- All those parents of K-8 students forced to remain home due to school closures
"- The 14-day paid leave should be renewable by each state legislatures' decision since the economic impact, nor the recovery from the virus, will not occur evenly across all states.
4. Company Reimbursement for Paid Medical Leave
"- Anyone who is sick or who needs to stay home should be able to stay home during this emergency and receive their paycheck. At a time when half of our people are living paycheck to paycheck and must go to work in order to take care of their family, we do not want to see people going to work who are sick and can spread the COVID-19 disease. This is especially important for hourly workers who may not have any or sufficient paid sick days to avoid coming into work when feeling ill. (In Denmark and the United Kingdom, the government is covering 75 to 90 percent of all worker salaries and wages over the next three months, provided the companies refrain from layoffs.)
"- Paid Medical Leave costs should be reimbursed by the federal government to companies with fewer than 500 employees. Reimbursement by tax credits for companies with more than 50 employees; and by means of direct subsidy payments for companies with fewer than 50.
" 50 percent reimbursement should be made to companies with more than 500 employees by means of tax credits provided the company shows a full restoration of jobs for those laid off within a year of the development of a vaccine for the virus.
"- Paid leave shall not result in a reduction of paid sick leave provisions already provided by a company or by union contracts, which would otherwise remain accrued to workers.
5. Hospital Testing And Related Costs
"- Costs for hospital-clinic-doctor office entry and testing should be billed by the health provider directly to the government, not paid by the patient and then reimbursed.
"- Provider costs associated with the visit for testing (i.e. labs, emergency or other room charges, outpatient, inpatient, etc.) should similarly be billed by the provider to the government.
"- Return or follow-up visits if needed should be billed directly as well.
"- Pharmacy and drug costs should be waived for patients determined to be infected by the virus, and all their immediate dependents under age 21, or on Medicare, Medicaid, or otherwise uninsured.
6. Health Insurance Companies Responsibility
"- If an employee is insured and on medical leave, or if otherwise laid off due to the economic effects of the COVID-19 virus on their company of primary employment, the health insurance provider should waive the worker's share of monthly health insurance premium. This should apply as well as for their immediate dependents covered by the company's insurance benefits program.
"- If an employee is insured, or if otherwise unemployed due to the economic effects of the COVID-19 virus on their company or primary employment, the health benefits insurance provider should waive all deductibles and co-pays for services for those determined infected or on leave due to school shutdowns. This should apply as well as for their immediate dependents covered by the company's insurance benefits program.
"- Premiums, deductibles, copays and coverage should remain frozen until the state legislature declares safety is restored and the COVID-19 virus epidemic is over.
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