New Year, New Regulations

This article comes about Paid Family Leave comes from Shelter Point.

New Year, New Regulations: How to Apply for Paid Family Leave Now that it’s Here

Paid Family Leave is officially here, and we want to make sure that everything goes smoothly when you need to take time off with PFL. Here are the 4 easy steps you need to take to apply for PFL paid time off.

Step 1: Employer Notification

Paid Family Leave requires that you notify your employer in writing at least 30 days in advance of taking PFL when possible. It isn’t always possible to give such advanced notice for some qualifying events, but it is important that you notify your employer as soon as you know you will need to take paid time off.

If you plan on taking recurring paid time off — for example if you have a family member who needs assistance getting to and from regular medical appointment, like physical therapy or dialysis treatment — make sure you remind your employer regularly to avoid any complications. This also helps give your employer time to prepare for your time away.

Step 2: Download and Fill-Out PFL Claim Forms

To receive your Paid Family Leave benefits, you need to fully complete the required PFL claims forms. You can download claim forms here.

The forms, and documentation (more on that in a bit), you need depends on the type of leave taken. Read more about that, and get visual guides to the process at here.

Step 3: Obtain Supporting Documentation

Depending on your qualifying leave event, the kind of documentation you need to provide will vary. Some of the common types of supporting documentation are listed below.

Bonding with a new child:

• Birth certificate
• Adoption forms
• Foster care placement forms

Active military family members:

• Deployment certifications
• Ceremony dates

Family member with a serious medical condition:

• Medical forms
• Doctors notes
• Therapy schedules

Visit this article for more details on claim forms and supporting documentation. Each leave-specific claim form packet, by the way, includes a checklist with all applicable documentation.

It is recommended that you make copies of your forms and supporting documentation for your own records before submitting.

Step 4: Submit Claims Forms and Supporting Documentation to Your Insurance Carrier

As the person requesting Paid Family Leave, it is your responsibility to file the necessary paperwork with your employer’s NY Statutory Disability (DBL) Carrier. Send your fully completed PFL claim forms and documentation to your insurance carrier. If you are a ShelterPoint client check out this blog post with visual PFL claim guides with all the information you need on where to send your claim. Once your fully completed claim form and documentations are received, your DBL insurance carrier will review the claim and either let you know if information is missing, and what you still need to provide, or review the claim and determine if you are eligible for payments or not. Eligible PFL claims that are submitted within 30 days of the first day of leave taken and properly completed are paid within 18 days of receipt, otherwise, within 18 days of submission of the missing information.

If you have any questions, please contact us at pflquestions@shelterpoint.com.

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