare access, according to a news release from Communications Workers of America, the union that advocates on behalf of Maximus employees. Maximus call center workers are not unionized.
Claude Cummings Jr., president of Communications Workers of America, was also arrested at the protest alongside 17 other individuals, a spokesperson for the union told Becker's. U.S. Reps. Ro Khanna, Bennie Thompson, Greg Casar and Cori Bush and SEIU President Mary Kay Henry were also present.
A spokesperson for Maximus disputed the CWA's claims, saying the company has "no information regarding who participated outside HHS" on Dec. 12.
"It is disappointing that some continue to spread erroneous information that is misleading our employees, customers and policymakers," a Maximus spokesperson said. "This misinformation campaign is intentionally timed at the expense of millions of Americans who navigate open enrollment in the federal marketplace through the ACA. The contact centers we operate on behalf of HHS and CMS are the only point of contact for Americans seeking vital information about their Medicare benefits and insurance programs available through the federal marketplace."
Maximus operates the largest federally contracted call centers in the country under contract with the federal government. In 2022, CMS chose Maximus for a $6.6 billion, nine-year contract to operate 10 Medicare and ACA customer service centers nationwide.
In November, hundreds of Maximus call center employees in seven states went on strike, NPR reported. The CWA said it was the largest federal call center strike in history.
The Maximus spokesperson said the company has seen favorable results from internal employee engagement surveys and it prioritizes its workforce by increasing salaries, reducing out-of-pocket healthcare costs, and improving the work environment.
"We will continue to support our employees as they work on behalf of CMS and the millions of Americans we are privileged to serve," the spokesperson said.