Insurers meet with Congress to discuss paid family leave

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Yesterday, Representatives Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA) and Stephanie Bice (R-OK) hosted their third meeting of the Bipartisan Working Group on Paid Family Leave. The working group invited members from numerous insurance companies to discuss the role of private industries as it relates to paid family leave policies. 

The working group members and guests discussed how the insurance industry plays an integral role in a multitude of states’ paid family leave policies and how they can serve in a national capacity. In attendance were representatives from the American Council of Life Insurers, MetLife, Unum, Principal Financial Group, and American Fidelity.

The Bipartisan Working Group on Paid Family Leave is made up of six Members of Congress — Houlahan and Bice are joined by Representatives Colin Allred (D-TX), Julia Letlow (R-LA), Haley Stevens (D-MI), and Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-IA). This was the group’s third meeting since launching in January. The group aims to meet each month to learn from experts and those most impacted, find common ground solutions, and advance the push for paid leave for America's working families.

“Our working group had an important discussion with insurers about the current landscape of private paid family leave available and ways to increase the availability of this benefit,” said Houlahan and Bice.“Solutions from the private sector will be critical as we look to expand leave for families across the United States. We are excited by the enthusiasm and interest this group has encountered from businesses and industries and look forward to finding bipartisan solutions on a federal level.”

“Today, more than 47 percent of full-time workers (61.8 million) and 16 percent of part-time (3.9 million) workers have access to paid leave benefits through the private sector to replace income if they are sick or injured and cannot work,”said American Council of Life Insurers President and CEO Susan Neely.“A growing number of workers also have access to paid family leave benefits, especially for child bonding and time off to care for a loved one. Expanding access to paid leave will build financial stability for more families, strengthen our nation’s economy, and help employers attract a modern workforce. Life insurers stand ready to collaborate with policymakers on solutions that build upon the existing private sector infrastructure and help more employers large and small deliver this essential benefit to their workers.”

 “This is just the most recent example of how thoughtful the House working group has been about learning from key paid family leave stakeholders,”said Adrienne Schweer, Bipartisan Policy Center fellow. “Private insurance companies are already critical partners to many state-run programs, and hearing from them is crucial to a national paid leave policy solution."