DNA Testing – Creating Peace of Mind

June 12, 2013 DNA TestingAdam BellLeave a comment

According to the National Human Genome Institute, DNA was first observed in the late 1800’s by a German biochemist, Frederich Miescher. Since that time much has been learned about deoxyribonucleic acid, commonly referred to as DNA. It is now known that DNA contains the biological instructions that make each species unique. But nearly a century passed from that discovery until researchers unraveled the structure of the DNA molecule and realized its central importance to biology. There have been significant advancements in DNA technology and testing in the past 10–15 years. With all of the advancements in DNA testing it is increasingly common to see DNA evidence link a criminal to a crime scene, prove a deceased person’s identity or determine a biological family relationship. As a direct result of advancements in DNA testing, consumers now find themselves with much more accessibility to this once foreign service.

According to the Mississippi Department of Human Services Annual Fiscal Report, over $314 million in child support was collected in 2011. After hearing this overwhelming figure, it should come as no surprise that one of the most common reasons for DNA testing is to determine a biological relationship between an alleged father and child. A DNA test conducted to determine this relationship is referred to as a Paternity Test. According to the Department of Population and Family Health Sciences nearly 300,000 paternity tests were conducted in 2006. Of these 300,000 tests, nearly 84,000 (28%) of the alleged fathers were excluded as the biological father of the tested child. The percentage of exclusion varied little across racial and/or ethnic categories. The highest exclusion was noted among African Americans with nearly 33%, while Native Americans had the lowest exclusion rate at 18%. The study suggests that the younger the mother, the greater the chance of exclusion.

Governor Haley Barbour signed House Bill 344 in July of 2011, which includes a comprehensive paternity disestablishment bill that lays out a uniform process for when the legal father may or may not disestablish paternity upon negative genetic testing. This bill extends the amount of time from 60 days to one year that a legal father may rescind a birth certificate acknowledgement. Once awarded child support in the state of Mississippi it shall continue until the child becomes emancipated. Emancipation occurs when the child becomes twenty one, marries, joins the military and serves on a full-time basis or is convicted of a felony and is sentenced to incarceration of two or more years for committing such a felony. Mississippi Code Sections 43-19-101 and 43-19-103 establish guidelines for child support obligations. These guidelines provide the percentage of the noncustodial parent’s adjusted gross income that should be awarded for child support based on the number of children. In Mississippi, the percentage of the noncustodial parent’s adjusted gross income that should be awarded for child support ranges from 14% for one child and up to 26% for five or more children.

A “Court Admissible Paternity Test,” sometimes referred to as a “Legal Paternity Test,” may be used for child support, inheritance, social welfare benefits, immigration, and/or adoption purposes. This type of test must be conducted at a laboratory that is accredited by the American Association of Blood Banks (AABB) for relationship DNA testing and meet strict chain of custody requirements. All tested parties in a court admissible Paternity Test must be properly identified and specimens must be collected by a third-party professional who is not related to any of the tested parties and has no interest in the outcome of the test.

A “Peace of Mind DNA Test” does not have stringent requirements like the court admissible test; however, the peace of mind test result may not be used in court. This test may be conducted to give the donor(s) assurance about the evaluated relationship. An artifact, such as a toothbrush or other item, might be used in lieu of swabbing the donor in a peace of mind test. A peace of mind test does not require the legal guardian to give consent for the child and may be conducted anonymously.

DNA testing can be a very useful and economical tool for evaluating the relationship between family members, especially between a father and a child. With court admissible testing options as low as $299, DNA Paternity Tests have all but eliminated any barriers to false accusations over who a child’s biological father is. While $299 may be a financial barrier to some, this small testing fee pales in comparison to the amount that would be paid in child support or more detrimentally the emotional pain of later discovering that a supposed child or alleged parent is not biologically yours.

Why Your Company Should Have a Drug-Testing Program

May 23, 2013 Drug Testing, White PapersAdam BellLeave a comment

Many companies seem to have a difficult time locating and maintaining quality employees. If your company seems to be limited by employee problems including a high turnover rate, high incidence of absenteeism, sub-par job performance, frequent accidents and/or common workers’ compensationclaims then drug testing could save you money. It has been reported in, In Favor of a Drug Free Workplace: Why Drug Testing?, that the US Navy estimated a $10 savings on every $1 spent on drug testing and the average cost of each drug abusing employee is about $6,600 per year. If you are still not convinced of the benefits your company could gain from implementing a drug testing program then refer to these research and statistics.

Research:
- Studies of the workforce show that almost nine percent of employees were victims of drug abuse.
- Almost twelve percent of job applicants tested positive for drugs.
- The results from a study by the Xerox company demonstrated that accidents in the workplace were reduced after weeding out the employees found guilty of drug abuse.
- Random and pre-employment drug testing has been shown to bring down the health claims of employees by almost sixty five percent.
- It is clear that investing in a drug-testing program has been tested and proven to enhance productivity and reduce healthcare costs of companies.

II. Short Term Benefits:
1. Cost Savings and Incentive Programs are Offered by:
  - i. Medical & Health Insurance Carriers
  - ii. Property, Casualty, and Liability Insurance Carriers
  - iii. Workers’ Compensation Insurance Carriers
2. Decreases chances that a current drug user or abuser will apply for/be hired for a job at your company.
3. Decreased Accidents
4. Decreased Disciplinary Actions
5. Decreased absenteeism, theft, and fraud.

III. Long Term Benefits:
1. Increased employee morale and productivity.
2. Decreased costs associated with losses and errors.
3. Increased employee awareness about alcohol and other drug/health related issues.
4. Earlier identification and resolution of problems affecting job performance.
5. Decreased legal costs.
6. Less turnover which leads to decreased costs associated with hiring and training new employees.

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We will be glad to discuss the best option(s) to set up a drug-testing program for your company.

Why Your Company Should Be Utilizing Instant Drug Testing

April 6, 2013 Drug Testing, White PapersAdam BellLeave a comment

Many companies wonder if drug testing their employees would be beneficial. When the cost, prevalence, and liability of drug abusers in the workplace is analyzed a company truly cannot afford to abstain from drug testing its employees. Studies have revealed that one out of every six workers has a problem with drugs. It has been estimated that drug abusers cost employers up to $100 billion in lost productivity per year, are absent from work up to twenty times more often than non-drug users, and cost companies 300% more in medical costs and benefits. As you read these astounding statistics it should come as no surprise that the majority of all Fortune 500 Companies perform drug testing on their employees. Drug testing can be a very useful tool to protect your company from liability, but there are many options to consider to ensure your program is legal and efficient. You should seek guidance from a professional while developing or enhancing a personalized drug testing program.

Urine drug testing is the most common form of drug testing utilized. Urine testing can be performed at a laboratory or via an instant test. Instant urine testing has several pros and cons. Instant tests will yield negative results within minutes as compared to the 24 – 72 hours required for some laboratory based testing. However, the non-negative results must be treated with caution as there is a small chance of cross reactivity which could result in a false positive. The accuracy rate of instant tests ranges between 95% – 99% depending on which drug is being tested for. Mississippi law requires that any non-negative instant test for employment purposes be sent to a SAMSHA based laboratory for confirmation testing and be reviewed by a Medical Review Officer (MRO) to prevent misinterpretation of a false positive. Like laboratory testing, instant tests offer great flexibility as they may be configured into different options to achieve the most precise drug test for your specific situation. Instant urine testing is typically more cost effective than laboratory based testing, but there is an associated fee for the confirmation laboratory test of a non-negative instant result.

You or your designated employer representative (DER) should work closely with a specialized and experienced drug testing facility to ensure that the appropriate specimen is being tested, the correct drugs are being tested, and that your company’s drug testing program is compliant with local drug testing laws.