American Diabetes Association: COVID-19: Help Expand Paid Leave for People With Diabetes

COVID-19: Help Expand Paid Leave for People With Diabetes

Congress must support people most at risk for COVID-19 by expanding paid leave. Your senators and representative need to hear from YOU as they work on new legislation related to COVID-19. We need your help to ensure people with diabetes receive job protection and financial support that allows them to remain safe at home during the pandemic.

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Expand Paid Leave for People with Diabetes During COVID-19

Dear [Decision Maker],

As a constituent, I urge you to expand paid family and medical leave to protect Americans who are most vulnerable to the COVID-19 pandemic. This would ensure that individuals at high risk for adverse complications from COVID-19 can remain safe at home during this crisis.

This health crisis poses an unprecedented and disproportionate risk to the 34 million Americans living with diabetes, from both from a health and an economic perspective. And it has magnified existing financial and logistical burdens associated with diabetes care.

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Currently, only people who are unable to work due to a need to provide care for a son or daughter impacted by the pandemic are eligible for paid leave under the expanded use of the Family and Medical Leave Act for public health emergencies. This policy leaves out many hardworking Americans who, because of their own serious health conditions like diabetes, may require time away from work to self-quarantine due to the risk posed by COVID-19.

I urge Congress to make the following changes to the paid family and medical leave program created in the Families First Coronavirus Response Act:

-	Expand eligibility for paid family and medical leave to include anyone who, because of a serious health condition that makes them particularly vulnerable to COVID-19, has been advised by their physician to remain home

-	Remove the inadequate time limit on paid leave to ensure that these individuals can remain home as long as the COVID-19 pandemic poses a risk to their health and wellbeing

-	Ensure this program applies to employers of all sizes

-	Extend paid leave protections to appropriate health care providers and emergency responders

For many people with underlying health conditions such as diabetes, the COVID-19 pandemic is magnifying existing financial and logistical burdens associated with their care. In this time of extreme uncertainty, I urge you to protect the health and wellbeing of those Americans most at risk.

Sincerely,
[Your Name]
[Your Address]
[City, State ZIP]
[Your Email]