DES MOINES, Iowa — The Iowa Cancer Registry reports the state of Iowa has the second highest rate of new cancers in the U.S. However, the state doesn’t have any laws requiring employers to offer paid leave for cancer patients.
Brittan Alford, who has cancer, is looking to change that.
Alford said that even with the medical leave she got from her employer, it’s been difficult making ends meet. At the federal level, the Family And Maternity Leave Act (FMLA) allows some cancer patients to take up to 12 weeks off per year. That allows them to keep their health insurance benefits, but doesn’t cover their pay for that period…