Massachusetts’ Paid Family and Medical Leave (MA PFML) Billing Frequently Asked Questions

Q. Will USAble Life mail a monthly billing statement for MA PFML?
A. MA PFML is self-administered billing; therefore, you will not receive a monthly billing statement in the mail containing a roster of insured employees. USAble Life uses AccessAble, an online portal, to notify users via email of monthly billing statements.

You will need the following to create a monthly billing statement:

  • The number of covered employees
  • The monthly-capped salary

A premium calculator is provided on the premium billing statement screen for your convenience.

Q. Are the use of the premium calculator and monthly premium billing statement in AccessAble required to submit premiums?
A. Use of AccessAble is not required but is available for ease of administration. If the premium billing statement is not used, USAble Life requests that sufficient backup is provided at the time of payment. This should include the number of covered employees and monthly-capped salary.

Q. What is the difference between the Massachusetts’ state calculator and the calculator provided by USAble Life?
A. The USAble Life calculator uses the same method to calculate premiums as the state calculator (calculation provided below). Our calculator has the group plan-specific medical and family leave rates embedded in the spreadsheet. For ease of use, salaries are automatically capped at the maximum of $176,100.

Q. How does USAble Life calculate monthly premiums?
A. USAble Life is a private carrier, and rates may vary from the state-specific rates. Rates are determined based on demographics and plan and are industry specific. A group’s rate can be found in AccessAble by going to the Company tab and viewing Group’s Information.

Example: An employee earning the maximum salary of $176,100 would have an estimated monthly premium of $129.15. Of this amount, $102.73 is for medical leave, and $26.42 is for family leave.

Medical Leave: ($176,100/12) X (0.70/100) = $102.73

Family Leave: ($176,100/12) X (0.18/100) = $26.42

In the event the state of Massachusetts updates the salary or benefit guidelines, USAble Life will automatically update the calculator to reflect state-mandated changes.

Q. Does the USAble Life calculator automatically upload the number of covered employees, monthly-capped salary, and monthly benefit amount to the AccessAble statement?
A. No, the calculator provided is a tool used to calculate the Medical and Family monthly premium. The totals provided in the calculator should be entered manually into the monthly premium statement fields in AccessAble.

Q. Whom should I contact if I submit a statement incorrectly?
A. If a statement is submitted with incorrect information, please contact our Customer Care Center at 800-370-5856 or by email at custserv@usablelife.com. Our Customer Care agents will work internally to have your statement cleared and made available on AccessAble.

Q. For hourly employees, should their monthly salary or annual based salary be used to calculate monthly premiums?
A. As defined by the state, we advise reporting all earnings; this would include overtime, commissions, or other income. We suggest obtaining a monthly earnings report from your payroll provider to calculate premiums for individuals with a varying monthly salary.

Q. What wages are subject to PFML contributions?
A. In general, PFML follows the unemployment statute (M.G.L.c. 151A) for determining what constitutes wages. The following are considered wages:

  • Salaries, hourly pay, non-cash tips, and stipends
  • Commissions and bonuses
  • Overtime, vacation, or sick pay
  • 401K employer contributions
  • Tips

For more information regarding eligible wages, visit the employer’s guide to paid family and medical leave.

Q. When will the statement be available in AccessAble?
A. The MA PFML statement is billed in arrears, which is billing that generates the month previous to the actual due date. Your bill generation date can be found in AccessAble in the billing section on the Group Information tab. Payments are due by the 15th of the following month.

Q. Is paying online the only option for MA PFML?
A. Paying online through AccessAble is the fastest way to have premiums applied. If paying online is not an option, we ask that backup, as defined above, along with your PFML group number are remitted with the payment. AccessAble also allows our groups to generate a payment stub that can be sent with a check or wire payment. This makes applying premium fast and easy, without having to submit payroll information.

To create a payment stub, follow these steps:

  1. Create your monthly statement, then proceed to the Pay Bill tab.
  2. Select the statement to be paid, and select next.
  3. Choose Check as the method for payment.
  4. Select Generate Pay Stub. This will generate a PDF with all information necessary to apply premiums. Print the statement and mail with your check to:

USAble Life
P.O. Box 204678
Dallas, TX 75320

Q. When should payroll deductions start for a new employee?
A. If the employee’s effective date does not occur on the first of a month, full premium deductions should begin the first of the following month. Premium amounts should not be prorated.

Q. If an employee terminates in the middle of the month, are their full premiums still due?
A. USAble Life does not bill partial-month premiums. A full month’s premium will be due if an individual is covered for at least one day in the month coverage begins or terminates.

Q. When should salary increases be reported?
A. Salary increases that cause an increase in coverage are recognized on the first of the month following the increase. It is important to adjust salaries on time as this can affect premiums, benefits, and claims payments.