Latest news with #TimetoCareAct
Yahoo
29-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Life-altering events can happen any time; the FAMLI family leave program can't wait
A life-threatening or life-altering event can happen any time, which is why supporters say the state should not delay implementation of its family and medical leave act. (Photo by Fiordaliso/Getty Stock Images) I got the phone call at 2:39 p.m. on Oct. 16, 2020. After four anxious days of waiting, I heard the voice on the line say, 'I'm so sorry to tell you the tumor we found was malignant – you have cancer.' As the person on the phone became a muffled 'Peanuts'-esque voice, talking about oncology referrals and scheduling staging scans, I remember curling into a ball on my couch, alone with my cat, the room spinning as a myriad of rapid-fire thoughts ran through my head: 'I'm only 37. I have cancer?! Am I going to die? How do I tell my parents? My family? Friends? Work? What treatments will I need? Surgery? Chemo? What do those cost? What will my insurance cover?' With little warning, four days after a routine colonoscopy I had because of a family history of polyps, my life suddenly cleaved in two: Before and after my Stage 3 neuroendocrine cancer diagnosis. As my brain started the first of countless doom spirals, I tried to accept my life-threatening diagnosis, but I was fortunate never to have to ponder, 'Will I lose my job? Can I pay rent? Can I afford groceries?' Thanks to my large employer, I was among the lucky employees in Maryland with access to paid family and medical leave. Only 43% of the workforce have access to paid medical leave and even fewer have access to paid family leave. Maryland Matters welcomes guest commentary submissions at editor@ We suggest a 750-word limit and reserve the right to edit or reject submissions. We do not accept columns that are endorsements of candidates, and no longer accept submissions from elected officials or political candidates. Opinion pieces must be signed by at least one individual using their real name. We do not accept columns signed by an organization. Commentary writers must include a short bio and a photo for their bylines. Views of writers are their own. I was fortunate to have the time off to confront my situation, but no one should have to rely on luck to fight for their survival or the well-being of their loved ones. That's why we fought so hard to pass the Time to Care Act. In 2022, the Maryland General Assembly enacted it, creating a statewide Family and Medical Leave Insurance (FAMLI) program. A full 88% of Marylanders support this program, and the Maryland Department of Labor has been hard at work preparing to implement it. Consequently, I am heartbroken by Gov. Wes Moore's proposal to delay the implementation of the FAMLI program for an additional 18 months: an unconscionable amount of time for Marylanders who need time to care today. When you are faced with a life-threatening diagnosis, you are quickly reminded that the future is a luxury. Delaying this vital program harms every Marylander with a serious illness, caregiving for a loved one facing the end of their life, or welcoming new family members. These Marylanders might not have an additional 18 months to wait for benefits to begin Jan. 1, 2028. During this proposed delay, over 247,000 Marylanders who would have applied for benefits will instead have to make impossible decisions about which bills to forgo, decide if they should miss a day's pay to sit at a parent's bedside in hospice care or risk bodily harm by returning to work too soon after giving birth. Everyone needs time to care, and I am a testament to the unpredictability of when you might need paid leave. The proposed delay has been justified by 'federal uncertainty,' but life doesn't stop because of uncertainty. I was diagnosed with cancer during a worldwide pandemic but care couldn't wait. No other state is delaying the implementation of its FAMLI program in response to the federal administration's recent actions, and Maryland's FAMLI program does not rely on federal funding. Maryland was lauded as a national leader when it passed the Time to Care Act, but each year the implementation gets delayed and other states move ahead with starting their paid leave programs, Maryland gets left behind. By keeping the FAMLI program on its current implementation timeline, the Moore-Miller administration can provide certainty to Marylanders facing the uncertainty of a life-threatening illness that they won't lose their income while navigating their care. As a cancer survivor, I believe when facing an uncertain future you center your values, you stand beside each other, and you do the next right thing even if you can't see far into the distance. We may not be able to predict everything the future will bring, but the next right thing is for Maryland to hold fast to its values by keeping the FAMLI program on its current implementation timeline. Marylanders should feel secure in knowing that facing life's best and most challenging times won't also create an economic tragedy. We can't delay promised progress because of the fear of some undefined uncertainty. Now is the moment to champion the timely implementation of FAMLI leave in Maryland.
Yahoo
19-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Poll: Most want paid family, medical leave plan now, not delayed further
New survey results show that a majority of Marylanders would disagree with postponing the start date of an incoming paid family and medical leave program.(Close-up of pregnant patient with saline drip. (Photo by skaman306/Moment Royalty-free) More than half of Maryland voters said they would oppose another delay in the start of the state's paid family and medical leave program, according to a poll released Tuesday. But there's every indication that a delay is coming, another victim of the state's budget woes and the ongoing uncertainty coming out of Washington. The OpinionWorks poll said 55% of those surveyed said the state should stick to the scheduled July start of the Family and Medical Leave Insurance (FAMLI) program, with benefits available beginning in 2026. But the survey also found that 30% of people would be OK delaying the program until 2028, the current plan from the Moore administration. Overall, 82% of Marylanders support the FAMLI program as a concept, with 51% strongly supporting it, while about 12% said they oppose it and 6% were undecided. 'I think these numbers show that Marylanders have always been extraordinarily supportive … that support hasn't decreased over the time that we've been waiting, from passage of the legislation in 2022 to now,' said Lisa Klingenmaier, manager of the Time to Care Coalition. 'Marylanders want this program — they've been waiting.' Amid federal uncertainties, state officials propose delaying paid family leave — again But they will likely have to wait some more. Faced with a $3 billion budget shortfall and rapid-fire policy decisions from the Trump administration, Maryland officials have suggested pushing the start date for FAMLI back by 18 months, meaning that payroll collections for the benefit would begin Jan. 1, 2027, and benefits would become available on Jan. 1, 2028. Maryland Labor Secretary Portia Wu has cited 'uncertainty' as a reason to delay the program again — to help the state, employers and workers prepare amid 'huge instability and uncertainty' from the Trump administration. 'We just feel like this is the prudent thing to. We're responsible for delivering a system that is going to be effective for workers,' Wu said in February. 'We know to stand that up, it's going to take some time … Federal funding freezes, the federal employee impact — all of those have many, many ripple effects here in Maryland.' Delaying the program yet again will require legislation. State officials said they have already sent language to the Senate Finance Committee and House Economic Matters Committee, which will take 'the lead on next steps,' a Labor Department spokesperson said in a recent email. It would not be the first delay for the program. The 2022 Time to Care Act was vetoed by then-Gov. Larry Hogan (R), whose veto was overridden by the General Assembly. It was supposed to start issuing benefits by January of this year, but that was postponed for a year by lawmakers. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX The poll found that 88% of voters support the idea of paid family and medical leave. Support drops slightly when there's a dollar amount attached: About 69% said they would support the program if it cost workers $3 to $6 a week to fund, although just 34% would strongly support it. About 21% said they would oppose the program, while 10% were unsure. Voters were asked 'during a time of uncertainty, is it more important or less important for workers to have access to a family and medical leave program?' to which 78% of respondents said it was 'more important' with 10% saying it was less important. But advocates say that paid family leave is needed now more than ever. The poll reports that 45% of Marylanders know someone who has been affected by federal cutbacks, and 55% believe the Moore administration and the legislature should be doing more to protect Maryland against negative effects from those cutbacks. 'Life is full of uncertainties, that is a constant, and crises don't wait for convenience,' Klingenmaier said. 'Over those 18 months, if that program is to be delayed, Marylanders will be diagnosed with life-threatening illnesses … They will welcome children into their homes. 'And I think what this data shows is that overwhelmingly Marylanders want to live in a state where, when you need time to care … you're not going to lose your income or your home or your livelihood,' she said. 'That's the certainty we need. We're never going to have the perfect storm of budgets and administration to wait to implement this program.' MD Rise Poll Memo 2 Paid Leave & Childcare 031825
Yahoo
14-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Amid federal uncertainties, state officials propose delaying paid family leave — again
The FAMLI program would give Maryland workers paid leave to handle significant medical needs, such as nurturing a newborn baby. But it may be put on hold amid the state's budget uncertainties. (Photo by Oscar Wong via Getty Images) A long-awaited state program to provide paid family leave for Maryland workers might have to wait a little longer, according to Labor officials. The Family and Medical Leave Insurance (FAMLI) program is set to begin in July. But amid a $3 billion budget shortfall and rapid-fire policy decisions from the Trump administration, Maryland Labor Secretary Portia Wu proposes delaying the implementation of the program by 18 months to help the state, employers and workers prepare amid 'huge instability and uncertainty.' 'We just feel like this is the prudent thing to. We're responsible for delivering a system that is going to be effective for workers,' Wu said in an interview Thursday. 'We know to stand that up, it's going to take some time. 'Federal funding freezes, the federal employee impact — all of those have many, many ripple effects here in Maryland,' she said. Wu called it one of the 'hard decisions' that the administration has had to consider in the 2025 session. But supporters for the FAMLI program fear that another delay could risk the program never taking off. 'More time means more potential backsliding,' said Laura Weeldreyer, executive director of the Maryland Family Network. 'I'm not at all attaching that to the administration … I'm worried about the erosion of the integrity of the statute over the next two years. 'I am extremely disappointed to hear this news,' she said, 'and I'm pretty sad on behalf of the residents of the state of Maryland, who overwhelmingly supported the passage of this legislation.' Under current law, the FAMLI program calls for the creation of a fund to which employers and some employees would contribute. The fund would be used to grant qualifying workers up to 12 weeks of paid medical leave to handle significant medical situations — such as nurturing a newborn, caring for a family member with a serious health condition or tending to one's own major health needs. Employers would contribute to the state FAMLI fund unless they provided an equivalent benefit for their employees. Employers, including the state, are currently scheduled to begin collecting payroll deductions in July and providing the FAMLI benefit in 2026. The program has already faced delays. The 2022 legislation establishing the fund, called the Time to Care Act, was vetoed by then-Gov. Larry Hogan (R), a veto that was overridden by the General Assembly. It was supposed to start issuing benefits by January of this year, but that was postponed for a year by lawmakers. Now, the labor department is proposing to delay the implementation once more, so that payroll deductions would begin Jan. 1, 2027, and benefits would become available on Jan. 1, 2028. Wu recognized that there will be disappointment in the new timeline. 'I am personally incredibly passionate about it,' she said, 'At the same time, I think we have to recognize it's a time of huge instability and uncertainty for us right now … it's very uncertain for businesses. We're seeing what's in front of us, and we understand this is unprecedented time in Maryland given what's happening at the federal level.' 'We do need to try to move ahead as quickly as we can,' she said. 'I wish we weren't in this situation but it's the reality of where we are.' But Weeldreyer argues that the instability of at the federal level is exactly why a FAMLI program is needed now. 'To me, it is the argument to move forward with implementation of this program,' she said. 'Wouldn't it be nice for residents in the state of Maryland to know that, in what feels like a very challenging world right now, the state is here with an important safety net if things get hard for your family?' The administration's proposal is similar to a bill sponsored by Senate Minority Leader Stephen Hershey (R-Upper Shore) that would delay the FAMLI implementation for two years due to the state's grim fiscal outlook, with payroll deductions beginning July 1, 2027 and the benefits would be available on July 1, 2028. Senate Bill 355 had a hearing in committee last week, but has not advanced further yet. Hershey proposes delaying long-awaited paid family leave in tight budget year 'I'm happy to work with them [the administration] because while we are evaluating programs that are already in place with respect to the fiscal budget, this was a program that has not yet started. It was something I thought we could delay the implementation of,' Hershey said. 'I'm happy that they're at least looking at things in a fiscally responsible way with respect to this program.' Wu said that the department is willing to work with Hershey or any other lawmaker. 'Senator Hershey's bill is a longer delay than what we are proposing,' she said. 'We understand that this has to be subject to legislative debate … We will put forward language to try to accomplish it, but it needs to go through the legislative process.' Wu said that despite the need to delay the program, she promises that implementing the FAMLI act is a still a priority for the administration. 'We'll have to weather the storm, like we have many others, and we're confident that we're going to get there,' she said. 'It is a little later than we would have liked, but this is the new timeline we're proposing.'
