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As our industry evolves and transforms, ReedGroup continues to be the go-to organization for absence management, data, and content.
Our thought leadership and industry expertise extends beyond white papers to offer published articles, free webinars, videos, presentations – all of which are available on this page.
Compliance is among our top priorities, with our legal team closely monitoring changes across the US and its territories. Our recently updated white paper, ADA Compliance Guide: When Employers Must Provide Leave as an ADA Reasonable Accommodation, leads employers through leave as an accommodation with examples of interpreted court cases that explain "reasonable accommodation" as it relates to leaves of absence.
The ReedGroup Top 10 List of What to Do (or Not Do) When Managing Your Employee's ADA and FMLA Leaves is a quick list of best practices, encouraging policies for better interaction between employers, management and employees.
If you're looking to gain more knowledge or just want to stay current, our quarterly compliance webinars provide up-to-date information on leave of absence laws, regulations and cases employers are affected by country-wide.
We'll be updating this page often with new resources. We stay on top of the industry so you can too.
White Papers and Research Documents
Coronavirus (COVID-19) Guideline (American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine and MDGuidelines ©2020 ReedGroup)
MDGuidelines and the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (ACOEM) have published the first occupational guideline focused on novel coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19)
Read the revised clinical practice guideline here.
The Coronavirus: What Employers Should Know (Denise Mayrer, RN, VP Partnership Sales and James Venable, JD, SPHR, VP Employment Law, Absence & Accommodation Compliance ©2020 ReedGroup)
Employers must contend with many issues that occur outside of the workplace and our of their control. The outbreak of the Coronavirus is a perfect example of why every employer should have a pandemic preparedness program in place for the safety of their employees. With the recent outbreak of the Coronavirus, ReedGroup is providing this information to support its clients in responding to this major health event.
Read the full white paper here.
A Comparison of Functional Recovery Outcomes Among Bariatric Surgery Patients (Max Pumilia, Research Intern and Katie Zaidel, MEM Data Research Scientist ©2017 ReedGroup)
Obesity is a growing public health problem and is associated with significant morbidity and mortality risk for affected individuals. Bariatric surgery is recommended for severely obese patients when conservative treatments fail. Using a nationwide dataset of short-term disability (STD) cases linked to detailed medical claims data, we evaluated trends in bariatric surgery procedures through time and compared complication rates, disability duration, and medical costs between four common procedures. The prevalence of RYGB and lap band procedures declined, while the prevalence of sleeve gastrectomy procedures increased over this timeframe. By surgery, the complication rates, disability durations, and medical costs ranked as follows (lowest to highest): lap-band, sleeve gastrectomy, RYGB, and duodenal switch. The sleeve gastrectomy procedure resulted in fewer complications, faster healing times, and reduced medical costs.
Measuring Medical and Pharmaceutical Costs Along the Disability Continuum (Fraser Gaspar, PhD., Epidemiologist and Katie Zaidel, MEM Data Research Scientist ©2017 ReedGroup)
Disability-related absences impose a staggering $443 billion on private employers in the U.S. due to absence and lost productivity costs each year (IBI, 2017). This estimate, however, does not include the health care cost burden that is incurred during the disability episode. Since private employers provide health insurance for more than half of the U.S. population and half of all medical and pharmacy payments are attributable to approximately one-quarter of employees who had a disability-related absence, medical costs must be included in the estimates of disability-related absence costs (Gifford, 2017; Kaiser Family Foundation, 2016).
Find the full white paper that includes the detailed methodology involved in this research view here.
New MDGuidelines Duration Views Whitepaper. Help Return People to Work and Health More Quickly (Fraser Gaspar, PhD., Epidemiologist, ©2017 ReedGroup)
ReedGroup has just launched MDGuidelines Duration Views, the highest-accuracy disability duration tool available, to help return people to work and health more quickly following disability leaves. Developed to estimate employees' disability durations with higher accuracy and increased transparency, MDGuidelines Duration Views is built upon robust analytics, evidence from millions of real-world cases, expert medical opinions, and MDGuidelines' robust population database. Through its increased accuracy, MDGuidelines Duration Views is designed to help providers set appropriate recovery goals for returning people to normal living and optimize the use of healthcare services.
Find the full white paper that includes the detailed methodology involved in MDGuidelines Duration Views here.
Clearing the Haze: How State Marijuana Laws Impact Leave and Disability (Megan G. Holstein, Esq., Vice President of Compliance; with contributing editors Sheri Pullen, Compliance Analyst, Ashlee Brennan, Esq., Compliance Attorney, and Lori Welty, Esq., Compliance Attorney)
Looking for clarity about state medical marijuana laws and their effect on STD and LTD? ReedGroup's latest white paper, Clearing the Haze: How State Marijuana Laws Impact Leave and Disability, offers guidance for addressing company policies and plans. In it we cover the background of state medical marijuana laws and the position of the federal government, considerations for disability plan administration, allowing or excluding use, interaction with Workers' Compensation, return-to-work, and more. Learn through tips, an Accommodation Analysis Checklist, and sample cases by state.
Start addressing your company's policies today. Find our white paper here.
This content was originally presented as a DMEC webinar on October 13th, and may be viewed here.
ADA Compliance Guidance: When Employers Must Provide Leave as an ADA Reasonable Accommodation (Updated by Megan Holstein, Esq. and Lori Welty, Esq., 2016)
A comprehensive overview covering the guidance available from the EEOC, courts, and other sources regarding leave as an accommodation. Gives examples of actual court cases with interpretation – serving as a resource for employers to develop a clear understand of the definition of "reasonable accommodation" in the context of leaves of absence. Easy-to-use accommodation request and assessment forms, as well as a guide to the interactive process, are included at the end of the document.
Delivering on the Promise of Healthier Populations (©2016)
As Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) and other risk-bearing providers, payers and employers embrace a more holistic, long-term health approach for their workforce, the use of evidence-based practice guidelines and analytics by health care professionals provides a safer and more efficient way to return patients to their active lives and maintain workplace productivity.
Preventive Care for Employers-State and Municipal Paid Sick and Safe Leave Laws (By Megan Holstein, Esq. and Lori Welty, Esq., 2015)
Helping employers stay on top of the trend in leave of absence legislation regarding paid sick and safe leave. Includes a chart comparing each state and major city's paid sick and safe leave laws. Updates to this topic may be found in LeaveAdvisor™
Top 10 List of What to Do (or Not Do) When Managing Your Employee's FMLA and ADA Leaves (2015)
The top 5 for ADA and the top 5 for FMLA are lined up for easy reference, with dated citations for every point.
Calculating Hard Dollar Returns on RTW Case Management (uploaded July, 2014; article on datacare.com)
Quantifiable metrics measure the savings gained from returning an employee to work more quickly. A sample return-to-work spreadsheet shows how to calculate RTW savings, as well as the ROI.
ICD-10-CM/PCS Transition Fact Sheet (©2014)
ICD-10-CM is the World Health Organization's diagnosis coding system's US clinical modification, implemented on October 1, 2015. In this document, the new system is broken down, point by point.
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Check back for our 1st quarter webinars!
Compliance Webinar: (December 17, 2020) Are You Ready for 2021?: presentation and video recording
MDGuidelines Webinar: (December 10, 2020) New Trends in PTSD Treatment and Recovery: presentation and video recording
Compliance Webinar: (November 19, 2020) State Leave Updates: presentation and video recording
Compliance Webinar: (September 24, 2020) Leaves Due to, and in Spite of, COVID-19: presentation and video recording
MDGuidelines Webinar: (August 20, 2020) Exploring the Link Between the Mind, Body, and Disability: presentation and video recording
Compliance Webinar: (June 11, 2020) Back to the Office? And More…How COVID-19 is Affecting Absence Management: presentation and video recording.
Compliance Webinar: (March 25, 2020) 10 Things Employers Need to Know Now About Leave Law and Coronavirus: presentation and video recording
Compliance Webinar: (March 19, 2020) 1st Quarter Compliance Webinar: Coronavirus Takes Center Stage: presentation and video recording
MDGuidelines Webinar: (February 13, 2020) ACOEM Clinical Guideline to Depressive Disorders Webinar Click here for video recording
Compliance Webinar: (December 12, 2019) Quarterly Review Click here for video recording
MDGuidelines Webinar: (July 11, 2019) Click here for video recording
Compliance Webinar: (July 10, 2019) Quarterly Review Click here for video recording
Compliance Webinar: (May 22, 2019) Massachusetts Paid Family & Medical Leave Law: Demystifying the Details Click here for video recording
Compliance Webinar: (March 7, 2019) Pregnancy Accommodations: What to Expect with Expectant Employees Click here for video recording
MDGuidelines Webinar: (February 28, 2019) Deconstructing mental health claims with Dr. Pamela A. Warren Click here for video recording
MDGuidelines Webinar: (November 1, 2018) "Managing Mental Health in the Workplace" Click here for video recording
MDGuidelines Webinar: (July 11, 2018) "Workers' Perceptions toward Mental Disorders" Click here for video recording
MDGuidelines Webinar: (May 17, 2018) "The Medical Cost Burden of Disability" Click here for video recording
Compliance Webinar: (February 27, 2018) Quarterly Review Click here for video recording
MDGuidelines Webinar: (November 8, 2017) Opioid Prescriptions Versus ACOEM's Recommendations Webinar Click here for video recording
Compliance Webinar: (November 29, 2017) Quarterly Review Click here for video recording
MDGuidelines Webinar: (September 2017) Recurrent Disability Click here for video recording
Compliance Webinar: (August 2017) Quarterly Review Click here for video recording
Compliance Webinar: (May 2017) Quarterly Review Click here for video recording
Compliance Webinar: (April 2017) The New ERISA Regulations for Disability Claims and Appeals Click here for audio – Click here for presentation
Anatomy of an Evidence-Based Guideline
What actually goes into making the gold standard in evidence-based practice guidelines? From in depth review processes to robust clinical research, MDGuidelines offers the industry's most trusted guidelines. Watch our quick, animated video to learn how we make guidelines you can trust.
Check out our other videos on the YouTube ReedGroup Channel:
Compliance: "Quick Tips" Vlog Series
Compliance: Webinars
MDGuidelines: "Between The Lines" Vlog Series
MDGuidelines: Webinars
Inappropriate Opioids, Adverse Outcomes, and IT Solutions (Drs. Kurt Hegmann and Roman Kownacki ©2018)
The use of evidence-based opioid guidelines is a recommended tool for combating the current opioid epidemic. In this presentation at HIMSS18, health IT solutions including risk screening tools, prescription drug monitoring programs, and drug formularies based on ACOEM's opioid prescribing guidelines are discussed. Click here to view PowerPoint presentation
Integrated Evidence-Based Decision Tools within an EHR (Drs. Kurt Hegmann and Steve Wiesner ©2018)
The healthcare industry recognizes the critical role that evidence-based medicine plays in improving health outcomes and lowering costs. In this presentation at HIMSS18, Kaiser Permanente's integration of MDGuidelines tools at the point-of-care are discussed. In addition, results are presented on tool usage and improved patient outcomes. Click here to view PowerPoint presentation
2017 DMEC FMLA/ADA Employer Compliance Conference
"The Post-Election Future of Absence Management" by Kevin Curry, ReedGroup, April 1 2017 – Kevin Curry, National Practice Leader presented on policy changes and predictions relating to key absence management focus areas at the DMEC FMLA/ADA Employer Compliance Conference in Minneapolis. Curry's presentation helped employers wade through potential policy changes at a state and federal level. Click here to view presentation
IBI Presentation
("The Missing Link: Measuring Medical and Pharmaceutical Costs Along the Disability Continuum" by Kevin Curry, Fraser Gaspar, Katie Zaidel and Kaiser Permanente's Martha Garcia, March 28, 2017) Research findings and methodology from a 10-month study revealing that companies can save approximately $6 billion a year in "avoidable medical costs" associated with disability claims, pointing to dramatic cost savings for employers, payers and providers. Click here to view the presentation
Businesses fret over Colorado's new paid leave law even as it stands as potential "blueprint" for other states (Denver Post, by John Aguilar, November 2020)
Proposition 118, which will create a state-run paid family and medical leave insurance program for Colorado workers, gives employees up to 12 weeks of paid leave annually – a weekly maximum of $1,000 in the first year – to be with a newborn or to care for themselves or a family member who is seriously ill, while simultaneously safeguarding their jobs.
How Colorado employers should prepare for newly approved paid family leave (Denver Business Journal, by Ed Sealover, Senior Reporter, November 2020)
Even though Colorado will not begin collecting payroll taxes until 2023 for its newly voter-approved paid family-and-medical leave program, attorneys and human-resources professionals said companies need to begin implementing policies now to prepare for the change.
Kevin Curry, chief revenue officer at Westminster-based absence-benefits-management company ReedGroup, said he expects that most small employers will want to participate in the state system in order to minimize the risk associated with private plans for smaller staffs.
Larger companies will need to examine current offerings versus state requirements, which include a broad definition of family that envelops "any individual with whom the employee has a significant personal bond that is like a family relationship," Curry said.
Understanding the relationship between medical spending and disability durations (Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, by Katie Zaidel, Data Research Scientist, ReedGroup, July 2018)
Medical costs from extended illness and injury impose a significant burden on employees and employers, yet financial evaluations of short-term disability often overlook these costs. This study describes range of medical spending and disability durations for a large population on short-term disability. Employers and benefits managers may find these estimates useful for evaluating the full cost of disability.
Improving health outcomes and reducing costs with ACOEM's opioid guidelines (Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, by Fraser Gaspar, Epidemiologist, ReedGroup, October 2017)
ReedGroup recently published the first study to quantify how following opioid prescribing guidelines influences disability durations and medical costs. Results show a large number of individuals were prescribed an opioid contrary to ACOEM's guidelines. In addition, cases prescribed an opioid contrary to guidelines had longer disability durations and higher medical costs than cases prescribed an opioid according to guidelines.
How Employers Can Best Manage Complex Leave Programs (ebn, by Kevin Curry, SVP Sales and Practice Leaders, ReedGroup, July 2017)
According to the results of the 2016 Disability Management Employer Coalition Employer Leave Management Survey, 22% of the more than 1,000 businesses surveyed reported that "keeping up with new federal, state and/or municipal/county laws," was their organization's top challenge, rating it as "extremely difficult." That's up from 15% in 2015.
A Finance Leader's Guide to Evidence-Based Clinical Guidelines (hfma, by Joe Guerriero, SVP MDGuidelines, ReedGroup, July 2017)
Unwarranted variations in care account for $210 billion of the $750 billion in wasted care each year, leaving stakeholders across the board looking for ways to improve outcomes and reduce costs for the various populations they serve.
Beyond the Patient Portal: Drive Patient Engagement Through Data-Driven Point-of-Care Technology (Health IT Outcomes, by Joe Guerriero, SVP MDGuidelines, ReedGroup, June 2017)
Despite industry emphasis on patient engagement in recent years and research showing its association with better outcomes and lower costs, engagement continues to be a challenge to many providers.
Improve the Patient Recovery Journey by Using Duration Data and Predictive Modeling (Becker's Health IT and CEO Review, by Joe Guerriero, SVP MDGuidelines, ReedGroup, June 2017)
A total care journey that emphasizes a safe, but prompt recovery from an illness or injury can result in numerous positive outcomes.
However, hospitals and health system often lack the time, data and tools at the point-of-care to easily design the tailored, phased treatment plans needed to return patients to the activities they love quickly and safely – at the optimal time.
Patient Advocacy: A Key Driver of Value-Based Care (WorkCompWire, by Joe Guerriero, SVP MDGuidelines, ReedGroup, March 2017)
The value-based care conversation has finally made its way to the Worker's Compensation landscape, and stakeholders are Investigating new models aimed at improving outcomes and lowering costs.
WorkCompRecap: Avoidable Costs! (WorkCompWire, by Joe Guerriero, SVP MDGuidelines, ReedGroup, March 2017)
ReedGroup's new research found that companies can save approximately $6 billion a year in "avoidable medical costs" associated with disability claims among the 55 million U.S. workers with short-term disability benefits.
Report:Improved Return-to-Work Timing Could Save $6 Billion in health Care (workcompcentral, by Elaine Goodman, National March 2017)
Ground-breaking research in the area of medical costs associated with disability episodes points to dramatic cost savings for employers, payers and providers.
It's About Time – Value-Based Care Comes to Workers' Compensation (WorkCompWire, by Carlos Luna, Director of Government Affairs, MDGuidelines, Reed Group, Feb 2017)
With the total annual cost of lost productivity attributable to health-related conditions exceeding $225 billion in the United States, employers are looking for ways to get the best medical results at the best prices for injured workers.
Rethinking Return-to-Work (workcompcentral, by Carlos Luna, Director of Government Affairs, MDGuidelines, Reed Group, January 2017)
If there were a proven way to help injured workers return to health quickly and safely, wouldn't it be in everyone's best interest to make it a treatment protocol?
The healthcare industry trend that won't change with Trump administration (Manage Healthcare Executive, by Joe Guerriero, SVP MDGuidelines, ReedGroup, January 2017)
The healthcare industry is abuzz with predictions about the future of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). As stakeholders anxiously await the impact of a Trump administration agenda, there is at least one safe bet that all can make: value-based care is here to stay.
Steady Sailing for the Future of Value-Based Care under Trump Administration (HIS talk, by Joe Guerriero, SVP MDGuidelines, ReedGroup, January 2017)
Changes are coming for healthcare reform—that is a certainty under President-elect Trump's incoming administration. However, while some aspects of current legislation may be in question, the future of value-based care remains secure.
Making Value-Based Care Work (EHS Today, by Dr. Greg Vanichkachorn, M.D., Kalispell Regional Healthcare, January 2017)
Occupational physicians can and should use evidence-based care to improve outcomes for employees while reducing risk and costs for employers.
It's What's in Store for Employee Health Benefits/Worker's Comp (ebn, by Joe Guerriero, SVP MDGuidelines, ReedGroup, January 2017)
The stakes are high for healthcare as 2017 ushers in a new administration under President Trump. As the industry waits for the dust to settle around coming changes, employee benefit and worker's comp professionals can count on one thing: the momentum powering value-based care will continue unhindered.
Evidence-based Clinical Decision Support: The most effective way to improve health and financial outcomes for employee and commercial populations (hfma, by Joe Guerriero, SVP MDGuidelines, ReedGroup, January 2017)
Armed with evidence-based clinical decision support tools and analytics at the point of care, health care providers can play a pivotal role in improving the health of patient populations and achieving positive financial outcomes in the delivery of health care.
CorVel and ReedGroup Announce Partnership to Offer Integrated Disability Management (January 19, 2021)
Message From ReedGroup CEO Sandy Callahan on the Killing of George Floyd (June 23, 2020)
California DWC Offers Statewide Access of ReedGroup's Evidence-Based Guidelines to Providers Who Care For Injured Workers (February 11, 2019)
Sandra Callahan Named New Senior Vice President, Chief Executive Officer of ReedGroup (January 8, 2019)
ReedGroup Hires James Venable as Vice President, Compliance (August 16, 2018)
ReedGroup's Proprietary MDGuidelines® Population Database Grows to More Than 15 Million Cases (April 4, 2018)
State of New York Selects ReedGroup to Support Development of a Formulary for New York's Injured Workers (February 6, 2018)
ReedGroup Announces Kevin Curry Promotion to Chief Revenue Officer (October 24, 2017)
ReedGroup Announces Scott Larsen as New Chief Executive Officer (September 7, 2017)
ReedGroup Hires Alexis Kearns as Senior Vice President, Human Resources (August 22, 2017)
ReedGroup Announces Unified Canadian Absence Management Services (June 22, 2017)
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality Accepts ReedGroup's MDGuidelines (May 23, 2017)
ReedGroup Presents Key Absence Management Concerns for 2017 (April 3, 2017)
ReedGroup Research Points to Over $6B in Avoidable Medical Costs (March 28, 2017)
ReedGroup Announces Launch of Highest-Accuracy disability Duration Tool Available (March 22, 2017)
ReedGroup Hires New General Counsel, Josh Protass (February 6, 2017)