Could an employee who qualifies under AFLA, later qualify for the FMLA entitlement (i.e., state paid health insurance), when, and if, they meet the FMLA employment threshold?

Yes. For example, an employee with over a year of prior service is hired and works full time for six months (975 hours). The employee is eligible only for AFLA benefits at this time. A qualifying condition develops and the employee takes 17 weeks (approximately four months) off. The employee returns to work for two months (325 hours). The employee is now eligible for FMLA (due to having worked at least 1,250 hours in the preceding year) and could take 12 weeks of leave, with insurance coverage, for a qualifying condition. POLICY: Health insurance for the first twelve weeks of AFLA leave is provided to those employees who are excluded from FMLA coverage who are eligible and qualified for AFLA and meet the 1,250-hour employment threshold requirement.