RESIDENTS STRUGGLING WITH LYME DISEASE MAY BE ELIGIBLE FOR PAID LEAVE BENEFITS
Income replacement available for those with serious health conditions
Hartford CT — The Connecticut Paid Leave Authority reminded Connecticut residents today that paid leave benefits are available to Connecticut workers struggling with the health impacts of Lyme Disease. Lyme disease is a bacterial infection spread to people through the bite of blacklegged ticks. Typical symptoms of Lyme Disease include fever, headache, fatigue, and a characteristic skin rash called erythema migrans. If left untreated, however, infection can spread to joints, the heart, and the nervous system. Chronic symptoms like pain, fatigue, or cognitive impairment are experienced by 10–20% of people who contract Lyme disease, even after completing treatment. This is called Post-treatment Lyme disease syndrome, or PTLDS.
“As residents of New England, we are all too familiar with the symptoms of Lyme Disease and how it can impact your daily life,” said Erin Choquette, CEO of the CT Paid Leave Authority. “The great thing about paid leave is that a patient with a serious health condition can take time off to receive treatment, or to recover at home, without having to worry about forgoing their paycheck. Even better, time can be taken consecutively or intermittently, so it works for any schedule.”
According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), over 63,000 Lyme cases were reported by state health departments in 2022 but recent studies using other methods estimate about 476,000 people may be diagnosed and treated for Lyme each year. In 2022, Connecticut saw approximately 2,022 cases of Lyme.
“My journey to understand Lyme Disease started when I got sick and had trouble getting diagnosed and finding treatment,” said Dr. Myriah Hinchey, ND, a Lyme Specialist with TAO Vitality LLC. “Each patient’s Lyme experience is different, calling for different types of treatments. Some may recover with antibiotics while others may suffer for months or even years before finding therapies like botanicals that work for them. Having access to paid leave means these patients can take the time they need to get back on their feet.”
To apply for CT Paid Leave benefits online, workers will first need to create an account with CT.gov. This will provide the applicant with a single identity and will take approximately 10 minutes. The applicant can then submit their claim online. Claims may also be filed by phone by calling (877) 499–8606. Hours of operation for a live representative are 8 AM to 8 PM ET, Monday through Friday.
For more information about CT Paid Leave and how to apply, please visit www.ctpaidleave.org.
For more information about Lyme Disease and Paid Leave, please listen to this podcast: the complexity of diagnosing and treating lyme disease and facts you may not know (youtube.com)
