MetLife Selected As Insurance Carrier For New Hampshire’s New Voluntary PFML Insurance Program

Under this new program, MetLife will help provide New Hampshire workers with the choice to take paid time away from work to care for their families or themselves

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--MetLife has been selected as the carrier to fully insure and administer New Hampshire’s new Granite State Paid Family and Medical Leave (PFML) Plan. This innovative program will offer affordable and voluntary paid leave insurance to New Hampshire-based employees who may need to take paid time away from work to care for their families or themselves.

The program will provide up to 60% wage replacement insurance benefits for the same leave reasons supported by the federal Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) and will be available to all individuals working in New Hampshire whether or not their employer chooses to participate in the program. NH employers can customize the terms of the insurance policies they purchase, such as the length of the waiting period, and may extend the PFML insurance coverage from 6 to 12 weeks. NH businesses that choose to enroll in this new program through MetLife and pay all or a portion of the NH PFML insurance premium for their employees will be eligible to request a business enterprise tax (BET) credit equal to 50% of their premium cost for the first 6 weeks of coverage they purchase.

“We’re thrilled that Gov. Chris Sununu and the New Hampshire Departments of Administrative Services and Employment Security recognized our experience and expertise in the field,” said Juliane Kowalski, head of MetLife’s Absence and Disability business, Group Benefits at MetLife. “Thanks to a strong collaboration with the State of New Hampshire, our preparations are going well and we will be ready to offer the New Hampshire PFML program beginning January 1, 2023. These efforts reflect MetLife’s commitment to creating employee benefits that enable working Americans to have greater security and confidence for the future.”

“I’m incredibly excited about moving forward, in partnership with MetLife, with a revolutionary paid leave insurance product for our citizens,” Governor Chris Sununu added. “New Hampshire is yet again leading other states in the region and the country as we continue to do all that we can to attract and retain an essential workforce for our growing employer base.”

Under the Granite State PFML Plan, New Hampshire workers are covered for various reasons, from medical leave for one’s own serious health condition to family leave, including bonding with a new child, caring for a family member with a serious health condition, military exigency and caregiver benefits.

The program will allow employers to begin enrollment starting on December 1, 2022, with policies effective on January 1, 2023. Individuals will have the ability to purchase insurance using a 60-day enrollment period that will start on January 1, 2023.

To learn more about the New Hampshire Paid Family and Medical Leave Plan, visit www.paidfamilymedicalleave.nh.gov.

To learn more about MetLife’s PFML plans, visit www.metlife.com/PFML.

About MetLife

MetLife, Inc. (NYSE: MET), through its subsidiaries and affiliates (“MetLife”), is one of the world’s leading financial services companies, providing insurance, annuities, employee benefits and asset management to help individual and institutional customers build a more confident future. Founded in 1868, MetLife has operations in more than 40 markets globally and holds leading positions in the United States, Japan, Latin America, Asia, Europe and the Middle East. For more information, visit www.metlife.com.