DBL Center Helps Businesses Manage New York PFL for Coronavirus Questions

MELVILLE, N.Y. - Aug. 27, 2020 - PRLog -- As states re-open, many New York business owners are bracing for a spike in coronavirus cases. The DBL Center, a wholesale insurance general agency specializing in statutory benefits, helps business owners understand the difference between New York Paid Family Leave and the Families First Act for pandemic situations.

Families First Act for Pandemic v. New York Paid Family Leave

The State of New York announced NYS PFL as a mandatory benefit in 2017, phasing in coverage through 2021. NYS PFL allows employees time off to:

• Bond with a newborn, adopted or foster care child joining their family in the past 12 months
• Care for a seriously ill family member
• Manage the home while a spouse is deployed

The Families First Act for pandemic, introduced April 2, 2020, provides emergency paid sick leave to employees affected by coronavirus. Covered individuals cannot work because they are:

• In quarantine
• Caring for someone in quarantine
• Caring for children in schools or daycare that have closed because of the pandemic

Businesses under 500 employees must provide two weeks' worth of paid sick leave, reimbursed by the U.S. government via tax credits.

The Families First Coronavirus Act also entitles employees to up to 80 hours of paid sick time at 2/3 regular pay, plus 10 weeks of PFL for coronavirus.

Pre-Screening App Identifies When Employees Can Claim PFL for Coronavirus

The DBL Center has created an app to help insurance carriers determine if claims fall under NYS PFL or PFL for coronavirus through the Families First Act.

This pre-screening software alleviates the number of incorrect claims, helping carriers process claims faster and keep costs down. "I felt I had to do something to mitigate the claims," says DBL Center president Michael Cohen.

The pre-screening software can help brokers, carriers, and business owners understand which benefits employees should receive.

With 40+ years in the insurance industry, The DBL Center services 100,000 insured corporations through 4,000 brokers across 15 states as a wholesale insurance general agency. The DBL Center specializes in statutory benefits across the Northeast U.S. and in Hawaii. For more information: InsuranceWholesaler.net, call 800.325.2777 or reach out on LinkedIn.