Join us for our exciting first virtual conference with fresh content and prizes!! Offered free due to the generous contributions of our speaker and vendors!

Using Research to Establish Best Practices: Learn 3 Ways to do Research; Explore the ongoing trend of co-morbid Mental Health in Disability claims; data and trends pre- and post- COVID and where we go from here.

February 4, 2021

9 am -10:30 am

Online registration has ended.  Please contact Tricia.Berube@Sunlife.com or Katie_LaPlante@glic.com for registration information

We are pleased to offer an engaging presentation by:

Carol A. Harnett, M.S., GBDS

Carol Harnett is a widely respected consultant, speaker, author and trend spotter in the fields of human resources, employee benefits, health and productivity management, health and performance innovation, and value-based health.

Carol is the president of the Council for Disability Awareness – a non-profit organization with a mission to conduct research and education that helps consumers, employers and advisors understand the importance of working adults maintaining an income stream when they need to leave the workplace due to illness, injury or life events, including the birth of a child.

She authors the employee benefits column for Human Resource Executive with over 150,000 regular readers in the human resources industry, and hosts the podcast: The Financial Health and Income Network. She also maintains a selective consulting practice for employers and insurance carriers.

Carol is an active member of a public-private partnership (Moving to Value) to bring value-based health and insurance design to employers and the State of Connecticut. She also advises the Board of Directors of Disabled Sports USA after serving on the board for six years.

Carol held key positions in the insurance industry as the Vice President and National Disability and Life Practice Leader for The Hartford, and The Prudential's Director of Resources and Rehabilitation Services. She also led the Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation’s industrial medicine division.

Carol received a Bachelor of Science degree in Biological Chemistry from St. Peter’s College and a Master of Science degree in Physiology and Biophysics from Rutgers University.

After a year’s absence The Legal Year In Review is back.

This year’s presentation will include a discussion of a number of issues including responding to a bad faith demand; final benefit determinations on ERISA claims; producing documents in an ERISA benefits dispute; the latest developments in life and disability insurance litigation; and litigation in a pandemic.

We are pleased to have this presentation being brought to us by:

Joseph M. Hamilton,  Partner at Mirick O’Connell and Co-Chair of the Firm’s Life, Health, Disability and ERISA Litigation Group.  He concentrates his practice in life, health and disability insurance defense, and ERISA.  Mr. Hamilton serves as counsel for numerous life, health and disability insurers and self-insureds at all levels of the state and federal courts.  Mr. Hamilton is a past Chair of the ABA’s Life Insurance Law Committee.

J. Christopher Collins, a member of Mirick O’Connell’s Life, Health, Disability and ERISA Litigation Group. Prior to joining the Firm, Chris was Senior Vice President and General Counsel at Unum US, the largest provider of group and individual disability insurance in the U.S. and a fast growing voluntary insurance business with over $6B in annual revenue.   In that role he provided counsel and managed all of the legal resources serving Unum’s largest business sector.  Chris focuses his practice on life and health insurance matters with a concentration on disability and life insurance.

Nancy E. Gunnard, a member of Mirick O’Connell’s Life, Health, Disability and ERISA Litigation Group.  She defends insurance companies and employers in life, health and disability claims brought under state law and under ERISA; and defends physicians, hospitals and health care providers in medical malpractice disputes.

Please join us for this always informative presentation.

Join us for this virtual presentation hosted by our vendor partner Integrated Benefits, Inc.

9:00-11:00 am via Webex 

Registration has closed.  If you registered, your webex details will be sent shortly to your email.  For late registration, please contact tricia.berube@sunlife.com

This is also our time to elect our new officers for the 2021-2022 Board Year! This is a wonderful time to join our team and find out how you can build relationships with your colleagues in the industry and contribute to the continued success of our organization!

You are invited to our  November Virtual Meeting

11 am to 1pm

Online Registration has closed.  Please contact Sarah Lawsure via email to register:  slawsure@bbabsence.com

Our virtual meeting space is hosted by:

Join us for two exciting presentations on COVID-19

COVID-19:  The Long Haul

More and more is being learned about the physical effects that COVID-19 causes. Not only can COVID-19 produce acute life ending illness, it's effects can linger for months and likely years after the initial infection. In some individuals, this leads to a significant reduction in functional ability and inability to continue to work. Dr. Robert Clinton will discuss these lingering effects, diagnostic evaluations, current treatment strategies and prognosis.

Understanding Cognitive and Emotional Symptoms associated with Post-Acute COVID-19

Dr. David Lovejoy will discuss the impact of COVID-19 on the brain including persistent cognitive and emotional complaints as a part of the an emerging picture of a post-COVID syndrome

Learn about our presenters 

Robert Clinton MD has been practicing Internal Medicine for 32 years and since 2005 he has been a disability/functional assessment clinical expert for Brown and Brown Absence Services Group (PDA).    He is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts Medical School and throughout his career has practiced primary care, hospital medicine and correctional medicine.   Dr Clinton has served as the Chief Quality Officer at Mercy Hospital in Portland Maine and was the Regional Medical Director for Wellpath overseeing the care in the correctional centers in Maine.    He continues to be a valued Medical Consultant for Brown and Brown Absence Services Group while practicing Hospital Medicine at Saint Joseph's Hospital in Bangor Maine.    Dr. Clinton has firsthand experience treating acutely ill COVID-19 patients in the clinical setting and has reviewed numerous COVID-19 disability claims correlating clinical information to function.

Dr. David Lovejoy is a board certified clinical neuropsychologist. He currently serves as MassMutual's Head of Doctoral Level Consulting, within the Disability Claims Department.  Dr. Lovejoy is also a practicing neuropsychologist.  He co-directs Hartford Hospital's Neurobehavioral Clinic.  He also works within the departments of neurosurgery and neurology providing brain mapping services during awake brain surgeries.  Dr. Lovejoy conducts forensic neuropsychological evaluations in relation to both criminal and civil litigation matters.  He has published numerous peer reviewed scientific articles and book chapters in areas such as traumatic brain injury, forensic evaluation, ADHD, postconcussive syndrome, PTSD, neuroimaging techniques and independent medical evaluations.  He has consulted in relation to disability claims and clinical evaluations involving COVID-19