Established in 1942, the firm has
litigated, mediated and negotiated some of the most influential cases and
labor contracts in the nation's history.

Business Editors/Health/Medical Writers

NORFOLK, Va.
"Employers throughout America are facing dramatic challenges to
providing health care benefits to their employees ," said Ron Finch,
director of the National Business Group on Health's Center for
Prevention and Health Services.

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In the U. workers, retirees and
their families.

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C. This development is
in addition to the 2005 ACIP vote to recommend pertussis immunization for both
adolescents and adults. "We hope these recommendations will be adopted quickly by
the healthcare community to help reverse the growing number of cases across
all age groups.
Adults with pertussis may experience symptoms such as prolonged coughing,
which is sometimes so severe that it causes vomiting, broken ribs and
pneumonia , and may require hospitalization. For more information, please visit www.

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S. Business Group members,
primarily Fortune 500 and large public sector employers, provide
health coverage for more than 50 million U.com

About ValueOptions

One of the nation's premier behavioral health care management
organizations, ValueOptions serves nearly 23 million people across the
country through publicly funded and commercial contracts with employee
assistance, mental health and substance abuse , behavioral disability
management and integrated programs.

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office and former general counsel for
the Institute for a Drug-Free Workplace.nfid. "ValueOptions supports
Chuck Taylor and his work on the Committee to develop a new integrated
and responsive behavioral health delivery system.

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"

With more than 400 attorneys and 28 offices in major metropolitan areas
nationwide, Littler Mendelson is the largest law firm in the United States
devoted exclusively to representing management in employment, employee
benefits and labor law matters. Its affiliated global migration
practice , Littler Global, provides support to major companies in moving
employees around the world.
Rehm , MD, NFID's medical director and an infectious disease specialist at the
Cleveland Clinic.
The U.wbgh.

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Decision strengthens workplace drug testing

WASHINGTON, Companies looking to maintain drug-free
workplaces will benefit from this week's Supreme Court ruling on the medical
use of marijuana, according to Littler Mendelson, the nation's largest labor
and employment law firm.S."
The National Committee on Employee Sponsored Behavioral Health
Services' mission is to review and develop an integrated structure for
achieving the goals outlined in the President 's New Freedom Commission
on Mental Health's final report.

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"This would have undermined company
drug testing policies at a time when more and more employers are using drug
tests to help provide a safe , drug-free workplace. By overturning the opinion
of the U. For more information, please visit
www .

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"
However, according to Littler's analysis, employers in states with medical
marijuana laws may still need to accommodate a worker's medically recommended
marijuana use for a while.littler .com .

About NFID
Founded in 1973, NFID is a non-profit organization dedicated to public and
professional educational programs about the causes, treatment and prevention
of infectious diseases."

About the National Business Group on Health

The National Business Group on Health, representing over 240 large
employers, is the nation's only non-profit organization devoted
exclusively to finding innovative and forward-thinking solutions to
large employers' most important health care and related benefits
issues.

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"Had the federal law been struck down, employers could have been required
to allow employees to use marijuana on the job," said Nancy Delogu, an
attorney in the firm's Washington, D.
"Healthcare workers need to be protected against pertussis not only for
their own health, but for the health of those in their care," says Susan J.

About Pertussis
Pertussis, or whooping cough, is a highly contagious respiratory infection
characterized by a prolonged, dry cough sometimes associated with a signature
"whoop" sound. One preparation can be used for both
adolescents and adults, and the other has been approved only for use in
adolescents .
In response to concern about the rising number of pertussis cases, NFID
seeks to increase awareness among the public and healthcare providers about
the disease and the importance of preventive vaccination across age groups.

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valueoptions.

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Media Contact:
Jennifer Corrigan, 732 -382-8898

com

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"
In light of the decision, Littler recommends employers review their drug
use and testing policies to ensure they clearly prohibit drug use that is
illegal under federal, state or local law.

"This is a tremendous opportunity to impact the future of
behavioral health care in this country," said Chris Cavazos, president
of ValueOptions' Employer Solutions Division.

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Call for Pertussis Vaccination for Healthcare Workers Endorsed by National Foundation for Infectious Diseases

org.

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"Employers of all sizes are
increasingly recognizing the important role drug testing plays, and this
decision strengthens a company's legal right to conduct it," she added.----ValueOptions today
announced that Chuck Taylor, executive vice president of ValueOptions '
Employer Solutions Division, has been invited to serve on the National
Business Group on Health 's National Committee on Employee Sponsored
Behavioral Health Services.

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Supreme Court Ruling on Medical Marijuana to Benefit Employers and Employees According to Littler Mendelson Attorneys

* For each decade, immunization of healthcare workers could prevent as
many as 100,000 cases of pertussis and save up to $151 million in costs
(direct and indirect). The Business Group identifies and shares best practices in
health benefits, disability, health and productivity, related paid
time off and work/life balance issues. The company is headquartered in
Norfolk, Virginia .

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The recommendations call for the tetanus-diphtheria-acellular pertussis
(Tdap) booster to be routinely given to healthcare workers in place of the
previously recommended tetanus-diphtheria (Td) booster.

Some data from published studies on pertussis and healthcare workers
report:

* The risk of contracting pertussis among healthcare workers is nearly two
times greater than that among the general adult population.

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While the severity of
pertussis symptoms varies in adults, it can be a life-threatening illness for
infants who are not fully immunized.

National Business Group on Health Invites Taylor to Serve on National Committee on Employee Sponsored Behavioral Health Services

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The Court ruled that the federal government may
prosecute people who use marijuana for medical purposes. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, today's decision permits
employers to rely upon the fact that marijuana use is illegal under federal
law, even if it will not be prosecuted as a matter of state law, and to deny
employment to individuals who test positive for marijuana use . "It
also will benefit America's workers who will enjoy more productive, safer work
environments as a result of testing. "For example, a company may need to allow time for
an employee to transition from marijuana to a legal treatment," Delogu said. The firm's client base ranges from Fortune 500
companies to small-business owners. While final 2005 estimates are not yet available, CDC data
indicate that there were nearly 26,000 cases of pertussis in 2004, the highest
number of case reports in four decades . Food and Drug Administration approved two vaccines in 2005 that
offer protection against pertussis to adults and adolescents and that also
protect against tetanus and diphtheria. "We are excited to have Chuck Taylor
as a committee member to help us address the future of mental health
care.

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"We suggest employers deal with each employee on an individual basis. The illness, referred to by the
Chinese as the "cough of 100 days," can take months to resolve and causes
adults to have fitful sleep and miss work days. In addition, adults may
spread pertussis to others within close contact .

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For more information, visit http://www., The National Foundation for
Infectious Diseases (NFID ) supports new recommendations by the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) Advisory Committee on Immunization
Practices (ACIP) that healthcare workers and anyone who works in a healthcare
setting should be protected against pertussis, also known as whooping cough."

About Pertussis Immunization and Healthcare Workers
Protection from childhood pertussis immunization is now known to wane
starting in adolescence.

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S. - Recommendations Expected to Help Stem Rising Pertussis Rates -

BETHESDA, Md., there are approximately eight to 10
million healthcare workers employed in hospital and ambulatory settings; these
workers are at risk of contracting and transmitting pertussis due to
occupational exposure. Pertussis is caused by bacteria found
in the mouth, nose and throat. For more information about NFID, visit the NFID web
site at http://www. The committee is composed of a
multidisciplinary group of industry leaders from some of the nation's
most admired companies.S.