MEDIA RELEASE

NASHVILLE - Sweeping legislative reforms in Tennessee's Workers' Compensation Law were passed during the 2004 Legislative session that will be phased in over the next year and be completed by July 1, 2005.

The Tennessee Department of Labor & Workforce Development is teaming with the Tennessee Chamber of Commerce & Industry to offer employers workshops across the state to explain the provisions of the Workers' Compensation reforms, specifically the requirement that the Benefit Review Conference (BRC) procedure be exhausted before a lawsuit can be filed. The workshops, titled Mandatory BRCs & More, are one-day events to take place in October at four locations across the state.

"The reform law has many facets that need to be understood," said Labor & Workforce Development Commissioner James Neeley. "Especially important is the handling of a claim to avoid the new penalties imposed for untimely payment of temporary disability benefits. The penalties have been increased substantially and will be enforced. Also, in an attempt to control rising medical costs, the legislation requires us to establish a fee schedule for all medical services provided for by the Workers' Compensation Law."

The workshops will feature updates on many aspects of the law that take effect this year and in 2005, including medical fee schedules, new penalties for untimely payments of benefits, and medical care issues.

"Employers need to know exactly what a Benefit Review Conference is, how to prepare for the exercise, and how to use it to best benefit himself and his employees," said Bob Gaskill, vice-president for Employment Issues for the Tennessee Chamber. "The Benefit Review Conference requirement goes into effect January 1, 2005. We want employers to attend these workshops to hear Workers' Comp Specialists from Labor & Workforce Development, who administer the law, explain what must take place before claims can be filed in court."

To register for the workshop on Tennessee's Workers' Compensation Law, call Suzie Lusk with the Tennessee Chamber of Commerce & Industry at (615) 256-5141 or email her at suzie.lusk@tnchamber.org; you may also print a brochure with registration form at www.tnchamber.org by selecting Benefit Review Conference Workshop under the calendar heading. The workshop fee is $199 for Chamber members and $245 for non-members.

The following are dates and locations for the Benefit Review Conference Workshops:

Jackson October 12, 2004 Holiday Inn Jackson 541 Carriage House Drive	Knoxville October 20, 2004 UT Conference Center 541 Henley Street
Nashville October 15, 2004 Millennium Maxwell House 2025 Metro Center Blvd.	Kingsport October 21, 2004 Meadowview Conference Center 1708 South Wilcox Drive

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ANDREW JOHNSON TOWER, 8TH FLOOR
710 JAMES ROBERTSON PARKWAY
NASHVILLE, TN 37243
615.741.2257