This Month's News:

• DMEC Annual International Conference — Advanced Registrations Accepted Through July 26
• DMEC Has an Updated Mission Statement
• Sustaining Members Support DMEC’s Mission
• Legislative Updates
• New White Paper Available: “Best Practices in Short-Term Disability Plan Design”
• MetLife 10-year Anniversary as DMEC Sponsor
• Featured Job Postings
• Calendar of Events

DMEC Annual International Conference — Advanced Registrations Accepted Through July 26
Get the latest need-to-know information and learn firsthand what companies like yours are doing to survive and thrive in this era of change. Advanced registration is open through July 26.Onsite registration will also be available, but at a higher rate.

Don’t miss this opportunity to come together face-to-face with your colleagues at the DMEC 15th Annual International Conference, August 1 - 4, in San Diego!

Check out the full program now. Group discounts are available.

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DMEC Has an Updated Mission Statement
DMEC’s Mission: To advance strategies and resources that improve workforce productivity by minimizing the impact of absence and disability.

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Sustaining Members Support DMEC’s Mission
We are introducing a new member category—Sustaining Member. A sustaining member is a company of any size that wishes to support the programs and mission of DMEC above and beyond the simple membership. Sustaining members receive additional benefits in terms of visibility and exposure. If you are interested in becoming a sustaining member, please contact DMEC headquarters at 800.789.3632.

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Legislative Updates 
By John Garner, DMEC Legislative & Government Affairs Advisor. Visit http://DMECLegal.Wordpress.com for the latest legislative news or to comment.

New York Proposes Regulations Adopting Medical Treatment Guidelines The following information was released by the New York State Workers’ Compensation Board: On June 30, 2010, the Workers’ Compensation Board published proposed regulations that would make the revised medical treatment guidelines (“Guidelines”) mandatory for providers, employers, and insurance carriers in the workers’ compensation system. Read the rest of this entry »

Regulations Implement “Patient’s Bill of Rights” under Reform On June 28, 2010, the Department of Labor (Employee Benefits Security Administration) (EBSA) along with the Departments of the Treasury (Internal Revenue Service) and Health and Human Services published regulations implementing the new “Patient’s Bill of Rights” under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Read the rest of this entry »

Regulations Released on Grandfathered Status Under Reform On Thursday, June 17, 2010, the Department of Labor (Employee Benefits Security Administration) (EBSA) along with the Departments of the Treasury (Internal Revenue Service) and Health and Human Services released much-anticipated regulations describing the changes a group health plan may or may not make in order to maintain its status as a grandfathered health plan under the provisions of The Affordable Care Act. Read the rest of this entry »

Wage & Hour Division Interprets “In Loco Parentis" Status On June 22, 2010, the Administrator of the Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division published an Interpretation regarding the definition of a son or daughter under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) as it applies to an employee standing “in loco parentis” to a child. The Wage and Hour Division issued the interpretation in response to several requests for additional guidance regarding whether employees who do not have a biological or legal relationship with a child may take FMLA leave for birth, bonding, and to care for the child. Read the rest of this entry »

Altered Paperwork Nullifies Employee’s Entitlement to FMLA In response to a district court’s grant of summary judgment, Tanum Smith appealed her case against her former employer, The Hope School, to the Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit for denying her rights under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA). Smith maintained that the district court improperly held that her application for leave was fraudulent because she altered a health care provider’s certification form, arguing that the alteration was irrelevant because she was entitled to medical leave based on the authentic, unchanged information. Read the rest of this entry »

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New White Paper Available: “Best Practices in Short-Term Disability Plan Design”
Are economic uncertainty, the aging workforce, and the need to improve productivity and competitiveness at the forefront of concern for your company? STD plan design can be part of the solution to these challenging issues; find answers in DMEC’s 2010 Leadership Series white paper on “Best Practices in Short-Term Disability Plan Design”.

Download the white paper (PDF)  »

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MetLife 10-year Anniversary as DMEC Sponsor
We are honoring MetLife for 10 years of supporting the DMEC’s mission of assisting employers in returning employees to productive employment following disability.

MetLife recently increased its sponsorship to provide DMEC with its highest level of support.

“MetLife’s decision to move to the highest level of sponsorship, and continuance of its long-term partnership, is a testament to the company’s support of DMEC’s employer-focused integrated disability and absence management programs. This ongoing relationship will certainly enhance our future growth and success,” says Marcia Carruthers, CPDM, CEO and president of DMEC.

DMEC’s programs that receive sponsor support include educational events and resources that help employers minimize the impact of absence and disability, as well as an annual international conference.

“MetLife is proud to be a Diamond-level sponsor of DMEC. The mission of advancing cooperative partnership between employers and benefit providers to mitigate the business risks posed by employee disability and absence is very important, and one that we are proud to be a part of,” explains Paul Taylor, vice president, Group Disability Products, MetLife.

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Featured Job Postings 
Job Alerts let you be one of the first to hear about attractive new openings—set up a job alert today.

Visit the IDAM Career Center today to find jobs like these:

• Benefits Liaison, San Jose, California, Sedgwick CMS
• Disability Management Coordinator, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Disability Management Coordinator
• Psychologist, Minneapolis, Minnesota, Behavioral Medical Interventions
• Workers Compensation - Return-To-Work - Sales Support, Home Office Based, FastTrackRTW
• National Account Consultant, Portland, Oregon, The Standard
• Nurse Practitioner Employee Health, California, United States, Sutter Health Sacramento Sierra Region
• Director-FMLA Source, Chicago, Illinois, ComPsych Corporation
• Executive Director, Home Office, USA, Disability Management Employer Coalition (DMEC)
• Senior Trainer, Producer Education, Simsbury, Connecticut, The Hartford
• Return to Work Coordinator, Rochester, Minnesota, Mayo Clinic

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Calendar of Events 
Click on an event for more details.

July 2010
Jul 15	"Mental Health and Addiction Parity Law Implementation: Issues for Employers"
August 2010
Aug 1	2010 Annual International Conference
Aug 18	Sacramento Chapter Meeting
Aug 26	Minnesota Joint Summer Conference
Aug 26	"Leveraging Occupational Strategies for Non-Occupational RTW Risks"
September 2010
Sep 2	"Presenteeism: An Emerging Field in Disability Management"
Sep 9	Chicago Chapter Meeting
Sep 14	"Changing Leave and Sick Bank Programs: Is it worth it? An Employer Roundtable"
Sep 16	"A Closer Look at Managing Behavioral Health Claims"
Sep 17	San Jose Chapter Meeting
Sep 21	Ohio Chapter Meeting
Sep 30	"Navigating the Medicare Set-Aside Maze"

= Tools and Tactics webinar, free to DMEC members, $49 for non-members.
= Virtual Education Forum, free to members and the public.

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