WASHINGTON, D.C.— As negotiations continue and details emerge regarding budget reconciliation legislation, patient and caregiver groups are gravely concerned that a national paid family and medical leave program has been dropped from the package. The Patients and Caregivers for Paid Leave Coalition – representing millions of Americans - is counting on Congress to include paid family and medical leave in this package that would help not just new parents, but also people with serious illnesses and conditions and their caregivers. We cannot let this historic opportunity go by. If you or someone you love has a serious health condition, like cancer, epilepsy, Alzheimer’s, or mental health issues, being able to take time off to receive or help facilitate necessary treatment without sacrificing your economic well-being is essential and makes a tremendous difference in patients’ lives.
More than 88 million workers in this country don’t have paid family leave to care for their loved ones. Now is the time to provide paid leave to patients and caregivers who need it. We call on Members of Congress to prioritize patients and caregivers, and ensure this program is included in the Build Back Better Act.
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Patients and Caregivers Paid Leave Coalition Members: Academy of Oncology Nurse & Patient Navigators, The AIDS Institute, Alliance for Aging Research, ALS Association, American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, American Heart Association, Association for Clinical Oncology, Association of Community Cancer Centers, Black Women's Health Imperative, Cancer Support Community, Cervivor, Inc., Child Neurology Foundation, COVID Survivors for Change, Epilepsy Foundation, Family Voices, Friends of Cancer Research, Hemophilia Federation of America, Mended Hearts & Mended Little Hearts, Muscular Dystrophy Association, National Alliance for Caregiving, National Alliance on Mental Illness, National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship, National Hemophilia Foundation, Marked by COVID, National Multiple Sclerosis Society, National Organization for Rare Disorders, National Patient Advocate Foundation, Pulmonary Hypertension Association, Susan G. Komen, Triage Cancer, UsAgainstAlzheimer's, WomenHeart: The National Coalition for Women with Heart Disease and Zero - The End of Prostate Cancer.