Paid maternity leave may be available in New York

Currently, maternity leave in the United States is very frustrating, to say the least. Unfortunately, at the local level the situation does not look much better, but as reported Time-out, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul is hoping to change that.

The Governor proposed expanding paid parental leave and providing all New Yorkers with 40 hours of paid leave for prenatal care. If the new rules are officially adopted, New York will become the first state in the United States to pay for these visits.

“We hope that what we're doing in New York will raise the bar for the rest of the country,” Hochul said. “Consistent medical care in the first months of life makes a huge difference.”

The proposal also includes “eliminating copays and other additional costs for pregnancy-related benefits for New Yorkers enrolled in certain health plans.”

Other items include funding for free portable cribs for economically disadvantaged communities and initiatives aimed at reducing the number of unnecessary C-sections - a topic that is sure to generate a lot of debate.

Although this proposal has not yet been considered by the New York Legislature, the fact that this topic is being raised at the legislative level is encouraging.