Paid Family Medical Leave Takes Effect Next Month
I want to provide you with an important update on one of the most groundbreaking accomplishments the DFL delivered for working families in recent memory: Minnesota’s new Paid Leave Family & Medical Leave program.
Paid Family Leave officially launches on January 1st! Passed under the DFL trifecta in 2023, workers will be able to access 12 weeks of paid medical leave for a serious health condition of their own, including pregnancy and recovery. The plan also provides up to 12 weeks of paid family leave to care for a new child, a seriously ill loved one, or for certain military or safety-related events, allowing a total of 20 weeks of combined leave per year if using both medical and family leave.
All working families deserve to be able to care for themselves or loved ones without the fear of sacrificing a paycheck or facing financial ruin. Given the amount of economic uncertainty being passed down from the federal government, Paid Leave could not be coming at a better time.
Leave applications for expecting parents are open now. You can learn more, prepare for Paid Family & Medical Leave, and find additional resources at https://pl.mn.gov/.
If you are a small business owner, check this link for specific resources: https://pl.mn.gov/employers/roles-and-responsibilities. You can also reach out to the Paid Leave MN service center directly by calling 651-556-7777 or 844-556-0444. Also, please reach out to my office for any specific questions you might have that I can help with.
How Are Rising Health Care Prices Impacting You and Your Family?
Health care is becoming more expensive for Minnesotans, and many families are feeling the impact. As you may know, President Donald Trump and Congressional Republicans ended valuable tax credits that helped reduce health insurance costs in the private market. As a result, premiums are expected to rise by as much as 50% next year, with farmers, small business owners, and older adults hit the hardest. They also stripped Medicaid coverage from more than 140,000 Minnesotans, including some of our most vulnerable neighbors. Outcomes from these cuts include fewer people receiving the care they need, additional strain on our hospitals, and – ultimately – more expensive health care for everyone. Worse yet, the GOP delivered these reckless cuts to pay for tax breaks for billionaires and corporations.
DFLers at the Capitol are fighting to make health care more affordable, and as part of this work, we want to hear from you. Please take a moment to share how rising health care costs are affecting you and your family by completing our short survey.
Skyrocketing health care prices and reduced coverage are putting more pressure on working families already struggling with an affordability crisis, as costs of food, energy, child care, and housing continue to rise. Your experiences can help shape real solutions to fix our broken system and make health care more affordable.
Keep in Touch
If you have any questions or feedback you’d like to share, you can contact me by email at [email protected] or call (651) 296-4128. Please don’t hesitate to reach out.
Sincerely,
Liz Reyer
State Representative
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