WorldWideScience

Sample records for insurance plan brochure

  1. Analysis of consumer information brochures on osteoporosis prevention and treatment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Meyer, Gabriele; Steckelberg, Anke; Mühlhauser, Ingrid

    2007-01-11

    Evidence-based consumer information is a prerequisite for informed decision making. So far, there are no reports on the quality of consumer information brochures on osteoporosis. In the present study we analysed brochures on osteoporosis available in Germany. All printed brochures from patient and consumer advocacy groups, physician and governmental organisations, health insurances, and pharmaceutical companies were initially collected in 2001, and updated in December 2004. Brochures were analysed by two independent researchers using 37 internationally proposed criteria addressing evidence-based content, risk communication, transparency of the development process, and layout and design. A total of 165 brochures were identified; 59 were included as they specifically targeted osteoporosis prevention and treatment. Most brochures were provided by pharmaceutical companies (n=25), followed by health insurances (n=11) and patient and consumer advocacy groups (n=11). Quality of brochures did not differ between providers. Only 1 brochure presented lifetime risk estimate; 4 mentioned natural course of osteoporosis. A balanced report on benefit versus lack of benefit was presented in 2 brochures and on benefit versus adverse effects in 8 brochures. Four brochures mentioned relative risk reduction, 1 reported absolute risk reduction through hormone replacement therapy (HRT). Out of 28 brochures accessed in 2004 10 still recommended HRT without discussing adverse effects. Transparency of the development process was limited: 25 brochures reported publication date, 26 cited author and only 1 references. In contrast, readability and design was generally good. The quality of consumer brochures on osteoporosis in Germany is utterly inadequate. They fail to give evidence-based data on diagnosis and treatment options. Therefore, the material is not useful to enhance informed consumer choice.

  2. Analysis of consumer information brochures on osteoporosis prevention and treatment

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mühlhauser, Ingrid

    2007-01-01

    Full Text Available Purpose: Evidence-based consumer information is a prerequisite for informed decision making. So far, there are no reports on the quality of consumer information brochures on osteoporosis. In the present study we analysed brochures on osteoporosis available in Germany. Method: All printed brochures from patient and consumer advocacy groups, physician and governmental organisations, health insurances, and pharmaceutical companies were initially collected in 2001, and updated in December 2004. Brochures were analysed by two independent researchers using 37 internationally proposed criteria addressing evidence-based content, risk communication, transparency of the development process, and layout and design. Results: A total of 165 brochures were identified; 59 were included as they specifically targeted osteoporosis prevention and treatment. Most brochures were provided by pharmaceutical companies (n=25, followed by health insurances (n=11 and patient and consumer advocacy groups (n=11. Quality of brochures did not differ between providers. Only 1 brochure presented lifetime risk estimate; 4 mentioned natural course of osteoporosis. A balanced report on benefit versus lack of benefit was presented in 2 brochures and on benefit versus adverse effects in 8 brochures. Four brochures mentioned relative risk reduction, 1 reported absolute risk reduction through hormone replacement therapy (HRT. Out of 28 brochures accessed in 2004 10 still recommended HRT without discussing adverse effects. Transparency of the development process was limited: 25 brochures reported publication date, 26 cited author and only 1 references. In contrast, readability and design was generally good. Conclusion: The quality of consumer brochures on osteoporosis in Germany is utterly inadequate. They fail to give evidence-based data on diagnosis and treatment options. Therefore, the material is not useful to enhance informed consumer choice.

  3. Understanding health insurance plans

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... page: //medlineplus.gov/ency/patientinstructions/000879.htm Understanding health insurance plans To use the sharing features on this ... plan for you and your family. Types of Health Insurance Plans Depending on how you get your health ...

  4. Brochure Creation Tool

    Data.gov (United States)

    Office of Personnel Management — This is the system that Health, Dental and Vision plans use to create their brochures for the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHBP) and Federal Employees...

  5. 41 CFR 60-741.25 - Health insurance, life insurance and other benefit plans.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... 41 Public Contracts and Property Management 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 true Health insurance, life insurance and other benefit plans. 60-741.25 Section 60-741.25 Public Contracts and Property Management... Health insurance, life insurance and other benefit plans. (a) An insurer, hospital, or medical service...

  6. State of emergency preparedness for US health insurance plans.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Merchant, Raina M; Finne, Kristen; Lardy, Barbara; Veselovskiy, German; Korba, Caey; Margolis, Gregg S; Lurie, Nicole

    2015-01-01

    Health insurance plans serve a critical role in public health emergencies, yet little has been published about their collective emergency preparedness practices and policies. We evaluated, on a national scale, the state of health insurance plans' emergency preparedness and policies. A survey of health insurance plans. We queried members of America's Health Insurance Plans, the national trade association representing the health insurance industry, about issues related to emergency preparedness issues: infrastructure, adaptability, connectedness, and best practices. Of 137 health insurance plans queried, 63% responded, representing 190.6 million members and 81% of US plan enrollment. All respondents had emergency plans for business continuity, and most (85%) had infrastructure for emergency teams. Some health plans also have established benchmarks for preparedness (eg, response time). Regarding adaptability, 85% had protocols to extend claim filing time and 71% could temporarily suspend prior medical authorization rules. Regarding connectedness, many plans shared their contingency plans with health officials, but often cited challenges in identifying regulatory agency contacts. Some health insurance plans had specific policies for assisting individuals dependent on durable medical equipment or home healthcare. Many plans (60%) expressed interest in sharing best practices. Health insurance plans are prioritizing emergency preparedness. We identified 6 policy modifications that health insurance plans could undertake to potentially improve healthcare system preparedness: establishing metrics and benchmarks for emergency preparedness; identifying disaster-specific policy modifications, enhancing stakeholder connectedness, considering digital strategies to enhance communication, improving support and access for special-needs individuals, and developing regular forums for knowledge exchange about emergency preparedness.

  7. 77 FR 22691 - Fees on Health Insurance Policies and Self-Insured Plans for the Patient-Centered Outcomes...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-04-17

    ... 1545-BK59 Fees on Health Insurance Policies and Self-Insured Plans for the Patient-Centered Outcomes... certain health insurance policies and plan sponsors of certain self-insured health plans to fund the... health insurance policies) or R. Lisa Mojiri-Azad at (202) 622-6080 (regarding self- insured health...

  8. Financial Planning and the Life Insurance Agency

    OpenAIRE

    Robert Puelz

    1992-01-01

    In this article, the effects of fee-for-service personal financial planning on the decision making of a profit-maximizing life insurance general agent are examined. Three refutable propositions are developed which implicate the movements of the general agent who must adjust to a new optimal profit-maximizing allocation of financial planning, personal insurance sales, and agent insurance sales when there is a change in one of the fee or commission rate parameters. It is demonstrated that insur...

  9. Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan Data

    Data.gov (United States)

    U.S. Department of Health & Human Services — The Affordable Care Act created the new Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan (PCIP) program to make health insurance available to Americans denied coverage by...

  10. 41 CFR 60-300.25 - Health insurance, life insurance and other benefit plans.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... 41 Public Contracts and Property Management 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 true Health insurance, life... VETERANS, AND ARMED FORCES SERVICE MEDAL VETERANS Discrimination Prohibited § 60-300.25 Health insurance, life insurance and other benefit plans. (a) An insurer, hospital, or medical service company, health...

  11. 41 CFR 60-250.25 - Health insurance, life insurance and other benefit plans.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... 41 Public Contracts and Property Management 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 true Health insurance, life... SEPARATED VETERANS, AND OTHER PROTECTED VETERANS Discrimination Prohibited § 60-250.25 Health insurance, life insurance and other benefit plans. (a) An insurer, hospital, or medical service company, health...

  12. 77 FR 72721 - Fees on Health Insurance Policies and Self-Insured Plans for the Patient-Centered Outcomes...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-12-06

    ... 1545-BK59 Fees on Health Insurance Policies and Self-Insured Plans for the Patient-Centered Outcomes... Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act on issuers of certain health insurance policies and plan... arrangements) or Rebecca L. Baxter at (202) 622-3970 (regarding health insurance policies). SUPPLEMENTARY...

  13. 77 FR 47573 - Fees on Health Insurance Policies and Self-Insured Plans for the Patient-Centered Outcomes...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-08-09

    ... DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY Internal Revenue Service 26 CFR Parts 40 and 46 [REG-136008-11] RIN 1545-BK59 Fees on Health Insurance Policies and Self-Insured Plans for the Patient-Centered Outcomes... on issuers of certain health insurance policies and plan sponsors of certain self-insured health...

  14. Emergency contraceptive pills: what you need to know. Brochure for programs providing combined ECPs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    1998-01-01

    This informational brochure was prepared for potential users of emergency contraceptive pills. In question-and-answer format, it presents facts on the mechanism of action, effectiveness, safety, and side effects of emergency contraception. It then outlines the regimen for method use. The brochure notes that emergency contraceptive pills cannot offer protection against HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases. Finally, two other emergency contraceptive regimens--the copper T IUD and progestin-only pills--are discussed. The brochure may be reproduced by family planning and other health programs.

  15. 48 CFR 28.307-1 - Group insurance plans.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-01

    ... requirement. Under cost-reimbursement contracts, before buying insurance under a group insurance plan, the... other refunds to which the contractor may be entitled in the future shall be taken into account. ...

  16. 24 CFR 203.203 - Issuance and nature of insured 10-year protection plans.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... 24 Housing and Urban Development 2 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Issuance and nature of insured 10... Underwriting Procedures Insured Ten-Year Protection Plans (plan) § 203.203 Issuance and nature of insured 10-year protection plans. (a) Plans may be issued: (1) By a builder, warranty company, insurance company...

  17. Are Integrated Plan Providers Associated With Lower Premiums on the Health Insurance Marketplaces?

    Science.gov (United States)

    La Forgia, Ambar; Maeda, Jared Lane K; Banthin, Jessica S

    2018-04-01

    As the health insurance industry becomes more consolidated, hospitals and health systems have started to enter the insurance business. Insurers are also rapidly acquiring providers. Although these "vertically" integrated plan providers are small players in the insurance market, they are becoming more numerous. The health insurance marketplaces (HIMs) offer a unique setting to study integrated plan providers relative to other insurer types because the HIMs were designed to promote competition. In this descriptive study, the authors compared the premiums of the lowest priced silver plans of integrated plan providers with other insurer types on the 2015 and 2016 HIMs. Integrated plan providers were associated with modestly lower premiums relative to most other insurer types. This study provides early insights into premium competition on the HIMs. Examining integrated plan providers as a separate insurer type has important policy implications because they are a growing segment of the marketplaces and their pricing behavior may influence future premium trends.

  18. SANREM-CRSP Kenya Brochure

    OpenAIRE

    Ongugo, Paul O.

    2007-01-01

    Brochure produced by Kenya research team to explain the SANREM project in Kenya. The brochure discusses the aim, objective, areas of coverage, current work and ways to learn more about the SANREM CRSP activities in Kenya. LTRA-1 (Decentralization Reforms and Property Rights)

  19. Using payroll deduction to shelter individual health insurance from income tax.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hall, Mark A; Hager, Christie L; Orentlicher, David

    2011-02-01

    To assess the impact of state laws requiring or encouraging employers to establish "section 125" cafeteria plans that shelter employees' premium contributions from tax. Available descriptive statistics, 65 key-informant interviews, and relevant documents in study states and nationally, 2008-2009. Case studies were conducted in Indiana, Massachusetts, and Missouri--three states adopting laws in 2007. Descriptive quantitative information came from insurers, regulators, and surveys of employers. In each state, 15-17 semistructured but open-ended interviews were conducted with insurance agents, insurers, government officials, and third-party administration firms, and 29 informed sources were interviewed from a national perspective or other states. Key informants were selected based on their known or reported experience, in a "snowball" fashion until saturation was reached. Interview notes were coded for systematic analysis. Finally, relevant rulings, brochures, instructions, marketing materials, and other documents were collected and analyzed. Despite the potential for substantial cost savings, use of section 125 plans to purchase individual insurance remained low in these states after 1 or 2 years. Absent a mandate, few employers were strongly motivated to offer these plans in order to retain an adequate workforce, and uncertainty about federal legality deterred doing so. For smaller employers, benefits to owners did not outweigh administrative complexities. Nevertheless, few downsides were found to states mandating or encouraging these plans. In particular, there is little evidence that many employers dropped group coverage as a result. Section 125 plans remain a limited tool for states to reduce the inequitable tax treatment of individually purchased insurance, but a complete remedy requires reform of federal tax law. © Health Research and Educational Trust.

  20. 20 CFR 255.9 - Individual enrolled under supplementary medical insurance plan.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... supplementary medical insurance premiums will be applied toward payment of such premiums, and the balance of the... medical insurance plan. 255.9 Section 255.9 Employees' Benefits RAILROAD RETIREMENT BOARD REGULATIONS... supplementary medical insurance plan. Where recovery of the overpayment is by setoff as provided for in § 255.6...

  1. Basic Principles of Financial Planning in Ex-ante Deposit Insurance Schemes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Đurđica Ognjenović

    2006-12-01

    Full Text Available The paper explores main principles of financial planning in ex-ante deposit insurance schemes from a theoretical perspective and in terms of the EU Directive on deposit- guarantee schemes. Further on, the paper assesses how these principles and standards are used in financial planning in deposit insurance schemes around the world for annual budgeting, strategic planning and optimalization of available financial resources. After reviewing available references and different practices, the conclusion is that there are no clear internationally accepted principles for deposit insurers’ financial planning, except some broad and general guidelines. Practices in the industry differ significantly. Given the fact that deposit insurance is in fact a monopolistic business, lack of clear principles and lack of proper financial planning may lead to inadequacy of ex-ante funds and negligence on the side of the management of deposit insurance schemes.

  2. Paying for individual health insurance through tax-sheltered cafeteria plans.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hall, Mark A; Monahan, Amy B

    2010-01-01

    When employees without group health insurance buy individual coverage, they do so using after-tax income--costing them from 20% to 50% more than others pay for equivalent coverage. Prior to the passage of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), several states promoted a potential solution that would allow employees to buy individual insurance through tax-sheltered payroll deduction. This technical but creative approach would allow insurers to combine what is known as "list-billing" with a Section 125 "cafeteria plan." However, these state-level reform attempts have failed to gain significant traction because state small-group reform laws and federal restrictions on medical underwriting cloud the legality of tax-sheltered list-billing. Several authorities have taken the position that insurance paid for through a cafeteria plan must meet the nondiscrimination requirements of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act with respect to eligibility, premiums, and benefits. The recently enacted Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act addresses some of the legal uncertainty in this area, but much remains. For health reform to have its greatest effect, federal regulators must clarify whether individual health insurance can be purchased on a pre-tax basis through a cafeteria plan.

  3. 77 FR 22467 - Common Crop Insurance Regulations; Fresh Market Tomato (Dollar Plan) Crop Provisions

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-04-16

    ...-0006] RIN 0563-AC32 Common Crop Insurance Regulations; Fresh Market Tomato (Dollar Plan) Crop... Insurance Corporation (FCIC) finalizes the Common Crop Insurance Regulations, Fresh Market Tomato (Dollar... Common Crop Insurance Regulations (7 CFR part 457), Fresh Market Tomato (Dollar Plan) Crop Provisions...

  4. Stakeholder involvement in developing brochures

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Vargas, M.; Garing, K.; Waldrop, D.

    1994-01-01

    The Department of Energy's (DOE's) Office of Environmental Management involved stakeholders (i.e., people who perceive themselves to be affected by the DOE's activities) in a pre-decisional draft of a DOE public document-a practice that the public has called for if the DOE is to begin real public participation. Early and ongoing public input is key to realizing Environmental Management's goal of increasing public participation. The stakeholder review process employed in the development of this document, a brochure outlining public participation information, demonstrates that Environmental Management is open-quotes practicing what it preachesclose quotes about institutionalizing public participation in its program. environmental Management's objective for the brochure is to create a document that uses plain, direct language that encourages citizens to become involved in its decision making process. The information in the brochure provides the public with the information they need to become involved stakeholders. The breadth and volume of comments received assisted in the development of a brochure that includes many viewpoints

  5. 25 CFR 87.12 - Insuring the proper performance of approved plans.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... 25 Indians 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Insuring the proper performance of approved plans. 87.12... DISTRIBUTION OF INDIAN JUDGMENT FUNDS § 87.12 Insuring the proper performance of approved plans. A timetable... regarding the maintenance of the timetable, a full accounting of any per capita distribution, and the...

  6. 76 FR 46677 - Requirements for Group Health Plans and Health Insurance Issuers Relating to Coverage of...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-08-03

    ... Requirements for Group Health Plans and Health Insurance Issuers Relating to Coverage of Preventive Services... regulations published July 19, 2010 with respect to group health plans and health insurance coverage offered... plans, and health insurance issuers providing group health insurance coverage. The text of those...

  7. Text and graphics: manipulating nutrition brochures to maximize recall.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Clark, K L; AbuSabha, R; von Eye, A; Achterberg, C

    1999-08-01

    This study examined how altering text and graphics of a nutrition brochure could affect the ability to remember the content of the message. Two theoretical models were used to guide alterations: dual-coding theory and the communications model. Three brochure formats were tested: the original brochure containing abstract text and abstract graphics, a modified brochure with relatively concrete text and abstract graphics, and a relatively concrete text brochure with concrete graphics. Participants (N = 239 women) were divided into four age groups: 20-30, 40-50, 60-70 and over 70 years. Women were randomly assigned into each of the three experimental brochure formats or a control group. Participants completed recalled materials from the assigned brochures (the no treatment control group did not include a brochure) at two different sessions, 30 days apart. Data were content analyzed and results were compared using analysis of covariance to test differences by age and brochure types. Younger women (20-30 and 40-50 years) recalled more information than women over 60 years. More concrete nutrition education print materials enhanced recall of information presented immediately after reading the material; however, this effect was transient and lasted less than 30 days after a one-time reading. The implications of these data for communicating nutrition messages with print materials are discussed.

  8. Strategy Of Translating Gadget Brochure

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Deny Kusuma

    2015-10-01

    Full Text Available The title of this writing is strategy of translating gadget brochure. There were two problems discussed in this thesis, namely (1 terms found in the gadget manual book and its equivalence in Indonesia, (2 strategies applied in translating gadget brochure. Based on the analysis result, it was found that the terms and its equivalent words found in the gadget brochure were classified based on: 1 simple words or compound words and terminology forming phrase. 2 words category found are: noun and verb. The recommended pattern to determine the equivalent word was pure borrowing strategy, not adaptation borrowing strategy. The adaptation borrowing in this context was related to the spellings, the pronunciation or sound adaptation in the TL rather than adaptation for the cultural substitutes that conceptually mismatches with the standardized terminology in the SL. In addition, the result of the analysis that there were seven strategies found in gadget brochure, they were translation by more general word (Superordinate, translation by a more neutral/expressive word, translation by cultural substitution, translation by using loan word or loan word plus explanation, translation by paraphrase using related word, translation by omission and translation by illustration.

  9. Readability Levels of Dental Patient Education Brochures.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Boles, Catherine D; Liu, Ying; November-Rider, Debra

    2016-02-01

    The objective of this study was to evaluate dental patient education brochures produced since 2000 to determine if there is any change in the Flesch-Kincaid grade level readability. A convenience sample of 36 brochures was obtained for analysis of the readability of the patient education material on multiple dental topics. Readability was measured using the Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level through Microsoft Word. Pearson's correlation was used to describe the relationship among the factors of interest. Backward model selection of multiple linear regression model was used to investigate the relationship between Flesch-Kincaid Grade level and a set of predictors included in this study. A convenience sample (n=36) of dental education brochures produced from 2000 to 2014 showed a mean Flesch-Kincaid reading grade level of 9.15. Weak to moderate correlations existed between word count and grade level (r=0.40) and characters count and grade level (r=0.46); strong correlations were found between grade level and average words per sentence (r=0.70), average characters per word (r=0.85) and Flesch Reading Ease (r=-0.98). Only 1 brochure out of the sample met the recommended sixth grade reading level (Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level 5.7). Overall, the Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level of all brochures was significantly higher than the recommended sixth grade reading level (preadability of the brochures. However, the majority of the brochures analyzed are still testing above the recommended sixth grade reading level. Copyright © 2016 The American Dental Hygienists’ Association.

  10. 75 FR 70159 - Group Health Plans and Health Insurance Coverage Rules Relating to Status as a Grandfathered...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-11-17

    ... Group Health Plans and Health Insurance Coverage Rules Relating to Status as a Grandfathered Health Plan... contracts of insurance. The temporary regulations provide guidance to employers, group health plans, and health insurance issuers providing group health insurance coverage. The IRS is issuing the temporary...

  11. 76 FR 37037 - Requirements for Group Health Plans and Health Insurance Issuers Relating to Internal Claims and...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-06-24

    ... Requirements for Group Health Plans and Health Insurance Issuers Relating to Internal Claims and Appeals and... interim final regulations published July 23, 2010 with respect to group health plans and health insurance..., group health plans, and health insurance issuers providing group health insurance coverage. The text of...

  12. Pension Benefit Insurance and Pension Plan Portfolio Choice

    OpenAIRE

    Thomas Crossley; Mario Jametti

    2008-01-01

    Pension benefit guarantee policies have been introduced in several countries to pro- tect private pension plan members from the loss of income that would occur if a plan was underfunded when the sponsoring firm terminates a plan. Most of these public insurance schemes face financial dificulty and consequently policy reforms are being discussed or implemented. Economic theory suggests that such schemes will face moral hazard and adverse selection problems. In this note we test a specific theor...

  13. 76 FR 44491 - Group Health Plans and Health Insurance Issuers: Rules Relating to Internal Claims and Appeals...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-07-26

    ... 37208) entitled, ``Group Health Plans and Health Insurance Issuers: Rules Relating to Internal Claims..., ``Group Health Plans and Health Insurance Issuers: Rules Relating to Internal Claims and Appeals and... external review processes for group health plans and health insurance issuers offering coverage in the...

  14. 75 FR 34571 - Group Health Plans and Health Insurance Coverage Rules Relating to Status as a Grandfathered...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-06-17

    ... Group Health Plans and Health Insurance Coverage Rules Relating to Status as a Grandfathered Health Plan... of Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services... health insurance coverage offered in connection with a group health plan under the Employee Retirement...

  15. Shopping on the Public and Private Health Insurance Marketplaces: Consumer Decision Aids and Plan Presentation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wong, Charlene A; Kulhari, Sajal; McGeoch, Ellen J; Jones, Arthur T; Weiner, Janet; Polsky, Daniel; Baker, Tom

    2018-05-29

    The design of the Affordable Care Act's (ACA) health insurance marketplaces influences complex health plan choices. To compare the choice environments of the public health insurance exchanges in the fourth (OEP4) versus third (OEP3) open enrollment period and to examine online marketplace run by private companies, including a total cost estimate comparison. In November-December 2016, we examined the public and private online health insurance exchanges. We navigated each site for "real-shopping" (personal information required) and "window-shopping" (no required personal information). Public (n = 13; 12 state-based marketplaces and HealthCare.gov ) and private (n = 23) online health insurance exchanges. Features included consumer decision aids (e.g., total cost estimators, provider lookups) and plan display (e.g., order of plans). We examined private health insurance exchanges for notable features (i.e., those not found on public exchanges) and compared the total cost estimates on public versus private exchanges for a standardized consumer. Nearly all studied consumer decision aids saw increased deployment in the public marketplaces in OEP4 compared to OEP3. Over half of the public exchanges (n = 7 of 13) had total cost estimators (versus 5 of 14 in OEP3) in window-shopping and integrated provider lookups (window-shopping: 7; real-shopping: 8). The most common default plan orders were by premium or total cost estimate. Notable features on private health insurance exchanges were unique data presentation (e.g., infographics) and further personalized shopping (e.g., recommended plan flags). Health plan total cost estimates varied substantially between the public and private exchanges (average difference $1526). The ACA's public health insurance exchanges offered more tools in OEP4 to help consumers select a plan. While private health insurance exchanges presented notable features, the total cost estimates for a standardized consumer varied widely on public

  16. 75 FR 37242 - Requirements for Group Health Plans and Health Insurance Issuers Under the Patient Protection and...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-06-28

    ... Requirements for Group Health Plans and Health Insurance Issuers Under the Patient Protection and Affordable... Labor and the Office of Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight of the U.S. Department of Health... guidance to employers, group health plans, and health insurance issuers providing group health insurance...

  17. 75 FR 27121 - Interim Final Rules for Group Health Plans and Health Insurance Issuers Relating to Dependent...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-05-13

    ... 45 CFR Parts 144, 146, and 147 Group Health Plans and Health Insurance Issuers Relating to Dependent... 144, 146, and 147 RIN 0991-AB66 Interim Final Rules for Group Health Plans and Health Insurance... requirements for group health plans and health insurance issuers in the group and individual markets under...

  18. 76 FR 37207 - Group Health Plans and Health Insurance Issuers: Rules Relating to Internal Claims and Appeals...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-06-24

    ... Department of Health and Human Services 45 CFR Part 147 Group Health Plans and Health Insurance Issuers... SERVICES [CMS-9993-IFC2] 45 CFR Part 147 RIN 0938-AQ66 Group Health Plans and Health Insurance Issuers... for group health plans and health insurance coverage in the group and individual markets under...

  19. A modeling framework for optimal long-term care insurance purchase decisions in retirement planning.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gupta, Aparna; Li, Lepeng

    2004-05-01

    The level of need and costs of obtaining long-term care (LTC) during retired life require that planning for it is an integral part of retirement planning. In this paper, we divide retirement planning into two phases, pre-retirement and post-retirement. On the basis of four interrelated models for health evolution, wealth evolution, LTC insurance premium and coverage, and LTC cost structure, a framework for optimal LTC insurance purchase decisions in the pre-retirement phase is developed. Optimal decisions are obtained by developing a trade-off between post-retirement LTC costs and LTC insurance premiums and coverage. Two-way branching models are used to model stochastic health events and asset returns. The resulting optimization problem is formulated as a dynamic programming problem. We compare the optimal decision under two insurance purchase scenarios: one assumes that insurance is purchased for good and other assumes it may be purchased, relinquished and re-purchased. Sensitivity analysis is performed for the retirement age.

  20. 26 CFR 1.72-16 - Life insurance contracts purchased under qualified employee plans.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... pension, annuity, or profit-sharing plans for the purchase of life insurance contracts and rules for the... income, an endowment, or other contract providing life insurance protection. The rules of this section.... (b) Treatment of cost of life insurance protection. (1) The rules of this paragraph are applicable to...

  1. The readability of American Academy of Pediatrics patient education brochures.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Freda, Margaret Comerford

    2005-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to evaluate the readability of American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) patient education brochures. Seventy-four brochures were analyzed using two readability formulas. Mean readability for all 74 brochures was grade 7.94 using the Flesch-Kincaid formula, and grade 10.1 with SMOG formula (P = .001). Using the SMOG formula, no brochures were of acceptably low (education brochures have acceptably low levels of readability, but at least half are written at higher than acceptable readability levels for the general public. This study also demonstrated statistically significant variability between the two different readability formulas; had only the SMOG formula been used, all of the brochures would have had unacceptably high readability levels. Readability is an essential concept for patient education materials. Professional associations that develop and market patient education materials should test for readability and publish those readability levels on each piece of patient education so health care providers will know if the materials are appropriate for their patients.

  2. 75 FR 41726 - Interim Final Rules for Group Health Plans and Health Insurance Issuers Relating to Coverage of...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-19

    ... Health Plans and Health Insurance Issuers Relating to Coverage of Preventive Services Under the Patient... and health insurance coverage in the group and individual markets under provisions of the Patient... plans and group health insurance issuers for plan years beginning on or after September 23, 2010. These...

  3. 78 FR 25909 - Minimum Value of Eligible Employer-Sponsored Plans and Other Rules Regarding the Health Insurance...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-05-03

    ... Minimum Value of Eligible Employer-Sponsored Plans and Other Rules Regarding the Health Insurance Premium.... SUMMARY: This document contains proposed regulations relating to the health insurance premium tax credit... who enroll in qualified health plans through Affordable Insurance Exchanges (Exchanges) and claim the...

  4. 75 FR 43329 - Interim Final Rules for Group Health Plans and Health Insurance Issuers Relating to Internal...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-23

    ... 45 CFR Part 147 Interim Final Rules for Group Health Plans and Health Insurance Issuers Relating to... Interim Final Rules for Group Health Plans and Health Insurance Issuers Relating to Internal Claims and... of Labor; Office of Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight, Department of Health and Human...

  5. 75 FR 27141 - Group Health Plans and Health Insurance Issuers Providing Dependent Coverage of Children to Age...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-05-13

    ... Group Health Plans and Health Insurance Issuers Providing Dependent Coverage of Children to Age 26 Under... Information and Insurance Oversight of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services are issuing substantially similar interim final regulations with respect to group health plans and health insurance coverage...

  6. 76 FR 46621 - Group Health Plans and Health Insurance Issuers Relating to Coverage of Preventive Services Under...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-08-03

    ... to the interim final regulations implementing the rules for group health plans and health insurance... dates. These interim final regulations generally apply to group health plans and group health insurance... from HHS on private health insurance for consumers can be found on the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid...

  7. 75 FR 41787 - Requirement for Group Health Plans and Health Insurance Issuers To Provide Coverage of Preventive...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-19

    ... Requirement for Group Health Plans and Health Insurance Issuers To Provide Coverage of Preventive Services... Insurance Oversight of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services are issuing substantially similar interim final regulations with respect to group health plans and health insurance coverage offered in...

  8. Choosing a health plan: are Dutch consumers loyal to their health insurer?

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Hendriks, M.; Groenewegen, P.P.; Delnoij, D.M.J.

    2006-01-01

    In 2006, a number of far-reaching reforms have been implemented in the Dutch health insurance system. Giving Dutch consumers the freedom to change health plans every year increases consumer mobility. The idea is that especially consumers who are dissatisfied with their insurer will decide to switch

  9. 77 FR 8725 - Group Health Plans and Health Insurance Issuers Relating to Coverage of Preventive Services Under...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-02-15

    ... regulations authorizing the exemption of group health plans and group health insurance coverage sponsored by... plans and group health insurance issuers on April 16, 2012. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Amy Turner... addition, information from HHS on private health insurance for consumers can be found on the CMS Web site...

  10. 75 FR 43109 - Requirements for Group Health Plans and Health Insurance Issuers Relating to Internal Claims and...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-23

    ... Requirements for Group Health Plans and Health Insurance Issuers Relating to Internal Claims and Appeals and... the Office of Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight of the U.S. Department of Health and Human... health insurance coverage offered in connection with a group health plan under the Employee Retirement...

  11. 75 FR 34537 - Interim Final Rules for Group Health Plans and Health Insurance Coverage Relating to Status as a...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-06-17

    ... 45 CFR Part 147 Group Health Plans and Health Insurance Coverage Relating to Status as a... for Group Health Plans and Health Insurance Coverage Relating to Status as a Grandfathered Health Plan... and Insurance Oversight, Department of Health and Human Services. ACTION: Interim final rules with...

  12. Create Your Plate

    Medline Plus

    Full Text Available ... Health Insurance Marketplace Health Insurance From an Employer Options for the Uninsured Medicare Medicaid & CHIP For Parents & ... Give Become a Member Vehicle Donation Planned Giving Options Memorial Giving Brochures & Envelopes Do-it-Yourself Fundraising & ...

  13. Hyperglycemia (High Blood Glucose)

    Medline Plus

    Full Text Available ... Health Insurance Marketplace Health Insurance From an Employer Options for the Uninsured Medicare Medicaid & CHIP For Parents & ... Give Become a Member Vehicle Donation Planned Giving Options Memorial Giving Brochures & Envelopes Do-it-Yourself Fundraising & ...

  14. Beyond the brochure. Administrators play key role in positioning the practice, aligning marketing with mission.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Redling, Bob

    2007-04-01

    Marketing doesn't start and stop with a glossy brochure, a display ad in the local Yellow Pages or a Web site. Those are merely tactics that a medical group practice might use to position its physicians' services in the community. Marketing and planning support a medical group's mission and vision--and its strategic plan. The adminstrator must demonstrate this connection to physicians and educate them about what marketing really is.

  15. Suitability assessment of health education brochures in Qassim province, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jahan, Saulat; Al-Saigul, Abdullah M; Alharbi, Ali M; Abdelgadir, Muzamil H

    2014-09-01

    Health education is the cornerstone of primary health care. Health education materials distributed to the community should, therefore, be suitable and effective. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the health education brochures, designed and disseminated by Ministry of Health institutions in the Qassim province. The study was a cross-sectional review of health education brochures. We used a structured evaluation form, comprising general information on the brochures and a modified Suitability Assessment of Materials (SAM) score sheet. The SAM consisting of 22 criteria in six groups, includes content, literacy demands, graphics, layout/typography, learning stimulation/motivation, and cultural appropriateness. SAM criteria categorize written material into "superior," "adequate" and "not suitable." Two qualified consultant family physicians evaluated the brochures. Data were analyzed using Epi Info version 3.4 statistical package. We evaluated 110 brochures, the majority of which addressed chronic health conditions such as mental health, diabetes mellitus and hypertension. Seventy-four (67.3%) brochures were evaluated as "adequate," 34 (30.9%) as "not suitable" and 2 (1.8%) as "superior." "Cultural appropriateness" was the highest scoring factor, with 92 (83.6%) brochures falling into either the "superior" or "adequate" category. With regard to "content," 88 (80.0%) brochures fell into either the "superior" or "adequate" category. This was the second highest scoring factor. Graphics was the factor that scored the least. Seventy-five (68.2%) brochures were rated in this factor as "not suitable." Although two-thirds of our brochures were considered "adequate," the majority needed improvement to their graphics and learning stimulation factors. We recommend that guidelines for designing health education brochures should be formulated to improve the quality of health education brochures.

  16. Readability of Brochures Produced by State of Florida.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Christ, William G.; Pharr, Paula

    1980-01-01

    A study of the readability of governmental pamphlets produced by the State of Florida, based on the use of the Flesch Reading Ease Formula and the Dale-Chall Formula, suggests that if a seventh or eighth grade readability level is considered an appropriate standard for public information brochures, the brochures tested may be too complex…

  17. Suitability assessment of health education brochures in Qassim province, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Saulat Jahan

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Background: Health education is the cornerstone of primary health care. Health education materials distributed to the community should, therefore, be suitable and effective. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the health education brochures, designed and disseminated by Ministry of Health institutions in the Qassim province. Materials and Methods: The study was a cross-sectional review of health education brochures. We used a structured evaluation form, comprising general information on the brochures and a modified Suitability Assessment of Materials (SAM score sheet. The SAM consisting of 22 criteria in six groups, includes content, literacy demands, graphics, layout/typography, learning stimulation/motivation, and cultural appropriateness. SAM criteria categorize written material into "superior," "adequate" and "not suitable." Two qualified consultant family physicians evaluated the brochures. Data were analyzed using Epi Info version 3.4 statistical package. Results: We evaluated 110 brochures, the majority of which addressed chronic health conditions such as mental health, diabetes mellitus and hypertension. Seventy-four (67.3% brochures were evaluated as "adequate," 34 (30.9% as "not suitable" and 2 (1.8% as "superior." "Cultural appropriateness" was the highest scoring factor, with 92 (83.6% brochures falling into either the "superior" or "adequate" category. With regard to "content," 88 (80.0% brochures fell into either the "superior" or "adequate" category. This was the second highest scoring factor. Graphics was the factor that scored the least. Seventy-five (68.2% brochures were rated in this factor as "not suitable." Conclusions: Although two-thirds of our brochures were considered "adequate," the majority needed improvement to their graphics and learning stimulation factors. We recommend that guidelines for designing health education brochures should be formulated to improve the quality of health education brochures.

  18. Do individuals respond to cost-sharing subsidies in their selections of marketplace health insurance plans?

    Science.gov (United States)

    DeLeire, Thomas; Chappel, Andre; Finegold, Kenneth; Gee, Emily

    2017-12-01

    The Affordable Care Act (ACA) provides assistance to low-income consumers through both premium subsidies and cost-sharing reductions (CSRs). Low-income consumers' lack of health insurance literacy or information regarding CSRs may lead them to not take-up CSR benefits for which they are eligible. We use administrative data from 2014 to 2016 on roughly 22 million health insurance plan choices of low-income individuals enrolled in ACA Marketplace coverage to assess whether they behave in a manner consistent with being aware of the availability of CSRs. We take advantage of discontinuous changes in the schedule of CSR benefits to show that consumers are highly sensitive to the value of CSRs when selecting insurance plans and that a very low percentage select dominated plans. These findings suggest that CSR subsidies are salient to consumers and that the program is well designed to account for any lack of health insurance literacy among the low-income population it serves. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  19. How a new 'public plan' could affect hospitals' finances and private insurance premiums.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dobson, Allen; DaVanzo, Joan E; El-Gamil, Audrey M; Berger, Gregory

    2009-01-01

    Two key health reform bills in the House of Representatives and Senate include the option of a "public plan" as an additional source of health coverage. At least initially, the plan would primarily be structured to cover many of the uninsured and those who now have individual coverage. Because it is possible, and perhaps even likely, that this new public payer would pay less than private payers for the same services, such a plan could negatively affect hospital margins. Hospitals may attempt to recoup losses by shifting costs to private payers. We outline the financial pressures that hospitals and private payers could experience under various assumptions. High uninsured enrollment in a public plan would bolster hospital margins; however, this effect is reversed if the privately insured enter a public plan in large proportions, potentially stressing the hospital industry and increasing private insurance premiums.

  20. RISK CORRIDORS AND REINSURANCE IN HEALTH INSURANCE MARKETPLACES: Insurance for Insurers

    OpenAIRE

    LAYTON, TIMOTHY J.; MCGUIRE, THOMAS G.; SINAIKO, ANNA D.

    2016-01-01

    In order to encourage entry and lower prices, most regulated markets for health insurance include policies that seek to reduce the uncertainty faced by insurers. In addition to risk adjustment of premiums paid to plans, the Health Insurance Marketplaces established by the Affordable Care Act implement reinsurance and risk corridors. Reinsurance limits insurer costs associated with specific individuals, while risk corridors protect against aggregate losses. Both tighten the insurer's distribut...

  1. FCC Official Brochure - 2016

    CERN Multimedia

    Charitos, Panagiotis

    2016-01-01

    The FCC brochure describes the main scope of the study and give more information about the main scenarios explored under the study. It also highlights the R&D efforts under the study that will go into a Conceptual Design Report. Finally, it offers more information about the collaboration and a list of useful contact details.

  2. Still-Born Autonomy Insurance Plan in Quebec: An Example of a Public Long-Term Care Insurance System in Canada.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hébert, Réjean

    2016-01-01

    Funding long-term care (LTC) is a challenge under the existing Beveridgean universal healthcare system. The Autonomy Insurance (AI) plan developed in Quebec was an attempt to introduce public LTC insurance into our healthcare system. The AI benefit was based on an assessment of the needs of older people and those with disabilities using a disability scale (SMAF) and case-mix classification system (Iso-SMAF Profiles). Under the plan, the benefit would be used to fund public institutions or purchase services from private organizations. Case managers were responsible for assessments and helping users and their families plan services and decide how to use the AI benefit. Funding AI was based on general tax revenues without capitalized funding, under a separate protected budget program. Projections were made for the additional budget needed to support AI, which would have mitigated the forecast increase in LTC spending due to population aging. All the legal, administrative, funding, training and contractual issues were dealt with, for implementation of the plan in April 2015. Unfortunately, the project was still-born for political reasons, but it demonstrates the feasibility of this essential innovation for Canada.

  3. Planning for chronic disease medications in disaster: perspectives from patients, physicians, pharmacists, and insurers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carameli, Kelley A; Eisenman, David P; Blevins, Joy; d'Angona, Brian; Glik, Deborah C

    2013-06-01

    Recent US disasters highlight the current imbalance between the high proportion of chronically ill Americans who depend on prescription medications and their lack of medication reserves for disaster preparedness. We examined barriers that Los Angeles County residents with chronic illness experience within the prescription drug procurement system to achieve recommended medication reserves. A mixed methods design included evaluation of insurance pharmacy benefits, focus group interviews with patients, and key informant interviews with physicians, pharmacists, and insurers. Most prescriptions are dispensed as 30-day units through retail pharmacies with refills available after 75% of use, leaving a monthly medication reserve of 7 days. For patients to acquire 14- to 30-day disaster medication reserves, health professionals interviewed supported 60- to 100-day dispensing units. Barriers included restrictive insurance benefits, patients' resistance to mail order, and higher copay-ments. Physicians, pharmacists, and insurers also varied widely in their preparedness planning and collective mutual-aid plans, and most believed pharmacists had the primary responsibility for patients' medication continuity during a disaster. To strengthen prescription drug continuity in disasters, recommendations include the following: (1) creating flexible drug-dispensing policies to help patients build reserves, (2) training professionals to inform patients about disaster planning, and (3) building collaborative partnerships among system stakeholders.

  4. PORTFOLIO ANALYSIS - A BASIC INSTRUMENT IN STRATEGIC PLANNING. CASE STUDY ON THE ROMANIAN INSURANCE MARKET

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Petrescu Marian

    2011-12-01

    Full Text Available Practice proved that strategic planning is a necessary process for insurance companies. This process can help companies to adapt more easily to environmental changes. The strategic planning of the activity of an insurance company cannot be realized without a careful analysis of the evolution of the market and without studying the company's market position. A classic model used in the portfolio analysis is the Boston Consulting Group model. In this paper we have used the model for studying the activity of the leader of the Romanian insurance market. In 2009 Alliantz Tiriac had 17 types of insurance in the portfolio. Each class of insurance was considered a strategic business unit. We have studied the insurance portfolio by using secondary data from specialized publications, such as the Romanian Insurance Supervisory Commission. Using the data, we have calculated for Alliantz Tiriac, for each class of insurance, the relative market share. The company was leader on the market for five classes of insurance. The economic crisis had a severe impact on the evolution of the Romanian insurance market: from the 17 classes of insurance studied: nine had registered a decrease of the market, eight had registered an increase, but only for three of them the growth exceeded 10%. Using the relative market share and the market growth we have identified the “cash cows”: there are five classes of insurance in this category, among which the “Insurance for land vehicles (CASCO” which represented more than half of the sales (55.82%; unfortunately, in the case of this insurance type there was a very significant decrease of the market in 2010 compared to 2009: -25.12%, the “question marks” – there are three classes of insurance in this category, and the “dogs”. Due to the crisis, a large number of the company's products are in this category and there are no “star” products. This work was supported by CNCSIS – UEFISCSU, project number 915 / 2009

  5. Innovation Impact: Breakthrough Research Results (Brochure)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    2013-07-01

    The Innovation Impact brochure captures key breakthrough results across NREL's primary areas of renewable energy and energy efficiency research: solar, wind, bioenergy, transportation, buildings, analysis, and manufacturing technologies.

  6. Partnering with the NCPV (Brochure)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    2013-06-01

    Brochure that explains the basic partnering opportunities that exist within the National Center for Photovoltaics for industry and university groups: non-proprietary partnering opportunities, competitive solicitations, Technology Partnership Agreements, seed fund to develop Technology Partnership Agreements, Hands-On PV Experience Workshop, and NCPV Fellowship Program.

  7. Varroa bestrijden (Correcties op brochure)

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Elshout, P.; Cornelissen, B.; Blacquière, T.

    2004-01-01

    Opmerkingen en aanvullingen op de folder: 'Varroa bestrijden', uitgegeven door PPO-Bijen. De folder was bijgevoegd in het juninummer 2003 van BIJEN Peter Elshout 'Varroa-bestrijden: alle bestrijdingsmethoden en -middelen op een rij' is een brochure waarin zowel de beginnend als de gevorderde imker

  8. CMS Comic Book Brochure

    CERN Document Server

    2006-01-01

    To raise students' awareness of what the CMS detector is, how it was constructed and what it hopes to find. Titled "CMS Particle Hunter," this colorful comic book style brochure explains to young budding scientists and science enthusiasts in colorful animation how the CMS detector was made, its main parts, and what scientists hope to find using this complex tool.

  9. Strategies and Errors in Translating Tourism Brochures: the case of EFL Learners

    OpenAIRE

    ZAHİRİ, Tahereh; SADEGHİ, Bahador; MALEKİ, Ataollah

    2015-01-01

    Abstract. Tourism English is a highly specialized discourse with its defining characteristics. In this study, the translation of travel brochures by Iranian EFL learners were studied. The study was carried out to reveal the nature of errors and strategies in Persian translations of English tourism brochures. The errors and strategies in translating travel brochures are under-researched in the tourism literature and similarly there is little discussion of tourism material in translation resear...

  10. Health Insurance: Understanding Your Health Plan's Rules

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... to know what your insurance company is paying…Health Insurance: Understanding What It CoversRead Article >>Insurance & BillsHealth Insurance: Understanding What It CoversYour insurance policy lists a package of medical benefits such as tests, drugs, and treatment services. These ...

  11. 75 FR 70114 - Amendment to the Interim Final Rules for Group Health Plans and Health Insurance Coverage...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-11-17

    ... HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Office of Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight 45 CFR Part 147 RIN 0950-AA17 [OCIIO-9991-IFC2] Amendment to the Interim Final Rules for Group Health Plans and Health Insurance... Administration, Department of Labor; Office of Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight, Department of Health...

  12. Solar Decathlon 2011, (Small Program)(Brochure)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    2010-11-01

    This brochure provides a high-level overview of the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon 2011. The competition's background, purpose, impact, 10 contests, 20 teams, and where to go for additional information.

  13. Planning Brings Vision Into Focus (Brochure)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    2013-04-01

    This case study/fact sheet highlights the strategic energy planning process for Tribes that was developed by the DOE Office of Indian Energy. This nine-step process, which is outlined in one of the foundational education courses offered by the Office, enables Tribes to pursue energy projects in a well-planned and strategic manner.

  14. How to Shop for Health Insurance

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... health insurance kicks in. As a general rule, insurance plans with low premiums have high deductibles, and plans with high premiums ... other plans due to hardship. This type of insurance can have low premiums but very high deductibles. Plans generally cover less ...

  15. FCC Official Brochure - Japanese Version

    CERN Multimedia

    AUTHOR|(CDS)2082248; Yamamoto, Akira; Uchibori, Yumemi.katsuki

    2017-01-01

    The FCC brochure describes the main scope of the study and give more information about the main scenarios explored under the study. It also highlights the ongoing R&D efforts launched by the FCC study. Finally, it offers more information about the collaboration and a list of useful contact details.

  16. FCC Official Brochure - French Version

    CERN Multimedia

    Charitos, Panagiotis

    2017-01-01

    The FCC brochure describes the main scope of the study and give more information about the main scenarios explored under the study. It also highlights the ongoing R&D efforts launched by the FCC study. Finally, it offers more information about the collaboration and a list of useful contact details.

  17. FCC Official Brochure - German version

    CERN Multimedia

    Charitos, Panagiotis

    2017-01-01

    The FCC brochure describes the main scope of the study and give more information about the main scenarios explored under the study. It also highlights the ongoing R&D efforts launched by the FCC study. Finally, it offers more information about the collaboration and a list of useful contact details.

  18. Health Insurance Basics

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... Staying Safe Videos for Educators Search English Español Health Insurance Basics KidsHealth / For Teens / Health Insurance Basics What's ... thought advanced calculus was confusing. What Exactly Is Health Insurance? Health insurance is a plan that people buy ...

  19. How do health insurer market concentration and bargaining power with hospitals affect health insurance premiums?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Trish, Erin E; Herring, Bradley J

    2015-07-01

    The US health insurance industry is highly concentrated, and health insurance premiums are high and rising rapidly. Policymakers have focused on the possible link between the two, leading to ACA provisions to increase insurer competition. However, while market power may enable insurers to include higher profit margins in their premiums, it may also result in stronger bargaining leverage with hospitals to negotiate lower payment rates to partially offset these higher premiums. We empirically examine the relationship between employer-sponsored fully-insured health insurance premiums and the level of concentration in local insurer and hospital markets using the nationally-representative 2006-2011 KFF/HRET Employer Health Benefits Survey. We exploit a unique feature of employer-sponsored insurance, in which self-insured employers purchase only administrative services from managed care organizations, to disentangle these different effects on insurer concentration by constructing one concentration measure representing fully-insured plans' transactions with employers and the other concentration measure representing insurers' bargaining with hospitals. As expected, we find that premiums are indeed higher for plans sold in markets with higher levels of concentration relevant to insurer transactions with employers, lower for plans in markets with higher levels of insurer concentration relevant to insurer bargaining with hospitals, and higher for plans in markets with higher levels of hospital market concentration. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  20. Milwaukee, Wisconsin: Solar in Action (Brochure)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    2011-10-01

    This brochure provides an overview of the challenges and successes of Milwaukee, WI, a 2008 Solar America City awardee, on the path toward becoming a solar-powered community. Accomplishments, case studies, key lessons learned, and local resource information are given.

  1. Sacramento, California: Solar in Action (Brochure)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    2011-10-01

    This brochure provides an overview of the challenges and successes of Sacramento, CA, a 2008 Solar America City awardee, on the path toward becoming a solar-powered community. Accomplishments, case studies, key lessons learned, and local resource information are given.

  2. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: Solar in Action (Brochure)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    2011-10-01

    This brochure provides an overview of the challenges and successes of Pittsburgh, PA, a 2007 Solar America City awardee, on the path toward becoming a solar-powered community. Accomplishments, case studies, key lessons learned, and local resource information are given.

  3. Seattle, Washington: Solar in Action (Brochure)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    2011-10-01

    This brochure provides an overview of the challenges and successes of Seattle, WA, a 2008 Solar America City awardee, on the path toward becoming a solar-powered community. Accomplishments, case studies, key lessons learned, and local resource information are given.

  4. Orlando, Florida: Solar in Action (Brochure)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    2011-10-01

    This brochure provides an overview of the challenges and successes of Orlando, FL, a 2008 Solar America City awardee, on the path toward becoming a solar-powered community. Accomplishments, case studies, key lessons learned, and local resource information are given.

  5. Austin, Texas: Solar in Action (Brochure)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    2011-10-01

    This brochure provides an overview of the challenges and successes of Austin, Texas, a 2007 Solar America City awardee, on the path toward becoming a solar-powered community. Accomplishments, case studies, key lessons learned, and local resource information are given.

  6. The practice brochure: a patient's guide to team care.

    OpenAIRE

    Marsh, G N

    1980-01-01

    A practice brochure describing the primary health care team was given to 262 new and established patients in a group practice. Most liked it, and thought it helpful, and improved their knowledge of team care. When asked how they would respond to certain hypothetical health problems and clinical situations, there was a significantly greater use of non-doctor members of the team than by a matched sample who had not read the brochure. Inappropriate use of members of the team was not engendered.

  7. Automatic generation of tourist brochures

    KAUST Repository

    Birsak, Michael

    2014-05-01

    We present a novel framework for the automatic generation of tourist brochures that include routing instructions and additional information presented in the form of so-called detail lenses. The first contribution of this paper is the automatic creation of layouts for the brochures. Our approach is based on the minimization of an energy function that combines multiple goals: positioning of the lenses as close as possible to the corresponding region shown in an overview map, keeping the number of lenses low, and an efficient numbering of the lenses. The second contribution is a route-aware simplification of the graph of streets used for traveling between the points of interest (POIs). This is done by reducing the graph consisting of all shortest paths through the minimization of an energy function. The output is a subset of street segments that enable traveling between all the POIs without considerable detours, while at the same time guaranteeing a clutter-free visualization. © 2014 The Author(s) Computer Graphics Forum © 2014 The Eurographics Association and John Wiley & Sons Ltd. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  8. The Financial Impact of Advanced Kidney Disease on Canada Pension Plan and Private Disability Insurance Costs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Manns, Braden; McKenzie, Susan Q; Au, Flora; Gignac, Pamela M; Geller, Lawrence Ian

    2017-01-01

    Many working-age individuals with advanced chronic kidney disease (CKD) are unable to work, or are only able to work at a reduced capacity and/or with a reduction in time at work, and receive disability payments, either from the Canadian government or from private insurers, but the magnitude of those payments is unknown. The objective of this study was to estimate Canada Pension Plan Disability Benefit and private disability insurance benefits paid to Canadians with advanced kidney failure, and how feasible improvements in prevention, identification, and early treatment of CKD and increased use of kidney transplantation might mitigate those costs. This study used an analytical model combining Canadian data from various sources. This study included all patients with advanced CKD in Canada, including those with estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) Canada Pension Plan and private insurance plans to estimate overall disability benefit payments for Canadians with advanced CKD. We estimate that Canadians with advanced kidney failure are receiving disability benefit payments of at least Can$217 million annually. These estimates are sensitive to the proportion of individuals with advanced kidney disease who are unable to work, and plausible variation in this estimate could mean patients with advanced kidney disease are receiving up to Can$260 million per year. Feasible strategies to reduce the proportion of individuals with advanced kidney disease, either through prevention, delay or reduction in severity, or increasing the rate of transplantation, could result in reductions in the cost of Canada Pension Plan and private disability insurance payments by Can$13.8 million per year within 5 years. This study does not estimate how CKD prevention or increasing the rate of kidney transplantation might influence health care cost savings more broadly, and does not include the cost to provincial governments for programs that provide income for individuals without private

  9. State insurance exchanges face challenges in offering standardized choices alongside innovative value-based insurance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Corlette, Sabrina; Downs, David; Monahan, Christine H; Yondorf, Barbara

    2013-02-01

    Value-based insurance is a relatively new approach to health insurance in which financial barriers, such as copayments, are lowered for clinical services that are considered high value, while consumer cost sharing may be increased for services considered to be of uncertain value. Such plans are complex and do not easily fit into the simplified, consumer-friendly comparison tools that many state health insurance exchanges are formulating for use in 2014. Nevertheless some states and plans are attempting to strike the right balance between a streamlined health exchange shopping experience and innovative, albeit complex, benefit design that promotes value. For example, agencies administering exchanges in Vermont and Oregon are contemplating offering value-based insurance plans as an option in addition to a set of standardized plans. In the postreform environment, policy makers must find ways to present complex value-based insurance plans in a way that consumers and employers can more readily understand.

  10. Health insurance: how does your plan compare? Plus, a look to new reforms.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-11-01

    A good insurance plan can steer you to the care that helps and away from wasting your time and money on unnecessary tests and treatments. For the third year running, we are presenting health plan rankings from the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA), a nonprofit health care accreditation and quality measurement group, of a record 984 plans on their quality of care, customer satisfaction, and commitment to improvement and disclosure of information. This year, the NCQA ranked 474 private plans (which consumers obtain through a job or purchase on their own), 395 Medicare Advantage plans, and 115 Medicaid HMOs.

  11. Structure of the physical therapy benefit in a typical Blue Cross Blue Shield preferred provider organization plan available in the individual insurance market in 2011.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sandstrom, Robert W; Lehman, Jedd; Hahn, Lee; Ballard, Andrew

    2013-10-01

    The Affordable Care Act of 2010 establishes American Health Benefit Exchanges. The benefit design of insurance plans in state health insurance exchanges will be based on the structure of existing small-employer-sponsored plans. The purpose of this study was to describe the structure of the physical therapy benefit in a typical Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS) preferred provider organization (PPO) health insurance plan available in the individual insurance market in 2011. A cross-sectional survey design was used. The physical therapy benefit within 39 BCBS PPO plans in 2011 was studied for a standard consumer with a standard budget. First, whether physical therapy was a benefit in the plan was determined. If so, then the structure of the benefit was described in terms of whether the physical therapy benefit was a stand-alone benefit or part of a combined-discipline benefit and whether a visit or financial limit was placed on the physical therapy benefit. Physical therapy was included in all BCBS plans that were studied. Ninety-three percent of plans combined physical therapy with other disciplines. Two thirds of plans placed a limit on the number of visits covered. The results of the study are limited to 1 standard consumer, 1 association of insurance companies, 1 form of insurance (a PPO), and 1 PPO plan in each of the 39 states that were studied. Physical therapy is a covered benefit in a typical BCBS PPO health insurance plan. Physical therapy most often is combined with other therapy disciplines, and the number of covered visits is limited in two thirds of plans.

  12. Prescriptions and Insurance Plans

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... contributed by: familydoctor.org editorial staff Categories: Healthcare Management, Insurance & Bills, Your Health ResourcesTags: brand name, co-pay, drug, formulary, generic, isurance, medicine, ...

  13. Health insurance coverage and use of family planning services among current and former foster youth: implications of the health care reform law.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dworsky, Amy; Ahrens, Kym; Courtney, Mark

    2013-04-01

    This research uses data from a longitudinal study to examine how two provisions in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act could affect health insurance coverage among young women who have aged out of foster care. It also explores how allowing young people to remain in foster care until age twenty-one affects their health insurance coverage, use of family planning services, and information about birth control. We find that young women are more likely to have health insurance if they remain in foster care until their twenty-first birthday and that having health insurance is associated with an increase in the likelihood of receiving family planning services. Our results also suggest that many young women who would otherwise lack health insurance after aging out of foster care will be eligible for Medicaid under the health care reform law. Because having health insurance is associated with use of family planning services, this increase in Medicaid eligibility may result in fewer unintended pregnancies among this high-risk population.

  14. FOREIGNIZATION AND DOMESTICATION STRATEGIES IN CULTURAL TERM TRANSLATION OF TOURISM BROCHURES

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Choirul Fuadi

    2016-09-01

    Full Text Available In translating brochure, a translator has to make a decision on the basis of the message and purpose. The translator is faced by two strategies of translation – foreignization and domestication. The purpose of the study is to examine how the interrelationship between cultural term translation and foreignization or domestication strategy in the cultural term translation of tourism brochure from Indonesian into English. This study used qualitative descriptive with discourse analysis strategy. The note-taking technique is used to identify and classify the data. The objects of the study are tourism brochures from Province of Special Region of Yogyakarta and Central Java in 2015. The findings show that the translation strategies used depend on the translation process. When the cultural terms are familiar, translator tends to use domestication strategy and consider the target text. Translator chooses domestication strategy because try to make tourist understand the text and produce communicative and natural translation. On the other hand, when cultural terms are foreign, translator using foreignization strategy and consider source text. Using foreignization strategy, translator tends to introduce traditional cultural term.Keywords: discourse analysis, foreignization, domestication, cultural category, tourism brochure

  15. The cost of unintended pregnancies for employer-sponsored health insurance plans.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dieguez, Gabriela; Pyenson, Bruce S; Law, Amy W; Lynen, Richard; Trussell, James

    2015-04-01

    Pregnancy is associated with a significant cost for employers providing health insurance benefits to their employees. The latest study on the topic was published in 2002, estimating the unintended pregnancy rate for women covered by employer-sponsored insurance benefits to be approximately 29%. The primary objective of this study was to update the cost of unintended pregnancy to employer-sponsored health insurance plans with current data. The secondary objective was to develop a regression model to identify the factors and associated magnitude that contribute to unintended pregnancies in the employee benefits population. We developed stepwise multinomial logistic regression models using data from a national survey on maternal attitudes about pregnancy before and shortly after giving birth. The survey was conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention through mail and via telephone interviews between 2009 and 2011 of women who had had a live birth. The regression models were then applied to a large commercial health claims database from the Truven Health MarketScan to retrospectively assign the probability of pregnancy intention to each delivery. Based on the MarketScan database, we estimate that among employer-sponsored health insurance plans, 28.8% of pregnancies are unintended, which is consistent with national findings of 29% in a survey by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. These unintended pregnancies account for 27.4% of the annual delivery costs to employers in the United States, or approximately 1% of the typical employer's health benefits spending for 1 year. Using these findings, we present a regression model that employers could apply to their claims data to identify the risk for unintended pregnancies in their health insurance population. The availability of coverage for contraception without employee cost-sharing, as was required by the Affordable Care Act in 2012, combined with the ability to identify women who are at high

  16. Improving Risk Management and Resiliency: A Plan for a Proactive National Policy on Insurance Practices in FEMA’s Public Assistance Program

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-12-01

    and reduce insurance costs. 178 Department of Finance and Deregulation , “Managing the Cost of Damage to Road Infrastructure Caused by Natural...MANAGEMENT AND RESILIENCY: A PLAN FOR A PROACTIVE NATIONAL POLICY ON INSURANCE PRACTICES IN FEMA’S PUBLIC ASSISTANCE PROGRAM by Gregory W. Eaton...AND RESILIENCY: A PLAN FOR A PROACTIVE NATIONAL POLICY ON INSURANCE PRACTICES IN FEMA’S PUBLIC ASSISTANCE PROGRAM 5. FUNDING NUMBERS 6. AUTHOR(S

  17. New Orleans, Louisiana: Solar in Action (Brochure)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    2011-10-01

    This brochure provides an overview of the challenges and successes of New Orleans, LA, a 2007 Solar America City awardee, on the path toward becoming a solar-powered community. Accomplishments, case studies, key lessons learned, and local resource information are given.

  18. Minimum Value of Eligible Employer-Sponsored Plans and Other Rules Regarding the Health Insurance Premium Tax Credit. Final regulations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2015-12-18

    This document contains final regulations on the health insurance premium tax credit enacted by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010, as amended by the Medicare and Medicaid Extenders Act of 2010, the Comprehensive 1099 Taxpayer Protection and Repayment of Exchange Subsidy Overpayments Act of 2011, and the Department of Defense and Full-Year Continuing Appropriations Act, 2011. These final regulations affect individuals who enroll in qualified health plans through Affordable Insurance Exchanges (Exchanges, sometimes called Marketplaces) and claim the health insurance premium tax credit, and Exchanges that make qualified health plans available to individuals and employers.

  19. Insurance against climate change and flood risk: Insurability and decision processes of insurers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hung, Hung-Chih; Hung, Jia-Yi

    2016-04-01

    1. Background Major portions of the Asia-Pacific region is facing escalating exposure and vulnerability to climate change and flood-related extremes. This highlights an arduous challenge for public agencies to improve existing risk management strategies. Conventionally, governmental funding was majorly responsible and accountable for disaster loss compensation in the developing countries in Asia, such as Taiwan. This is often criticized as an ineffective and inefficient measure of dealing with flood risk. Flood insurance is one option within the toolkit of risk-sharing arrangement and adaptation strategy to flood risk. However, there are numerous potential barriers for insurance companies to cover flood damage, which would cause the flood risk is regarded as uninsurable. This study thus aims to examine attitudes within the insurers about the viability of flood insurance, the decision-making processes of pricing flood insurance and their determinants, as well as to examine potential solutions to encourage flood insurance. 2. Methods and data Using expected-utility theory, an insurance agent-based decision-making model was developed to examine the insurers' attitudes towards the insurability of flood risk, and to scrutinize the factors that influence their decisions on flood insurance premium-setting. This model particularly focuses on how insurers price insurance when they face either uncertainty or ambiguity about the probability and loss of a particular flood event occurring. This study considers the factors that are expected to affect insures' decisions on underwriting and pricing insurance are their risk perception, attitudes towards flood insurance, governmental measures (e.g., land-use planning, building codes, risk communication), expected probabilities and losses of devastating flooding events, as well as insurance companies' attributes. To elicit insurers' utilities about premium-setting for insurance coverage, the 'certainty equivalent,' 'probability

  20. 75 FR 61785 - Proposed Collection; Comment Request for Review of a Revised Information Collection: (OMB Control...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-06

    ... Information Collection: (OMB Control No. 3206-0201; Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) Open Season... collection, ``Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) Open Season Express Interactive Voice Response (IVR... other insurance information for self and family enrollments, requesting plan brochures, requesting a...

  1. Undergraduates Learn about Industrial-Organizational Psychology and Human Factors from an Informational Brochure

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kottke, Janet L.; Shoenfelt, Elizabeth L.; Stone, Nancy J.

    2017-01-01

    An informational brochure was created to assist students and faculty unfamiliar with the industrial-organizational (IO) and human factors (HF) disciplines. The brochure highlights the content of these two professions, presents advice for undergraduates to prepare for admission to IO and HF graduate programs, provides sources of IO and HF…

  2. Growth and variability in health plan premiums in the individual insurance market before the Affordable Care Act.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gruber, Jonathan

    2014-06-01

    Before we can evaluate the impact of the Affordable Care Act on health insurance premiums in the individual market, it is critical to understand the pricing trends of these premiums before the implementation of the law. Using rates of increase in the individual insurance market collected from state regulators, this issue brief documents trends in premium growth in the pre-ACA period. From 2008 to 2010, premiums grew by 10 percent or more per year. This growth was also highly variable across states, and even more variable across insurance plans within states. The study suggests that evaluating trends in premiums requires looking across a broad array of states and plans, and that policymakers must examine how present and future changes in premium rates compare with the more than 10 percent per year premium increases in the years preceding health reform.

  3. MARKETING OF INSURANCE PRODUCTS BY THE NATIONAL INSURANCE COMPANY LIMITED, RAJAPALAYAM

    OpenAIRE

    Dr. H. Christy Cynthia; Dr. T. Jebasheela; V. Maheswari

    2017-01-01

    Insurance is a way of reducing uncertainty of occurrence of an event. Insurance is an investment. Its basic purpose is to derive plans to counteract the financial consequences of unfavorable events. Insurance is a social device for eliminating or reducing the cost to society to certain types of risks. Insurance is essentially a co-operative endeavor. It is the function of the insurance to protect the few against the heavy financial impact of anticipated misfortunes by spreading losses among m...

  4. The Financial Impact of Advanced Kidney Disease on Canada Pension Plan and Private Disability Insurance Costs

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Braden Manns

    2017-04-01

    Full Text Available Background: Many working-age individuals with advanced chronic kidney disease (CKD are unable to work, or are only able to work at a reduced capacity and/or with a reduction in time at work, and receive disability payments, either from the Canadian government or from private insurers, but the magnitude of those payments is unknown. Objective: The objective of this study was to estimate Canada Pension Plan Disability Benefit and private disability insurance benefits paid to Canadians with advanced kidney failure, and how feasible improvements in prevention, identification, and early treatment of CKD and increased use of kidney transplantation might mitigate those costs. Design: This study used an analytical model combining Canadian data from various sources. Setting and Patients: This study included all patients with advanced CKD in Canada, including those with estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR <30 mL/min/m 2 and those on dialysis. Measurements: We combined disability estimates from a provincial kidney care program with the prevalence of advanced CKD and estimated disability payments from the Canada Pension Plan and private insurance plans to estimate overall disability benefit payments for Canadians with advanced CKD. Results: We estimate that Canadians with advanced kidney failure are receiving disability benefit payments of at least Can$217 million annually. These estimates are sensitive to the proportion of individuals with advanced kidney disease who are unable to work, and plausible variation in this estimate could mean patients with advanced kidney disease are receiving up to Can$260 million per year. Feasible strategies to reduce the proportion of individuals with advanced kidney disease, either through prevention, delay or reduction in severity, or increasing the rate of transplantation, could result in reductions in the cost of Canada Pension Plan and private disability insurance payments by Can$13.8 million per year within 5

  5. Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHBP) Plan Information

    Data.gov (United States)

    Office of Personnel Management — A list of all Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHBP) plans available in each state, as well as links to the plan brochures, changes for each plan from the...

  6. Tobacco Surcharges on 2015 Health Insurance Plans Sold in Federally Facilitated Marketplaces: Variations by Age and Geography and Implications for Health Equity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liber, Alex C; Drope, Jeffrey M; Graetz, Ilana; Waters, Teresa M; Kaplan, Cameron M

    2015-11-01

    In 2014, few health insurance plans sold in the Affordable Care Act's Federally Facilitated Marketplaces had age-dependent tobacco surcharges, possibly because of a system glitch. The 2015 tobacco surcharges show wide variation, with more plans implementing tobacco surcharges that increase with age. This underscores concerns that older tobacco users will find postsubsidy health insurance premiums difficult to afford. Future monitoring of enrollment will determine whether tobacco surcharges cause adverse selection by dissuading tobacco users, particularly older users, from buying health insurance.

  7. Farmers Insures Success

    Science.gov (United States)

    Freifeld, Lorri

    2012-01-01

    Farmers Insurance claims the No. 2 spot on the Training Top 125 with a forward-thinking training strategy linked to its primary mission: FarmersFuture 2020. It's not surprising an insurance company would have an insurance policy for the future. But Farmers takes that strategy one step further, setting its sights on 2020 with a far-reaching plan to…

  8. Energy-Saving Opportunities for Manufacturing Companies (English/Portuguese Brochure)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    2011-07-01

    This English/Portuguese brochure describes the Industrial Technologies Program Save Energy Now model and provides information on tools and resources to help manufacturing facilities reduce industrial energy intensity.

  9. Three years in - changing plan features in the U.S. health insurance marketplace.

    Science.gov (United States)

    McKillop, Caitlin N; Waters, Teresa M; Kaplan, Cameron M; Kaplan, Erin K; Thompson, Michael P; Graetz, Ilana

    2018-06-15

    A central objective of recent U.S. healthcare policy reform, most notably the Affordable Care Act's (ACA) Health Insurance Marketplace, has been to increase access to stable, affordable health insurance. However, changing market dynamics (rising premiums, changes in issuer participation and plan availability) raise significant concerns about the marketplaces' ability to provide a stable source of healthcare for Americans that rely on them. By looking at the effect of instability on changes in the consumer choice set, we can analyze potential incentives to switch plans among price-sensitive enrollees, which can then be used to inform policy going forward. Data on health plan features for non-tobacco users in 2512 counties in 34 states participating in federally-facilitated exchanges from 2014 to 2016 was obtained from the Centers for Medicaid & Medicare Services. We examined how changes in individual plan features, including premiums, deductibles, issuers, and plan types, impact consumers who had purchased the lowest-cost silver or bronze plan in their county the previous year. We calculated the cost of staying in the same plan versus switching to another plan the following year, and analyzed how costs vary across geographic regions. In most counties in 2015 and 2016 (53.7 and 68.2%, respectively), the lowest-cost silver plan from the previous year was still available, but was no longer the cheapest plan. In these counties, consumers who switched to the new lowest-cost plan would pay less in monthly premiums on average, by $51.48 and $55.01, respectively, compared to staying in the same plan. Despite potential premium savings from switching, however, the majority would still pay higher average premiums compared to the previous year, and most would face higher deductibles and an increased probability of having to change provider networks. While the ACA has shown promise in expanding healthcare access, continued changes in the availability and affordability of health

  10. Salt Lake City, Utah: Solar in Action (Brochure)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    2011-10-01

    This brochure provides an overview of the challenges and successes of Salt Lake City, UT, a 2007 Solar America City awardee, on the path toward becoming a solar-powered community. Accomplishments, case studies, key lessons learned, and local resource information are given.

  11. Delivering culturally sensitive health messages: the process of adapting brochures for grandparents raising grandchildren in Hawai'i.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yancura, Loriena A

    2010-05-01

    The efficacy of programs to reduce health disparities depends on their ability to deliver messages in a culturally sensitive manner. This article describes the process of designing a series of brochures for grandparents raising grandchildren. National source material on topics important to grandparents (self-care, service use, addiction, and grandchildren's difficult behaviors) was put into draft brochures and pilot tested in two focus groups drawn from Native Hawaiian Asian and Pacific Islander populations. Elements of surface and deep levels directed the form and content of the final brochures. On a surface level, these brochures reflect local culture through pictures and language. On a deep level, which integrates cultural beliefs and practices, they reflect the importance of indirect communication and harmonious relationships. The final brochures have been received favorably in the community. The process of adapting educational material with attention to surface and deep levels can serve as a guide for other health promotion materials.

  12. Evaluating the reliability and accuracy of the promotional brochures for the generic pharmaceutical companies in Iraq using World Health Organization guidelines.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mikhael, Ehab Mudher

    2015-01-01

    Pharmaceutical industries worldwide are heavily involved in aggressive drug promotions. Physician targeted promotion through medical representatives is one of the most common tactic for drug promotion by pharmaceutical drug companies. WHO states that medical representatives to work in an ethical way should make available to prescribers and dispensers complete and unbiased information for each product discussed; therefore this study aimed to evaluate the ethics in the medical brochures of generic pharmaceutical companies that are given through medical representatives to physicians in Iraq. An observational, cross-sectional study was conducted in Iraq - Baghdad from February to April 2014. Promotional drug brochures were collected mainly from pharmaceutical exhibition during attendance of medical conferences that were sponsored by generic pharmaceutical companies. Evaluation of each brochure was based primarily on WHO criteria for ethical medicinal drug promotion. The availability of emotional pictures in each brochure was also examined. Furthermore, references were checked to find their retrievability, source, and authenticity of presentations. Most medical brochures were for antibiotics, and drugs for cardiovascular diseases. All brochures mention drug name, with its active ingredient and indication, but there is a significant absence for drug interaction, while drug side effects and contraindications if present were written in a small font. Emotional picture presented in 70% of brochures. Reference citation was present in 72% of brochures, however only 75% of references in these brochures were correct. The information that is provided in medical brochures is biased and mainly persuasive since it is mainly focusing on the positive aspect of drug therapy.

  13. State and Local Initiatives: Your Bridge to Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Resources (Brochure)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Epstein, K.

    2001-01-01

    A brochure for local and state policymakers, informing them about the State and Local Initiatives team at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. The brochure outlines the benefits of using renewables and energy efficiency, the benefits of using the State and Local Initiatives team as a liaison to the wealth of information at NREL, and some of the services and resources available

  14. Life Insurance Contribution, Insurance Development and Economic Growth in China

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wang Ying

    2017-07-01

    Full Text Available Under L-type economy, remodelling the growth power in the medium and long term is essential. The insurance industry during the 13th Five-year Plan period has been given a heavy expectation on promoting economic quality and upgrading economic efficiency, so it will try to accelerate its innovation and development process which serves national needs, market demand and people's requirements. Referring to the previous researches of Solow and Zhang and measuring Capital Stock and Total Factor Productivity independently, the paper analyses the inherent correlation between insurance (including life insurance and non-life insurance and economic growth, reveals the contribution law of the insurance development in economic growth in the short and long term from both economic scale and quality respectively. It also shows enlightenments on policy decision for insurance industry, thus helps economic stability under the downturn periods.

  15. Minneapolis and Saint Paul, Minnesota: Solar in Action (Brochure)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    2011-10-01

    This brochure provides an overview of the challenges and successes of Minneapolis, MN, a 2008 Solar America City awardee, on the path toward becoming a solar-powered community. Accomplishments, case studies, key lessons learned, and local resource information are given.

  16. Competition between health maintenance organizations and nonintegrated health insurance companies in health insurance markets.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Baranes, Edmond; Bardey, David

    2015-12-01

    This article examines a model of competition between two types of health insurer: Health Maintenance Organizations (HMOs) and nonintegrated insurers. HMOs vertically integrate health care providers and pay them at a competitive price, while nonintegrated health insurers work as indemnity plans and pay the health care providers freely chosen by policyholders at a wholesale price. Such difference is referred to as an input price effect which, at first glance, favors HMOs. Moreover, we assume that policyholders place a positive value on the provider diversity supplied by their health insurance plan and that this value increases with the probability of disease. Due to the restricted choice of health care providers in HMOs a risk segmentation occurs: policyholders who choose nonintegrated health insurers are characterized by higher risk, which also tends to favor HMOs. Our equilibrium analysis reveals that the equilibrium allocation only depends on the number of HMOs in the case of exclusivity contracts between HMOs and providers. Surprisingly, our model shows that the interplay between risk segmentation and input price effects may generate ambiguous results. More precisely, we reveal that vertical integration in health insurance markets may decrease health insurers' premiums.

  17. Estimating a Change from TRICARE to Commercial Insurance Plans.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Murray, Carla T; Schmit, Matthew

    2018-03-14

    We estimate the effect on health care spending of an option to change TRICARE. Under the option, which is based on a proposal made by the Military Compensation and Retirement Modernization Commission (MCRMC), most beneficiaries could choose from a range of commercial health networks instead of the current TRICARE plans. Military treatment facilities would become network providers under the commercial plans. We used data from the Department of Defense (DoD) to estimate the cost of providing the current health care benefit to working-age retirees and their dependents and survivors, and active duty family members. We then adjusted those data to estimate what the private insurance premiums would be for those groups. Greater details about the methodology can be found in earlier work by the Congressional Budget Office. Because payments by TRICARE to physicians and hospitals are tied to payments made by Medicare, we used the information from studies that compare Medicare payment rates to rates paid to doctors and hospitals by private insurance to estimate what it would cost private insurers to provide approximately the same level of care, with adjustments to account for the higher out-of-pocket costs that beneficiaries would pay under the option. We also made adjustments to account for the possibility that many beneficiaries would decrease their use of the MTFs in favor of private providers, which could increase the overall costs of DoD. We then estimated that increasing the cost sharing to a level found in popular civilian plans would lower overall demand for services by about 10% for military retiree households and about 18% for active duty family members. We estimated that DoD would pay subsidies to retain about half of the excess capacity created by beneficiaries switching their care from MTFs to the private sector. Evaluated at the midpoint of the ranges, the net effect on DoD's budget would be approximately $0, we estimate, but costs could fall in a likely range

  18. New York City, New York: Solar in Action (Brochure)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    2011-10-01

    This brochure provides an overview of the challenges and successes of New York City, NY, a 2007 Solar America City awardee, on the path toward becoming a solar-powered community. Accomplishments, case studies, key lessons learned, and local resource information are given.

  19. Expanding insurance coverage through tax credits, consumer choice, and market enhancements: the American Medical Association proposal for health insurance reform.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Palmisano, Donald J; Emmons, David W; Wozniak, Gregory D

    2004-05-12

    Recent reports showing an increase in the number of uninsured individuals in the United States have given heightened attention to increasing health insurance coverage. The American Medical Association (AMA) has proposed a system of tax credits for the purchase of individually owned health insurance and enhancements to individual and group health insurance markets as a means of expanding coverage. Individually owned insurance would enable people to maintain coverage without disruption to existing patient-physician relationships, regardless of changes in employers or in work status. The AMA's plan would empower individuals to choose their health plan and give patients and their physicians more control over health care choices. Employers could continue to offer employment-based coverage, but employees would not be limited to the health plans offered by their employer. With a tax credit large enough to make coverage affordable and the ability to choose their own coverage, consumers would dramatically transform the individual and group health insurance markets. Health insurers would respond to the demands of individual consumers and be more cautious about increasing premiums. Insurers would also tailor benefit packages and develop new forms of coverage to better match the preferences of individuals and families. The AMA supports the development of new health insurance markets through legislative and regulatory changes to foster a wider array of high-quality, affordable plans.

  20. Five features of value-based insurance design plans were associated with higher rates of medication adherence.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Choudhry, Niteesh K; Fischer, Michael A; Smith, Benjamin F; Brill, Gregory; Girdish, Charmaine; Matlin, Olga S; Brennan, Troyen A; Avorn, Jerry; Shrank, William H

    2014-03-01

    Value-based insurance design (VBID) plans selectively lower cost sharing to increase medication adherence. Existing plans have been structured in a variety of ways, and these variations could influence the effectiveness of VBID plans. We evaluated seventy-six plans introduced by a large pharmacy benefit manager during 2007-10. We found that after we adjusted for the other features and baseline trends, VBID plans that were more generous, targeted high-risk patients, offered wellness programs, did not offer disease management programs, and made the benefit available only for medication ordered by mail had a significantly greater impact on adherence than plans without these features. The effects were as large as 4-5 percentage points. These findings can provide guidance for the structure of future VBID plans.

  1. Examining the influence of health insurance literacy and perception on the people preference to purchase private voluntary health insurance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mathur, Tanuj; Das, Gurudas; Gupta, Hemendra

    2018-01-01

    Most studies have associated "un-affordability" as a plausible cause for the lower take-up of private voluntary health insurance plans. However, others refuted this claim on the pretext that when people can afford "inpatient-care" from pocket then insurance premium cost is far less than those payments. Thus, economic factors remain insufficient in clearly explaining the reason for poor private voluntary health insurance take-up. An attempt is being made by shifting the focus towards non-economic factors and understanding the role of perception and health insurance literacy in transforming people preferences to invest in private voluntary health insurance plans. The study findings will conspicuously support decision-makers in developing strategy to increase the private voluntary health insurance take-up.

  2. Pricing behaviour of nonprofit insurers in a weakly competitive social health insurance market.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Douven, Rudy C H M; Schut, Frederik T

    2011-03-01

    In this paper we examine the pricing behaviour of nonprofit health insurers in the Dutch social health insurance market. Since for-profit insurers were not allowed in this market, potential spillover effects from the presence of for-profit insurers on the behaviour of nonprofit insurers were absent. Using a panel data set for all health insurers operating in the Dutch social health insurance market over the period 1996-2004, we estimate a premium model to determine which factors explain the price setting behaviour of nonprofit health insurers. We find that financial stability rather than profit maximisation offers the best explanation for health plan pricing behaviour. In the presence of weak price competition, health insurers did not set premiums to maximize profits. Nevertheless, our findings suggest that regulations on financial reserves are needed to restrict premiums. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  3. Extending health insurance coverage to the informal sector: Lessons from a private micro health insurance scheme in Lagos, Nigeria.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Peterson, Lauren; Comfort, Alison; Hatt, Laurel; van Bastelaer, Thierry

    2018-04-15

    As a growing number of low- and middle-income countries commit to achieving universal health coverage, one key challenge is how to extend coverage to informal sector workers. Micro health insurance (MHI) provides a potential model to finance health services for this population. This study presents lessons from a pilot study of a mandatory MHI plan offered by a private insurance company and distributed through a microfinance bank to urban, informal sector workers in Lagos, Nigeria. Study methods included a survey of microfinance clients, key informant interviews, and a review of administrative records. Demographic, health care seeking, and willingness-to-pay data suggested that microfinance clients, particularly women, could benefit from a comprehensive MHI plan that improved access to health care and reduced out-of-pocket spending on health services. However, administrative data revealed declining enrollment, and key informant interviews further suggested low use of the health insurance plan. Key implementation challenges, including changes to mandatory enrollment requirements, insufficient client education and marketing, misaligned incentives, and weak back-office systems, undermined enrollment and use of the plan. Mandatory MHI plans, intended to mitigate adverse selection and facilitate private insurers' entry into new markets, present challenges for covering informal sector workers, including when distributed through agents such as a microfinance bank. Properly aligning the incentives of the insurer and the agent are critical to effectively distribute and service insurance. Further, an urban environment presents unique challenges for distributing MHI, addressing client perceptions of health insurance, and meeting their health care needs. Copyright © 2018 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  4. Innovative insurance plan promises to leverage green power

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Edge, Gordon

    1999-01-01

    This article explains the gap between customers of green power signing short term (1-2 year) contracts and the banks wanting power purchase agreements for ten or more years before lending on new projects. Details are given of a new initiative from the US green power industry for a green premium for green power marketeers with the idea of an insurance product to take some of the risk and bridge the gap. Examples of coverage under the green power insurance proposal are discussed, and the funding and implementation of the scheme, and the effect of the insurance are considered

  5. A Content Analysis of College and University Viewbooks (Brochures).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hite, Robert E.; Yearwood, Alisa

    2001-01-01

    Systematically examined the content and components of college viewbooks/brochures. Compiled findings on: (1) physical components (e.g., photographs and slogans); (2) message content based on school characteristics such as size, type of school, enrollment, location, etc.; and (3) the type of image schools with different characteristics are seeking…

  6. Unique Perspectives on a Transforming Energy Economy: 2014 Annual Report (Brochure)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Gossett, S. [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)

    2014-03-01

    What makes JISEA unique? Unique perspectives. This brochure highlights the unique perspectives provided by the Joint Institute for Strategic Energy Analysis through JISEA's recent accomplishments and the people behind them.

  7. Seeing Health Insurance and HealthCare.gov Through the Eyes of Young Adults.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wong, Charlene A; Asch, David A; Vinoya, Cjloe M; Ford, Carol A; Baker, Tom; Town, Robert; Merchant, Raina M

    2015-08-01

    We describe young adults' perspectives on health insurance and HealthCare.gov, including their attitudes toward health insurance, health insurance literacy, and benefit and plan preferences. We observed young adults aged 19-30 years in Philadelphia from January to March 2014 as they shopped for health insurance on HealthCare.gov. Participants were then interviewed to elicit their perceived advantages and disadvantages of insurance and factors considered important for plan selection. A 1-month follow-up interview assessed participants' plan enrollment decisions and intended use of health insurance. Data were analyzed using qualitative methodology, and salience scores were calculated for free-listing responses. We enrolled 33 highly educated young adults; 27 completed the follow-up interview. The most salient advantages of health insurance for young adults were access to preventive or primary care (salience score .28) and peace of mind (.27). The most salient disadvantage was the financial strain of paying for health insurance (.72). Participants revealed poor health insurance literacy with 48% incorrectly defining deductible and 78% incorrectly defining coinsurance. The most salient factors reported to influence plan selection were deductible (.48) and premium (.45) amounts as well as preventive care (.21) coverage. The most common intended health insurance use was primary care. Eight participants enrolled in HealthCare.gov plans: six selected silver plans, and three qualified for tax credits. Young adults' perspective on health insurance and enrollment via HealthCare.gov can inform strategies to design health insurance plans and communication about these plans in a way that engages and meets the needs of young adult populations. Copyright © 2015 Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  8. Is Access to Outpatient Neurosurgery Affected by Narrow Insurance Networks? Results From Statewide Analysis of Marketplace Plans in Louisiana.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dossani, Rimal H; Kalakoti, Piyush; Nanda, Anil; Guthikonda, Bharat; Tumialán, Luis M

    2018-02-06

    The main objective of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) was to make health insurance affordable to all Americans while addressing the lack of coverage for 48 million people. In the face of rapidly increasing enrollment and rising demand for inexpensive plans, insurance providers are limiting in-network physicians. Provider networks offering plans with limited in-network physicians have become known as "narrow networks." To assesses the adequacy of ACA marketplace plans for outpatient neurosurgery in Louisiana. The Marketplace Public Use Files were searched for all "silver" plans. A total of 7 silver plans were identified in Louisiana. Using the plans' online directories, a search of in-network neurosurgeons in Louisiana parishes with >100 000 population was performed. The primary outcome was lack of in-network neurosurgeon(s) in silver plans within 50 miles of selected zip code for each parish with >100 000 population. Plans without in-network neurosurgeon(s) are labeled as neurosurgeon-deficient plans. Several plans in Louisiana are neurosurgeon deficient, ie no in-network neurosurgeon within 50 miles of the designated parish zip code. Company A's plan 3 is deficient in all 5 parishes, while company C and company D silver plans are deficient in 4 out of 14 (29%). Combined results from all counties and plans demonstrate that 43% (3 out of 7) of all silver plans in Louisiana are neurosurgeon deficient in at least 4 parishes with population >100 000. In Louisiana, narrow networks have limited access to neurosurgical care for those patients with ACA silver plans. Copyright © 2018 by the Congress of Neurological Surgeons

  9. Legislations and policies to expand mental health and substance abuse benefits in health insurance plans: a community guide systematic economic review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jacob, Verughese; Qu, Shuli; Chattopadhyay, Sajal; Sipe, Theresa Ann; Knopf, John A; Goetzel, Ron Z; Finnie, Ramona; Thota, Anilkrishna B

    2015-03-01

    Health insurance plans have historically limited the benefits for mental health and substance abuse (MH/SA) services compared to benefits for physical health services. In recent years, legislative and policy initiatives in the U.S. have been taken to expand MH/SA health insurance benefits and achieve parity with physical health benefits. The relevance of these legislations for international audiences is also explored, particularly for the European context. This paper reviews the evidence of costs and economic benefits of legislative or policy interventions to expand MH/SA health insurance benefits in the U.S. The objectives are to assess the economic value of the interventions by comparing societal cost to societal benefits, and to determine impact on costs to insurance plans resulting from expansion of these benefits. The search for economic evidence covered literature published from January 1950 to March 2011 and included evaluations of federal and state laws or rules that expanded MH/SA benefits as well as voluntary actions by large employers. Two economists screened and abstracted the economic evidence of MH/SA benefits legislation based on standard economic and actuarial concepts and methods. The economic review included 12 studies: eleven provided evidence on cost impact to health plans, and one estimated the effect on suicides. There was insufficient evidence to determine if the intervention was cost-effective or cost-saving. However, the evidence indicates that MH/SA benefits expansion did not lead to any substantial increase in costs to insurance plans, measured as a percentage of insurance premiums. This review is unable to determine the overall economic value of policies that expanded MH/SA insurance benefits due to lack of cost-effectiveness and cost-benefit studies, predominantly due to the lack of evaluations of morbidity and mortality outcomes. This may be remedied in time when long-term MH/SA patient-level data becomes available to researchers. A

  10. Experiences With Insurance Plans and Providers Among Persons With Mental Illness.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rowan, Kathleen; Shippee, Nathan D

    2016-03-01

    This study used nationally representative household survey data to examine the association between mental illness and experiences with usual care providers and health plans among persons with public or private insurance (N=25,176). Data were from the 2004-2012 Medical Expenditure Panel Surveys. Mental illness was assessed with symptom scales of serious psychological distress and depression at two time points, and persons were categorized by whether mental illness was episodic or persistent over time. Questions about experiences with providers (four questions) and plans (five questions) were based on the Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems survey. Rates of problems with plans and providers were reported for each category of mental illness, and multivariate regression was used to examine the association of problems with mental illness. Rates of problems with health plans were high, specifically for treatment approvals, finding information, and customer service, and were higher among persons with mental illness. Rates of problems with providers were lower than problems with plans, but persons with mental illness were more likely to report problems, specifically that doctors do not explain treatment options, respect treatment choices, or seek participation in decisions. Persons with mental illness reported experiencing more clinical and administrative problems at their usual source of care, although the reasons were not clear. Efforts by plans to improve health care before and after the clinical encounter and by providers to design treatments in line with patient preferences may improve experiences for all patients and particularly for those with mental illness.

  11. Health insurance and use of medical services by men infected with HIV.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Katz, M H; Chang, S W; Buchbinder, S P; Hessol, N A; O'Malley, P; Doll, L S

    1995-01-01

    Among 178 HIV-infected men from the San Francisco City Clinic Cohort (SFCCC), we examined the association between health insurance and use of outpatient services and treatment. For men with private insurance, we also assessed the frequency of avoiding the use of health insurance. Men without private insurance reported fewer outpatient visits than men with fee-for-service or managed-care plans. Use of zidovudine for eligible men was similar for those with fee-for-service plans (74%), managed-care plans (77%), or no insurance (61%). Use of Pneumocytstis carinii pneumonia prophylaxis was similar for those with fee-for-service (93%) and managed-care plans (83%) but lower for those with no insurance (63%). Of 149 men with private insurance, 31 (21%) reported that they had avoided using their health insurance for medical expenses in the previous year. In multivariate analysis, the independent predictors of avoiding the use of insurance were working for a small company and living outside the San Francisco Bay Area. Having private insurance resulted in higher use of outpatient services, but the type of private insurance did not appear to affect the use of service or treatment. Fears of loss of coverage and confidentiality may negate some benefits of health insurance for HIV-infected persons.

  12. Dental insurance! Are we ready?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ravi SS Toor

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available Dental insurance is insurance designed to pay the costs associated with dental care. The Foreign Direct Investment (FDI bill which was put forward in the winter session of the Lok Sabha (2008 focused on increasing the foreign investment share from the existing 26% to 49% in the insurance companies of India. This will allow the multibillion dollar international insurance companies to enter the Indian market and subsequently cover all aspects of insurance in India. Dental insurance will be an integral a part of this system. Dental insurance is a new concept in Southeast Asia as very few countries in Southeast Asia cover this aspect of insurance. It is important that the dentists in India should be acquainted with the different types of plans these companies are going to offer and about a new relationship which is going to emerge in the coming years between dentist, patient and the insurance company.

  13. Kaupuni Village: A Closer Look at the First Net-Zero Energy Affordable Housing Community in Hawai'i (Brochure)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    2012-05-01

    This is the first of four Hawaii Clean Energy Initiative community brochures focused on HCEI success stories. This brochure focuses on the first LEED Platinum net-zero energy affordable housing community in Hawaii. Our lead NREL contact for HCEI is Ken Kelly.

  14. 77 FR 3075 - Resolution Plans Required for Insured Depository Institutions With $50 Billion or More in Total...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-01-23

    ... business day of the institution's failure (two business days if the failure occurs on a day other than... the continuing exposure of the banking industry to the risks of insolvency of large and complex insured depository institutions, an exposure that can be mitigated with proper resolution planning. The...

  15. Nonprofit to for-profit conversions by hospitals, health insurers, and health plans.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Needleman, J

    1999-01-01

    Conversion of hospitals, health insurers, and health plans from nonprofit to for-profit ownership has become a focus of national debate. The author examines why nonprofit ownership has been dominant in the US health system and assesses the strength of the argument that nonprofits provide community benefits that would be threatened by for-profit conversion. The author concludes that many of the specific community benefits offered by nonprofits, such as care for the poor, could be maintained or replaced by adequate funding of public programs and that quality and fairness in treatment can be better assured through clear standards of care and adequate monitoring systems. As health care becomes increasingly commercialized, the most difficult parts of nonprofits' historic mission to preserve are the community orientation, leadership role, and innovation that nonprofit hospitals and health plans have provided out of their commitment to a community beyond those to whom they sell services.

  16. Health insurance reform and the development of health insurance plans: the case of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, UAE.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hamidi, Samer; Shaban, Sami; Mahate, Ashraf A; Younis, Mustafa Z

    2014-01-01

    The Emirate of Abu Dhabi has taken concrete steps to reform health insurance by improving the access to health providers as well as freedom of choice. The growing cost of health care and the impact of the global financial crisis have meant that countries are no longer able to solely bear the cost. As a result many countries have sought to overhaul their health care system so as to share the burden of provision with the private sector whether it is health care plan providers or employers. This article explores and discusses how the policy issues inherent in private health care schemes have been dealt with by the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. Data was collected in early 2013 on health care plans in Abu Dhabi from government sources. The Abu Dhabi model has private sector involvement but the government sets prices and benefits. The Abu Dhabi model adequately deals with the problem of adverse selection through making insurance coverage a mandatory requirement. There are issues with moral hazards, which are a combination of individual and medical practitioner behavior that might affect the efficiency of the system. Over time there is a general increase in the usage of medical services, which may be reflective of greater awareness of the policy and its benefits as well as lifestyle change. Although the current health care system level of usage is adequate for the current population, as the level of usage increases, the government may face a financial burden. Therefore, the government needs to place safeguards in order to limit its exposure. The market for medical treatment needs to be made more competitive to reduce monopolistic behavior. The government needs to make individuals aware of a healthier lifestyle and encourage precautionary actions.

  17. Insurance Exchange Marketplace: Implications for Emergency Medicine Practice

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    David S. Rankey, MD, MPH

    2012-05-01

    Full Text Available The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 requires states to establish healthcareinsurance exchanges by 2014 to facilitate the purchase of qualified health plans. States are required toestablish exchanges for small businesses and individuals. A federally operated exchange will beestablished, and states failing to participate in any other exchanges will be mandated to join the federalexchange. Policymakers and health economists believe that exchanges will improve healthcare atlower cost by promoting competition among insurers and by reducing burdensome transaction costs.Consumers will no longer be isolated from monthly insurance premium costs. Exchanges will increasethe number of patients insured with more cost-conscious managed care and high-deductible plans.These insurance plan models have historically undervalued emergency medical services, while alsounderinsuring patients and limiting their healthcare system access to the emergency department. Thisparadoxically increases demand for emergency services while decreasing supply. The continualdevaluation of emergency medical services by insurance payers will result in inadequate distribution ofresources to emergency care, resulting in further emergency department closures, increases inemergency department crowding, and the demise of acute care services provided to families andcommunities.

  18. Your Insurance Dollar. Money Management.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Baran, Nancy H., Ed.

    This booklet provides some practical guidelines for determining total insurance needs, examining options, and comparing costs. It discusses how to fit insurance costs into an overall financial plan, the necessity of adequate liability coverage, and the importance of keeping policies up to date. The next four sections highlight the basic types of…

  19. Finance, providers issue brief: insurer liability.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rothouse, M; Stauffer, M

    2000-05-24

    When a health plan denies payment for a procedure on grounds that it is not medically necessary or when it refuses a physician-ordered referral to a specialist, has it crossed the line from making an insurance judgment to practicing medicine? If the patient suffers harm as a result of the decision, is the plan liable for medical malpractice? Those were questions 35 states considered in 1999, and at least 32 states are grappling with this year as they seek to respond to physician and patient pressure to curb the power of the managed care industry. Traditionally, health insurers have been protected by state laws banning "the corporate practice of medicine," which means the patient's only recourse is to sue under a "vicarious liability" theory. Now, however, lawmakers are debating legislation to extend the scope of malpractice liability beyond individual practitioners to insurance carriers and plans themselves.

  20. Perceived affordability of health insurance and medical financial burdens five years in to Massachusetts health reform.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zallman, Leah; Nardin, Rachel; Sayah, Assaad; McCormick, Danny

    2015-10-29

    Under the Massachusetts health reform, low income residents (those with incomes below 150 % of the Federal Poverty Level [FPL]) were eligible for Medicaid and health insurance exchange-based plans with minimal cost-sharing and no premiums. Those with slightly higher incomes (150 %-300 % FPL) were eligible for exchange-based plans that required cost-sharing and premium payments. We conducted face to face surveys in four languages with a convenience sample of 976 patients seeking care at three hospital emergency departments five years after Massachusetts reform. We compared perceived affordability of insurance, financial burden, and satisfaction among low cost sharing plan recipients (recipients of Medicaid and insurance exchange-based plans with minimal cost-sharing and no premiums), high cost sharing plan recipients (recipients of exchange-based plans that required cost-sharing and premium payments) and the commercially insured. We found that despite having higher incomes, higher cost-sharing plan recipients were less satisfied with their insurance plans and perceived more difficulty affording their insurance than those with low cost-sharing plans. Higher cost-sharing plan recipients also reported more difficulty affording medical and non-medical health care as well as insurance premiums than those with commercial insurance. In contrast, patients with low cost-sharing public plans reported higher plan satisfaction and less financial concern than the commercially insured. Policy makers with responsibility for the benefit design of public insurance available under health care reforms in the U.S. should calibrate cost-sharing to income level so as to minimize difficulty affording care and financial burdens.

  1. The possession of brochures on emergency and of iodide tablets by households

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hultaaker, Oe.

    1985-01-01

    People who live within twelve to fifteen kilometers from one of the Swedish Nuclear Power plants have received a brochure about existing security arrangements and the actions which they are recommended to take in the wake of a nuclear accident. Tablets containing potassium iodide have also been handed out to the people living close to the power plants. Due to the short life of the iodide tablets, people receive new ones from time to time. Before the distribution of new tablets, however, the National Institute of Radiation Protection wanted to learn if people still had the old tablets and the brochure in their homes. The National Institute of Radiation Protection also was interested in assessing people's knowledge about the protection given by the iodide tablets and whether people knew when to take them. Nine persons out of ten (87%) could show the tablets to the interviewers, and seven out of ten (71%) could do so with the brochure. Half of the total number of respondents knew when they were supposed to take the tablets (47%). Nevertheless two partly conflicting messages have been given to the public about the proper time to take the tablet: according to the text printed on the cover of the tablets, they are to be taken immediately when the people have learnt about an accident; but according to the brochure distributed to the households, people must wait until they are told by the radio to take the tablets. One person of four (22%) said that the radio should inform them, and almost the same number of people (25%) said that the tablets ought to be taken immediately following an accident. Only one person of four (27%) knew what protection they would get from the iodine tablets. Another 17% had a vague idea about the affect resulting from taking them. Many people (25%) had the false belief that the tablets offered them general protection against radiation. (author)

  2. Solar Decathlon 2011, The National Mall, Washington, D.C., Fall 2011 (Brochure)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    2010-04-01

    This brochure provides a high-level overview of the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon 2011-the competition's background, purpose, impact, 10 contests, 20 teams, and where to go for additional information.

  3. Insurer Competition In Federally Run Marketplaces Is Associated With Lower Premiums.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jacobs, Paul D; Banthin, Jessica S; Trachtman, Samuel

    2015-12-01

    Federal subsidies for health insurance premiums sold through the Marketplaces are tied to the cost of the benchmark plan, the second-lowest-cost silver plan. According to economic theory, the presence of more competitors should lead to lower premiums, implying smaller federal outlays for premium subsidies. The long-term impact of the Affordable Care Act on government spending will depend on the cost of these premium subsidies over time, with insurer participation and the level of competition likely to influence those costs. We studied insurer participation and premiums during the first two years of the Marketplaces. We found that the addition of a single insurer in a county was associated with a 1.2 percent lower premium for the average silver plan and a 3.5 percent lower premium for the benchmark plan in the federally run Marketplaces. We found that the effect of insurer entry was muted after two or three additional entrants. These findings suggest that increased insurer participation in the federally run Marketplaces reduces federal payments for premium subsidies. Project HOPE—The People-to-People Health Foundation, Inc.

  4. Entrepreneurial Moral Hazard in Income Insurance

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ejrnæs, Mette; Hochguertel, Stefan

    We study risk behavior of Danish self-employed entrepreneurs, whose income risk may be driven by both exogenous factors and effort choice (moral hazard). Partial insurance is available through voluntary unemployment insurance (UI). Additional incentives to sign insurance contracts stem from a UI......-embedded, government-subsidized early retirement (ER) program, giving benefits that are unrelated to business risk. Indeed, we argue that the self-employeds' incentives to insure themselves stem from the ER plan rather than from the UI cover. We show how to use a policy reform to identify moral hazard in observed...

  5. Tribal Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Development on Tribal Lands (Brochure)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    2010-09-01

    This 12-page brochure provides an overview of the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE's) Tribal Energy Program and describes the financial, technical, and educational assistance it provides to help tribes develop their renewable energy resources and reduce their energy consumption.

  6. Employee Responses to Health Insurance Premium Increases

    OpenAIRE

    Goldman, Dana; Leibowitz, Arleen; Robalino, David

    2004-01-01

    Objective: To determine the sensitivity of employees’ health insurance decisions—including the decision to not choose health maintenance organization or fee-for-service coverage—during periods of rapidly escalating healthcare costs. Study Design: A retrospective cohort study of employee plan choices at a single large firm with a “cafeteria-style” benefits plan wherein employees paid all the additional cost of purchasing more generous insurance. Methods: We modeled the probabil...

  7. Changes of ticagrelor formulary tiers in the USA: targeting private insurance providers away from government-funded plans.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Serebruany, Victor L; Dinicolantonio, James J

    2013-01-01

    Ticagrelor (Brilinta®) is a new oral reversible antiplatelet agent approved by the FDA in July 2011 based on the results of the PLATO (Platelet Inhibition and Patient Outcomes) trial. However, despite very favorable and broad indications, the current clinical utilization of ticagrelor is woefully small. We aimed to compare ticagrelor formulary tiers for major private (n = 8) and government-funded (n = 4) insurance providers for 2012-2013. Over the last year, ticagrelor placement improved, becoming a preferred drug (from Tier 3 in 2012 to Tier 2 in 2013) for Medco, moving from Tier 4 (with a prior approval requirement) to Tier 3 (no prior approval) for the United Health Care Private Plan and achieving Tier 3 status for Apex in 2013. In contrast, ticagrelor placement did not improve for New York Medicaid, retaining Tier 3 status. In addition, many Medicare Part D formularies have significantly worse coverage than most private plans. For example, Humana Medicare Part D has Tier 3 status requiring step therapy and quantity limits, SilverScript (CVS Caremark) Part D is Tier 3 and the American Association of Retired Persons (United Health Care) Medicare Part D is Tier 4 requiring prior approval. Ticagrelor formulary placement is significantly better for most private providers than for government-funded plans, which may possibly be due to the selective targeting of private insurance providers and the simultaneous avoidance of government-funded plans. © 2013 S. Karger AG, Basel.

  8. Tracking the dissemination of a culturally targeted brochure to promote awareness of hereditary breast and ovarian cancer among Black women.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Scherr, Courtney Lynam; Bomboka, Linda; Nelson, Alison; Pal, Tuya; Vadaparampil, Susan Thomas

    2017-05-01

    Black women have a higher rate of BRCA1 and BRCA2 (BRCA) mutations, compared with other populations, that increases their risk for hereditary breast and ovarian cancer (HBOC). However, Black women are less likely to know about HBOC and genetic testing. Based on a request from a community advisory panel of breast cancer survivors, community leaders and healthcare providers in the Black community, our team developed a culturally targeted educational brochure to promote awareness of HBOC among Black women. To reach the target population we utilized a passive dissemination strategy. Using Diffusion of Innovations (DOI) as a framework, we traced dissemination of the brochure over a five year period using self-addressed postcards contained inside the brochure that included several open-ended questions about the utility of the brochure, and a field for written comments. Closed-ended responses were analyzed using descriptive statistics and thematic analysis was conducted on the open-ended responses. DOI captured the proliferation of the brochure among Black women across the US. The use of passive dissemination strategies among pre-existing social networks proved to be a useful and sustainable method for increasing knowledge of HBOC among Black women. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  9. 76 FR 5248 - Insurer Reporting Requirements; Annual Insurer Report on Motor Vehicle Theft for the 2005...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-01-28

    ...] Insurer Reporting Requirements; Annual Insurer Report on Motor Vehicle Theft for the 2005 Reporting Year... on motor vehicle theft for the 2005 reporting year. Section 33112(h) of Title 49 of the U.S. Code... report provides information on theft and recovery of vehicles; rating rules and plans used by motor...

  10. Where are the radioactive wastes in France? Brochure no 4; Ou sont les dechets radioactifs en France? Brochure no 4

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    2004-07-01

    This document is one of the 6 regional brochures which make the geographical inventory of radioactive wastes in France. For each region, a table lists the recorded sites and a regional map localizes those having a detailed descriptive file. These files mention the most important waste owners (medical, research, nuclear and military industries), the type of waste and the type of management. The polluted sites are also mentioned, even if they are already decontaminated. The volume no 4 concerns the Auvergne and Rhone-Alpes regions. (J.S.)

  11. Economic Effects of Legislations and Policies to Expand Mental Health and Substance Abuse Benefits in Health Insurance Plans: A Community Guide Systematic Review

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jacob, Verughese; Qu, Shuli; Chattopadhyay, Sajal; Sipe, Theresa Ann; Knopf, John A.; Goetzel, Ron Z.; Finnie, Ramona; Thota, Anilkrishna B.

    2015-01-01

    Background Health insurance plans have historically limited the benefits for mental health and substance abuse (MH/SA) services compared to benefits for physical health services. In recent years, legislative and policy initiatives in the U.S. have been taken to expand MH/SA health insurance benefits and achieve parity with physical health benefits. The relevance of these legislations for international audiences is also explored, particularly for the European context. Aims of the Study This paper reviews the evidence of costs and economic benefits of legislative or policy interventions to expand MH/SA health insurance benefits in the U.S. The objectives are to assess the economic value of the interventions by comparing societal cost to societal benefits, and to determine impact on costs to insurance plans resulting from expansion of these benefits. Methods The search for economic evidence covered literature published from January 1950 to March 2011 and included evaluations of federal and state laws or rules that expanded MH/SA benefits as well as voluntary actions by large employers. Two economists screened and abstracted the economic evidence of MH/SA benefits legislation based on standard economic and actuarial concepts and methods. Results The economic review included 12 studies: eleven provided evidence on cost impact to health plans, and one estimated the effect on suicides. There was insufficient evidence to determine if the intervention was cost-effective or cost-saving. However, the evidence indicates that MH/SA benefits expansion did not lead to any substantial increase in costs to insurance plans, measured as a percentage of insurance premiums. Discussion and Limitations This review is unable to determine the overall economic value of policies that expand MH/SA insurance benefits due to lack of cost-effectiveness and cost-benefit studies, predominantly due to the lack of evaluations of morbidity and mortality outcomes. This may be remedied in time when

  12. Assessing Early Implementation of State Autism Insurance Mandates

    Science.gov (United States)

    Baller, Julia Berlin; Barry, Colleen L.; Shea, Kathleen; Walker, Megan M.; Ouellette, Rachel; Mandell, David S.

    2016-01-01

    In the United States, health insurance coverage for autism spectrum disorder treatments has been historically limited. In response, as of 2015, 40 states and Washington, DC, have passed state autism insurance mandates requiring many health plans in the private insurance market to cover autism diagnostic and treatment services. This study examined…

  13. Are women getting relevant information about mammography screening for an informed consent: a critical appraisal of information brochures used for screening invitation in Germany, Italy, Spain and France.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gummersbach, Elisabeth; Piccoliori, Giuliano; Zerbe, Cristina Oriol; Altiner, Attila; Othman, Cecile; Rose, Christine; Abholz, Heinz-Harald

    2010-08-01

    The aim was to find out if information brochures on mammography screening in Germany, Italy, Spain and France contain more information to facilitate informed consent than in similar studies carried out over the last few years in Sweden, Canada, USA and the UK, countries with different medical cultures. We generated a list of essential information items on mammography screening for the purpose of informed consent. We mostly used the same items of information as had been used in previous studies and analysed the information brochures of major national initiatives in Germany and France, and three brochures each from regionalized programmes in Italy and Spain. We cross-checked which of our items were covered in the brochures and if correct numbers were given. We found that the information brochures contained only about half of the information items we defined. Six of the eight brochures mentioned the reduction in breast-cancer fatalities. Four of the eight provided information on false positives, and four of the brochures highlighted the side-effects of radiation. The information on side-effects and risks provided by the brochures was generally of poor quality, and none of them referred to over diagnosis. When numbers were given, they were only indicated in terms of relative numbers. The information brochures currently being used in Germany, Italy, Spain and France are no better than the brochures analysed some years ago. Our results suggest that the providers of mammography screening programmes continue to conceal information from women that is essential when making an informed decision.

  14. 77 FR 25788 - Request for Information Regarding Stop Loss Insurance

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-05-01

    ... Health Plan Standards and Compliance Assistance, Employee Benefits Security Administration, Room N-5653... employee benefit plans to be insurance companies in order to regulate them under insurance laws.) \\6\\ As a... DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY Internal Revenue Service DEPARTMENT OF LABOR Employee Benefits Security...

  15. Where are the radioactive wastes in France? Brochure no 1; Ou sont les dechets radioactifs en France? Brochure no 1

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    2004-07-01

    This document is one of the 6 regional brochures which make the geographical inventory of radioactive wastes in France. For each region, a table lists the recorded sites and a regional map localizes those having a detailed descriptive file. These files mention the most important waste owners (medical, research, nuclear and military industries), the type of waste and the type of management. The polluted sites are also mentioned, even if they are already decontaminated. The volume no 1 concerns the Ile-de-France region (Paris region). (J.S.)

  16. Where are the radioactive wastes in France? Brochure no 3; Ou sont les dechets radioactifs en France? Brochure no 3

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    2004-07-01

    This document is one of the 6 regional brochures which make the geographical inventory of radioactive wastes in France. For each region, a table lists the recorded sites and a regional map localizes those having a detailed descriptive file. These files mention the most important waste owners (medical, research, nuclear and military industries), the type of waste and the type of management. The polluted sites are also mentioned, even if they are already decontaminated. The volume no 3 concerns the Nord-Pas-de-Calais, Picardie, Champagne-Ardenne, Bourgogne, Alsace, Lorraine, Franche-Comte regions. (J.S.)

  17. Where are the radioactive wastes in France? Brochure no 2; Ou sont les dechets radioactifs en France? Brochure no 2

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    2004-07-01

    This document is one of the 6 regional brochures which make the geographical inventory of radioactive wastes in France. For each region, a table lists the recorded sites and a regional map localizes those having a detailed descriptive file. These files mention the most important waste owners (medical, research, nuclear and military industries), the type of waste and the type of management. The polluted sites are also mentioned, even if they are already decontaminated. The volume no 2 concerns the Bretagne (Brittany), Pays de la Loire, Haute-Normandie, Basse-Normandie and Centre regions. (J.S.)

  18. Where are the radioactive wastes in France? Brochure no 6; Ou sont les dechets radioactifs en France? Brochure no 6

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    2004-07-01

    This document is one of the 6 regional brochures which make the geographical inventory of radioactive wastes in France. For each region, a table lists the recorded sites and a regional map localizes those having a detailed descriptive file. These files mention the most important waste owners (medical, research, nuclear and military industries), the type of waste and the type of management. The polluted sites are also mentioned, even if they are already decontaminated. The volume no 6 concerns the Aquitaine, Limousin, Midi-Pyrenees and Poitou-Charentes regions. (J.S.)

  19. Consumer preferences in social health insurance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kerssens, Jan J; Groenewegen, Peter P

    2005-03-01

    Allowing consumers greater choice of health plans is believed to be the key to high quality and low costs in social health insurance. This study investigates consumer preferences (361 persons, response rate 43%) for hypothetical health plans which differed in 12 characteristics (premium, deductibles, no-claim discount, extension of insurance and financial services, red tape involved, medical help-desk, choice of family physicians and hospitals, dental benefits, physical therapy benefits, benefits for prescription drugs and homeopathy). In 90% the health plan with the most attractive characteristics was preferred, indicating a predominantly rational kind of choice. The most decisive characteristics for preference were: complete dental benefits, followed by zero deductibles, and free choice of hospitals.

  20. Greensburg, Kansas: A Better, Greener Place to Live (Revised) (Brochure)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    2009-10-01

    This Brochure is for Greensburg city leadership (Chamber of Commerce, Mayor's Office, and others) to use to attract visitors and businesses to Greensburg, and to ensure the city?s commitment to sustainability. Content includes EERE subject matter and mentions DOE's role in rebuilding. The layout is designed to be used as a template for other cities in similar situations.

  1. Switching health insurers: the role of price, quality and consumer information search.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Boonen, Lieke H H M; Laske-Aldershof, Trea; Schut, Frederik T

    2016-04-01

    We examine the impact of price, service quality and information search on people's propensity to switch health insurers in the competitive Dutch health insurance market. Using panel data from annual household surveys and data on health insurers' premiums and quality ratings over the period 2006-2012, we estimate a random effects logit model of people's switching decisions. We find that switching propensities depend on health plan price and quality, and on people's age, health, education and having supplementary or group insurance. Young people (18-35 years) are more sensitive to price, whereas older people are more sensitive to quality. Searching for health plan information has a much stronger impact on peoples' sensitivity to price than to service quality. In addition, searching for health plan information has a stronger impact on the switching propensity of higher than lower educated people, suggesting that higher educated people make better use of available health plan information. Finally, having supplementary insurance significantly reduces older people's switching propensity.

  2. Marketplace Plans With Narrow Physician Networks Feature Lower Monthly Premiums Than Plans With Larger Networks.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Polsky, Daniel; Cidav, Zuleyha; Swanson, Ashley

    2016-10-01

    The introduction of health insurance Marketplaces under the Affordable Care Act has been associated with growth of restricted provider networks. The value of this plan design strategy, including its association with lower premiums, is uncertain. We used data from all silver plans offered in the 2014 health insurance exchanges in the fifty states and the District of Columbia to estimate the association between the breadth of a provider network and plan premiums. We found that within a market, for plans of otherwise equivalent design and controlling for issuer-specific pricing strategy, a plan with an extra-small network had a monthly premium that was 6.7 percent less expensive than that of a plan with a large network. Because narrow networks remain an important strategy available to insurance companies to offer lower-cost plans on health insurance Marketplaces, the success of health insurance coverage expansions may be tied to the successful implementation of narrow networks. Project HOPE—The People-to-People Health Foundation, Inc.

  3. Health Care Communication Laws in the United States, 2013: Implications for Access to Sensitive Services for Insured Dependents.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kristoff, Iris; Cramer, Ryan; Leichliter, Jami S

    Young adults may not seek sensitive health services when confidentiality cannot be ensured. To better understand the policy environment for insured dependent confidentiality, we systematically assessed legal requirements for health insurance plan communications using WestlawNext to create a jurisdiction-level data set of health insurance plan communication regulations as of March 2013. Two jurisdictions require plan communications be sent to a policyholder, 22 require plan communications to be sent to an insured, and 36 give insurers discretion to send plan communications to the policyholder or insured. Six jurisdictions prohibit disclosure, and 3 allow a patient to request nondisclosure of certain patient information. Our findings suggest that in many states, health insurers are given considerable discretion in determining to whom plan communications containing sensitive health information are sent. Future research could use this framework to analyze the association between state laws concerning insured dependent confidentiality and public health outcomes and related sensitive services.

  4. State Mandated Benefits and Employer Provided Health Insurance

    OpenAIRE

    Jonathan Gruber

    1992-01-01

    One popular explanation for this low rate of employee coverage is the presence of numerous state regulations which mandate that group health insurance plans must include certain benefits. By raising the minimum costs of providing any health insurance coverage, these mandated benefits make it impossible for firms which would have desired to offer minimal health insurance at a low cost to do so. I use data on insurance coverage among employees in small firms to investigate whether this problem ...

  5. Health Insurance and Risk of Divorce: Does Having Your Own Insurance Matter?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sohn, Heeju

    2016-01-01

    Most American adults under 65 obtain health insurance through their employers or their spouses’ employers. The absence of a universal healthcare system in the United States puts Americans at considerable risk for losing their coverage when transitioning out of jobs or marriages. Scholars have found evidence of reduced job mobility among individuals who are dependent on their employers for healthcare coverage. This paper finds similar relationships between insurance and divorce. I apply the hazard model to married individuals in the longitudinal Survey of Income Program Participation (N=17,388) and find lower divorce rates among people who are insured through their partners’ plans without alternative sources of their own. Furthermore, I find gender differences in the relationship between healthcare coverage and divorce rates: insurance dependent women have lower rates of divorce than men in similar situations. These findings draw attention to the importance of considering family processes when debating and evaluating health policies. PMID:26949269

  6. Where are the radioactive wastes in France? Brochure no 5; Ou sont les dechets radioactifs en France? Brochure no 5

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    2004-07-01

    This document is one of the 6 regional brochures which make the geographical inventory of radioactive wastes in France. For each region, a table lists the recorded sites and a regional map localizes those having a detailed descriptive file. These files mention the most important waste owners (medical, research, nuclear and military industries), the type of waste and the type of management. The polluted sites are also mentioned, even if they are already decontaminated. The volume no 5 concerns the Languedoc-Roussillon and Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azur regions, Corsica, and the overseas departements and territories. (J.S.)

  7. Multistate Health Plans

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Robert E. Moffit PhD

    2015-09-01

    Full Text Available We discuss and evaluate the Multi-State Plan (MSP Program, a provision of the Affordable Care Act that has not been the subject of much debate as yet. The MSP Program provides the Office of Personnel Management with new authority to negotiate and implement multistate insurance plans on all health insurance exchanges within the United States. We raise the concern that the MSP Program may lead to further consolidation of the health insurance industry despite the program’s stated goal of increasing competition by means of health insurance exchanges. The MSP Program arguably gives a competitive advantage to large insurers, which already dominate health insurance markets. We also contend that the MSP Program’s failure to produce increased competition may motivate a new effort for a public health insurance option.

  8. The U.S. health insurance marketplace: are premiums truly affordable?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Graetz, Ilana; Kaplan, Cameron M; Kaplan, Erin K; Bailey, James E; Waters, Teresa M

    2014-10-21

    The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act requires that individuals have health insurance or pay a penalty. Individuals are exempt from paying this penalty if the after-subsidy cost of the least-expensive plan available to them is greater than 8% of their income. For this study, premium data for all health plans offered on the state and federal health insurance marketplaces were collected; the after-subsidy cost of premiums for the least-expensive bronze plan for every county in the United States was calculated; and variations in premium affordability by age, income, and geographic area were assessed. Results indicated that-although marketplace subsidies ensure affordable health insurance for most persons in the United States-many individuals with incomes just above the subsidy threshold will lack affordable coverage and will be exempt from the mandate. Furthermore, young individuals with low incomes often pay as much as or more than older individuals for bronze plans. If substantial numbers of younger, healthier adults choose to remain uninsured because of cost, health insurance premiums across all ages may increase over time.

  9. Breastfeeding: Planning Ahead

    Medline Plus

    Full Text Available ... health care Get health insurance Get help with family planning Get help with mental health Find girls' health ... health care Get health insurance Get help with family planning Get help with mental health Find girls' health ...

  10. Breastfeeding: Planning Ahead

    Medline Plus

    Full Text Available ... health topics Find Help Get breastfeeding help Get health care Get health insurance Get help with family planning ... health topics Find Help Get breastfeeding help Get health care Get health insurance Get help with family planning ...

  11. Breastfeeding: Planning Ahead

    Medline Plus

    Full Text Available ... Help Get breastfeeding help Get health care Get health insurance Get help with family planning Get help with ... Help Get breastfeeding help Get health care Get health insurance Get help with family planning Get help with ...

  12. A review of health, planning, insurance and property value issues related to active solar heating systems

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sadler, R.; Spencer, L.; Digby, G.; Battye, L.

    1996-01-01

    The research reported here considers the potential health risks, local authority planning implications, insurance and property value aspects of solar water heating systems. The United Kingdom market for this technology is also discussed. Methodologies employed, including literature reviews, telephone and postal survey and re-analysis of a 1995 survey, are explained. No major problems are identified in any of the target areas although recommendations for water temperature management and coordinated local authority policies on renewable energy are given. (UK)

  13. Slovenian national health insurance card: the next step.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kalin, T; Kandus, G; Trcek, D; Zupan, B

    1999-01-01

    The Slovenian national health insurance company started a full-scale deployment of the insurance smart card that is at the present used for insurance data and identification purpose only. There is ample capacity on the cards that were selected, to contain much more data than needed for the purely administrative and charging purposes. There are plans to include some basic medical information, donor information, etc. On the other hand, there are no firm plans to use the security infrastructure and the extensive network, connecting the insurance company with the more than 200 self service terminals positioned at the medical facilities through the country to build an integrated medical information system that would be very beneficial to the patients and the medical community. This paper is proposing some possible future developments and further discusses on the security issues involved with such countrywide medical information system.

  14. 75 FR 44709 - Common Crop Insurance Regulations; Stonefruit Crop Insurance Provisions

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-29

    ... resource farmers. FCIC believes this waiver helps to ensure that small entities are given the same... spacing for the producer to carry out recommended orchard management practices. Comment: A commenter... insurance period (e.g., a planned orchard renovation). Therefore, the producers should be able to timely...

  15. Death Spiral or Euthanasia? The Demise of Generous Group Health Insurance Coverage

    OpenAIRE

    Mark V. Pauly; Olivia Mitchell; Yuhui Zeng

    2004-01-01

    Employers must determine which sorts of healthcare insurance plans to offer employees and also set employee premiums for each plan provided. Depending on how they structure the premiums that employees pay across different healthcare insurance plans, plan sponsors alter the incentives to choose one plan over another. If employees know they differ by risk level but premiums do not fully reflect these risk differences, this can give rise to a so-called "death spiral" due to adverse selection. In...

  16. Building for a Changing Climate - Adaptation through planning and construction

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    2009-08-15

    Adaptation through planning and construction can help to reduce the negative effects of climate change, such as flooding, landslides, landslips, and erosion. The National Board of Housing, Building and Planning (Boverket) has conducted an analysis of how the Planning and Building Act can assist in the work towards climate change adaptation. This brochure provides guidance and support to for example property owners, developers, officials and decision makers in municipalities and the state

  17. Consumer's preferences in social health insurance.

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Kerssens, J.J.; Groenewegen, P.P.

    2005-01-01

    Allowing consumers greater choice of health plans is believed to be the key to high quality and low costs in social health insurance. This study investigates consumer preferences (361 persons, response rate 43%) for hypothetical health plans with differed in 12 characteristics (premium, deductibles,

  18. Employer health insurance offerings and employee enrollment decisions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Polsky, Daniel; Stein, Rebecca; Nicholson, Sean; Bundorf, M Kate

    2005-10-01

    To determine how the characteristics of the health benefits offered by employers affect worker insurance coverage decisions. The 1996-1997 and the 1998-1999 rounds of the nationally representative Community Tracking Study Household Survey. We use multinomial logistic regression to analyze the choice between own-employer coverage, alternative source coverage, and no coverage among employees offered health insurance by their employer. The key explanatory variables are the types of health plans offered and the net premium offered. The models include controls for personal, health plan, and job characteristics. When an employer offers only a health maintenance organization married employees are more likely to decline coverage from their employer and take-up another offer (odds ratio (OR)=1.27, phealth plan coverage an employer offers affects whether its employees take-up insurance, but has a smaller effect on overall coverage rates for workers and their families because of the availability of alternative sources of coverage. Relative to offering only a non-HMO plan, employers offering only an HMO may reduce take-up among those with alternative sources of coverage, but increase take-up among those who would otherwise go uninsured. By modeling the possibility of take-up through the health insurance offers from the employer of the spouse, the decline in coverage rates from higher net premiums is less than previous estimates.

  19. Using the Extended Parallel Process Model to create and evaluate the effectiveness of brochures to reduce the risk for noise-induced hearing loss in college students

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Michael R Kotowski

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available Brochures containing messages developed according to the Extended Parallel Process Model were deployed to increase intentions to use hearing protection for college students. These brochures were presented to one-half of a college student sample, after which a questionnaire was administered to assess perceptions of threat, efficacy, and behavioral intentions. The other half of the sample completed the questionnaire and then received brochures. Results indicated that people receiving the brochure before the questionnaire reported greater perceptions of hearing loss threat and efficacy to use ear plugs when in loud environments, however, intentions to use ear plugs were unchanged. Distribution of the brochure also resulted in greater perceptions of hearing loss threat and efficacy to use over-the-ear headphones when using devices such as MP3 players. In this case, however, intentions to use over-the-ear headphones increased. Results are discussed in terms of future research and practical applications.

  20. Nuclear property insurance: status and outlook

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1982-05-01

    The report addresses the problem of the unavailability of adequate levels of property insurance for commercial power reactors to pay for decontamination and cleanup costs arising from accidents. The report is designed to answer six questions, as follows: (1) What has been the development of each principal source of nuclear property insurance used as of early 1982 by nuclear utilities in the United States; (2) What are some of the distinguishing features of nuclear property insurance as offered by the principal sources; (3) How much nuclear property insurance was offered by each of these sources as of January 1, 1982; (4) Assuming that present plans came to fruition, how much nuclear property insurance is likely to be offered by each of these sources as of January 1, 1983; (5) What, if any, principal sources of nuclear property insurance are likely to emerge in the private sector by January 1, 1983; (6) What problems serious enough to warrant action of the NRC exist with respect to nuclear property insurance and what action should NRC take in response to each problem

  1. The Effect of Massachusetts' Health Reform on Employer-Sponsored Insurance Premiums.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cogan, John F; Hubbard, R Glenn; Kessler, Daniel

    2010-01-01

    In this paper, we use publicly available data from the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey - Insurance Component (MEPS-IC) to investigate the effect of Massachusetts' health reform plan on employer-sponsored insurance premiums. We tabulate premium growth for private-sector employers in Massachusetts and the United States as a whole for 2004 - 2008. We estimate the effect of the plan as the difference in premium growth between Massachusetts and the United States between 2006 and 2008-that is, before versus after the plan-over and above the difference in premium growth for 2004 to 2006. We find that health reform in Massachusetts increased single-coverage employer-sponsored insurance premiums by about 6 percent, or $262. Although our research design has important limitations, it does suggest that policy makers should be concerned about the consequences of health reform for the cost of private insurance.

  2. Relapsing-Remitting MS (RRMS)

    Medline Plus

    Full Text Available ... Life d Cognitive Health d Work, Home & Leisure Employment Insurance & Financial Information Staying Mobile Reclaiming Control Accessibility ... Living with MS (.pdf) Download Brochure Focus on Employment (.pdf) Download Brochure Working with MS (.pdf) Download ...

  3. 28 CFR 54.440 - Health and insurance benefits and services.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... 28 Judicial Administration 2 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Health and insurance benefits and... Discrimination on the Basis of Sex in Education Programs or Activities Prohibited § 54.440 Health and insurance... insurance benefit, service, policy, or plan to any of its students, a recipient shall not discriminate on...

  4. 34 CFR 106.39 - Health and insurance benefits and services.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... 34 Education 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Health and insurance benefits and services. 106.39... Prohibited § 106.39 Health and insurance benefits and services. In providing a medical, hospital, accident, or life insurance benefit, service, policy, or plan to any of its students, a recipient shall not...

  5. 22 CFR 146.440 - Health and insurance benefits and services.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... 22 Foreign Relations 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Health and insurance benefits and services. 146... the Basis of Sex in Education Programs or Activities Prohibited § 146.440 Health and insurance... insurance benefit, service, policy, or plan to any of its students, a recipient shall not discriminate on...

  6. How the Affordable Care Act Has Helped Women Gain Insurance and Improved Their Ability to Get Health Care: Findings from the Commonwealth Fund Biennial Health Insurance Survey, 2016.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gunja, Munira Z; Collins, Sara R; Doty, Michelle M; Beautel, Sophie

    2017-08-01

    ISSUE: Prior to the Affordable Care Act (ACA), one-third of women who tried to buy a health plan on their own were either turned down, charged a higher premium because of their health, or had specific health problems excluded from their plans. Beginning in 2010, ACA consumer protections, particularly coverage for preventive care screenings with no cost-sharing and a ban on plan benefit limits, improved the quality of health insurance for women. In 2014, the law’s major insurance reforms helped millions of women who did not have employer insurance to gain coverage through the ACA’s marketplaces or through Medicaid. GOALS: To examine the effects of ACA health reforms on women’s coverage and access to care. METHOD: Analysis of the Commonwealth Fund Biennial Health Insurance Surveys, 2001–2016. FINDINGS AND CONCLUSIONS: Women ages 19 to 64 who shopped for new coverage on their own found it significantly easier to find affordable plans in 2016 compared to 2010. The percentage of women who reported delaying or skipping needed care because of costs fell to an all-time low. Insured women were more likely than uninsured women to receive preventive screenings, including Pap tests and mammograms.

  7. USVI Energy Road Map: Charting the Course to a Clean Energy Future (Brochure)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    2011-07-01

    This brochure provides an overview of the integrated clean energy deployment process and progress of the Energy Development in Island Nations U.S. Virgin Islands pilot project road map, including over-arching goals, organization, strategy, technology-specific goals and accomplishments, challenges, solutions, and upcoming milestones.

  8. 45 CFR 618.440 - Health and insurance benefits and services.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-01

    ... 45 Public Welfare 3 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Health and insurance benefits and services. 618....440 Health and insurance benefits and services. Subject to § 618.235(d), in providing a medical, hospital, accident, or life insurance benefit, service, policy, or plan to any of its students, a recipient...

  9. 6 CFR 17.440 - Health and insurance benefits and services.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... 6 Domestic Security 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Health and insurance benefits and services. 17... Discrimination on the Basis of Sex in Education Programs or Activities Prohibited § 17.440 Health and insurance... insurance benefit, service, policy, or plan to any of its students, a recipient shall not discriminate on...

  10. 38 CFR 23.440 - Health and insurance benefits and services.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... Prohibited § 23.440 Health and insurance benefits and services. Subject to § 23.235(d), in providing a medical, hospital, accident, or life insurance benefit, service, policy, or plan to any of its students, a... 38 Pensions, Bonuses, and Veterans' Relief 2 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Health and insurance...

  11. 36 CFR 1211.440 - Health and insurance benefits and services.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... 36 Parks, Forests, and Public Property 3 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Health and insurance benefits... Activities Prohibited § 1211.440 Health and insurance benefits and services. Subject to § 1211.235(d), in providing a medical, hospital, accident, or life insurance benefit, service, policy, or plan to any of its...

  12. 22 CFR 229.440 - Health and insurance benefits and services.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... 22 Foreign Relations 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Health and insurance benefits and services. 229... on the Basis of Sex in Education Programs or Activities Prohibited § 229.440 Health and insurance... insurance benefit, service, policy, or plan to any of its students, a recipient shall not discriminate on...

  13. 14 CFR 1253.440 - Health and insurance benefits and services.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... 14 Aeronautics and Space 5 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Health and insurance benefits and services... Discrimination on the Basis of Sex in Education Programs or Activities Prohibited § 1253.440 Health and insurance... insurance benefit, service, policy, or plan to any of its students, a recipient shall not discriminate on...

  14. 24 CFR 3.440 - Health and insurance benefits and services.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... 24 Housing and Urban Development 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Health and insurance benefits and... Activities Prohibited § 3.440 Health and insurance benefits and services. Subject to § 3.235(d), in providing a medical, hospital, accident, or life insurance benefit, service, policy, or plan to any of its...

  15. 31 CFR 28.440 - Health and insurance benefits and services.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... 31 Money and Finance: Treasury 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Health and insurance benefits and... Discrimination on the Basis of Sex in Education Programs or Activities Prohibited § 28.440 Health and insurance... insurance benefit, service, policy, or plan to any of its students, a recipient shall not discriminate on...

  16. 32 CFR 196.440 - Health and insurance benefits and services.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... 32 National Defense 2 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Health and insurance benefits and services. 196... Activities Prohibited § 196.440 Health and insurance benefits and services. Subject to § 196.235(d), in providing a medical, hospital, accident, or life insurance benefit, service, policy, or plan to any of its...

  17. 13 CFR 113.440 - Health and insurance benefits and services.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... 13 Business Credit and Assistance 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Health and insurance benefits and....440 Health and insurance benefits and services. Subject to § 113.235(d), in providing a medical, hospital, accident, or life insurance benefit, service, policy, or plan to any of its students, a recipient...

  18. 45 CFR 2555.440 - Health and insurance benefits and services.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-01

    ... 45 Public Welfare 4 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Health and insurance benefits and services. 2555... Activities Prohibited § 2555.440 Health and insurance benefits and services. Subject to § 2555.235(d), in providing a medical, hospital, accident, or life insurance benefit, service, policy, or plan to any of its...

  19. 43 CFR 41.440 - Health and insurance benefits and services.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-01

    ... 43 Public Lands: Interior 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Health and insurance benefits and services... Discrimination on the Basis of Sex in Education Programs or Activities Prohibited § 41.440 Health and insurance... insurance benefit, service, policy, or plan to any of its students, a recipient shall not discriminate on...

  20. Pensions as Retirement Income Insurance.

    OpenAIRE

    Bodie, Zvi

    1990-01-01

    This paper develops the view that employer-sponsored pension plans are best understood as retirement income insurance for employees and from that perspective addresses a number of questions regarding the reasons for their existence, their design, and their funding and investment policies. The most important of these questions are: - Why do employers provide pension plans for their employees and why is participation usually mandatory? - Why is the defined benefit form of pension plan the domin...

  1. 18 CFR 1317.440 - Health and insurance benefits and services.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... § 1317.440 Health and insurance benefits and services. Subject to § 1317.235(d), in providing a medical, hospital, accident, or life insurance benefit, service, policy, or plan to any of its students, a recipient... 18 Conservation of Power and Water Resources 2 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Health and insurance...

  2. Preparation of a continuative brochure as supplement to the evaluation hand-out for the assessment of study results

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wilhelmy, S.; Gollnick, F.; Driessen, S.; Schmidt, M.; Gross, D.

    2015-01-01

    In 2013 the Federal Office for Radiation Protection gave the responsibility to the Department of History, Philosophy and Ethics of Medicine (Institut GTE Med) in Aachen for the project ''Creating a practical hand-out for the assessment of study results for employees of local governments'' (FM 8855). The manual serves as a practical way for the qualitative evaluation of texts for persons who deal with the topics Mobile Communication and Health (for example communities or government agencies) in their profession. The main objective of the manual is to aid users in performing a faster and more efficient evaluation of texts by answering the containing questions. This approach is purely functional and precludes the placement of deeper information. At this point the new project FM 8862 started by ''Creating a continuative brochure in addition to the hand-out for the assessment of study results''. It continued the previous project FM 8855 to further develop the information which was up to this point purely functional. The brochure presents the issues in an overall context and provides valuable background knowledge. As a result, possible users get in a more casual and clear manner a deeper understanding of the evaluating of texts. It should be possible for a user to better evaluate texts and by obtaining arguments, thus being better prepared to engage with interested Laymen in an objective discussion. The brochure was submitted together with the existing manual for a practical test, which was attended by 21 target group-specific subjects. The study tested in detail the intelligibility, clarity, applicability, and the support of the brochure. The feedback of the test participants were then used as basis for the final optimization of the brochure. Project participants belong to the Department of History, Philosophy and Ethics of Medicine and the Research Center for Bioelectromagnetic Interaction of the RWTH Aachen University (femu).

  3. Better Building Alliance, Plug and Process Loads in Commercial Buildings: Capacity and Power Requirement Analysis (Brochure)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    2014-09-01

    This brochure addresses gaps in actionable knowledge that can help reduce the plug load capacities designed into buildings. Prospective building occupants and real estate brokers lack accurate references for plug and process load (PPL) capacity requirements, so they often request 5-10 W/ft2 in their lease agreements. This brochure should be used to make these decisions so systems can operate more energy efficiently; upfront capital costs will also decrease. This information can also be used to drive changes in negotiations about PPL energy demands. It should enable brokers and tenants to agree about lower PPL capacities. Owner-occupied buildings will also benefit. Overestimating PPL capacity leads designers to oversize electrical infrastructure and cooling systems.

  4. Health insurance take-up by the near-elderly.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Buchmueller, Thomas C; Ohri, Sabina

    2006-12-01

    To examine the effect of price on the demand for health insurance by early retirees between the ages of 55 and 64. Administrative health plan enrollment data from a medium-sized U.S. employer. The analysis takes advantage of a natural experiment created by the firm's health insurance contribution policy. The amount the firm contributes toward retiree health insurance coverage depends on when a person retired and her years of service at that date. As a result of this policy, there is considerable variation in out-of-pocket premiums faced by individuals in the data. This variation is independent of the nonprice attributes of the health insurance plans offered and is plausibly exogenous to individual characteristics that are likely to affect the demand for insurance. A probit model is used to estimate the decision to take-up employer-sponsored health insurance by early retirees between the ages of 55 and 64. Demand for insurance is measured as a function of out-of-pocket premiums and a set of individual characteristics. We find that price has a small but statistically significant effect on the decision to take up coverage. Estimated price elasticities range from -0.10 to -0.16, depending on the sample. The implied elasticities are comparable with results found in previous studies using very different data. Our estimates indicate that policy proposals for a Medicare buy-in or a nongroup tax credit will have a modest impact on take-up rates of near-elderly retirees.

  5. Finance issue brief: insurer liability: year end report-2003.

    Science.gov (United States)

    MacEachern, Lillian

    2003-12-31

    When a health plan denies payment for a procedure on grounds that it is not medically necessary or when it refuses a physician-ordered referral to a specialist, has it crossed the line from making an insurance judgment to practicing medicine? If the patient suffers harm as a result of the decision, is the plan liable for medical malpractice? Those were questions 35 states considered in 1999, and at least 32 states are grappling with this year as they seek to respond to physician and patient pressure to curb the power of the managed care industry. Traditionally, health insurers have been protected by state laws banning "the corporate practice of medicine," which means the patient's only recourse is to sue under a "vicarious liability" theory. Now, however, lawmakers are debating legislation to extend the scope of malpractice liability beyond individual practitioners to insurance carriers and plans themselves.

  6. Finance issue brief: insurer liability: year end report-2002.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Morgan, Rachel; MacEachern, Lillian

    2002-12-31

    When a health plan denies payment for a procedure on grounds that it is not medically necessary or when it refuses a physician-ordered referral to a specialist, has it crossed the line from making an insurance judgment to practicing medicine? If the patient suffers harm as a result of the decision, is the plan liable for medical malpractice? Those were questions 35 states considered in 1999, and at least 32 states are grappling with this year as they seek to respond to physician and patient pressure to curb the power of the managed care industry. Traditionally, health insurers have been protected by state laws banning "the corporate practice of medicine," which means the patient's only recourse is to sue under a "vicarious liability" theory. Now, however, lawmakers are debating legislation to extend the scope of malpractice liability beyond individual practitioners to insurance carriers and plans themselves.

  7. 77 FR 16453 - Student Health Insurance Coverage

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-03-21

    ... eliminating annual and lifetime dollar limits would result in dramatic premium hikes for student plans and.... Industry and university commenters noted that student health insurance coverage benefits typically... duplication of benefits and makes student plans more affordable. Industry commenters noted that student health...

  8. Voluntary Public Unemployment Insurance

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    O. Parsons, Donald; Tranæs, Torben; Bie Lilleør, Helene

    Denmark has drawn much attention for its active labor market policies, but is almost unique in offering a voluntary public unemployment insurance program requiring a significant premium payment. A safety net program – a less generous, means-tested social assistance plan – completes the system...

  9. Solar Decathlon 2002: Energy We Can Live With (Program Brochure)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    2002-09-01

    This program brochure will be handed out to the teams, sponsors, and some attendees to provide a brief overview of the competition and the fourteen entries. The brochure also outlines the sponsors reasons for participating in the Solar Decathlon. The U.S. Department of Energy is proud to sponsor the first-ever Solar Decathlon, a college and university competition that brings together our nation's brightest minds to demonstrate practical ways of producing and using energy efficiently in the home. The Solar Decathlon consists of 10 contests that encompass all the ways in which we use energy in our daily lives--from livability and comfort to daily chores and home-based work to getting around town. Sunlight is the only source of energy that can be used to generate the thermal, electrical, and mechanical power needed to compete in the 10 contests. The best looking house that can produce the most energy and use that energy the most efficiently will win. Energy efficiency and solar technologies are available for the home today, and they are affordable. At the same time, the designs of these homes are attractive and livable. The Solar Decathlon will prove that investment in renewable energy and energy-efficient technologies can reduce our dependence on foreign oil, improve human health, conserve natural resources, and create markets for American products around the world.

  10. The Norwegian Plan of Action for nuclear safety issues

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1997-07-01

    The Plan of Action underlies Norwegian activities in the field of international co-operation to enhance nuclear safety and prevent radioactive contamination from activities in Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union. Geographically the highest priority has been given to support for safety measures in north-west Russia. This information brochure outlines the main content of the Plan of Action for nuclear safety issues and lists a number of associated measures and projects

  11. The Norwegian Plan of Action for nuclear safety issues

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    1997-07-01

    The Plan of Action underlies Norwegian activities in the field of international co-operation to enhance nuclear safety and prevent radioactive contamination from activities in Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union. Geographically the highest priority has been given to support for safety measures in north-west Russia. This information brochure outlines the main content of the Plan of Action for nuclear safety issues and lists a number of associated measures and projects.

  12. 41 CFR 101-4.440 - Health and insurance benefits and services.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... 41 Public Contracts and Property Management 2 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 true Health and insurance... insurance benefits and services. Subject to § 101-4.235(d), in providing a medical, hospital, accident, or life insurance benefit, service, policy, or plan to any of its students, a recipient shall not...

  13. International solar-terrestrial physics program: a plan for the core spaceflight missions

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    1985-01-01

    This brochure has been prepared to describe the scope of the science problems to be investigated and the mission plan for the core International Solar-Terrestrial Physics (ISTP) Program. This information is intended to stimulate discussions and plans for the comprehensive worldwide ISTP Program. The plan for the study of the solar - terrestrial system is included. The Sun, geospace, and Sun-Earth interaction is discussed as is solar dynamics and the origins of solar winds.

  14. Airline network development in Europe and its implications for airport planning

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Burghouwt, G.

    2007-01-01

    Order by Fax Printer Friendly PDF Brochure Send to Friend Enquire before Buying Hard Copy Airline Network Development in Europe and its Implications for Airport Planning Ashgate Publishing, March 2007, Pages: 300 Description Table of Contents Enquire before Buying Send to a Friend The ongoing

  15. 42 CFR 457.80 - Current State child health insurance coverage and coordination.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-01

    ... 42 Public Health 4 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Current State child health insurance coverage and... HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) STATE CHILDREN'S HEALTH INSURANCE PROGRAMS (SCHIPs) ALLOTMENTS AND GRANTS TO STATES Introduction; State Plans for Child Health Insurance Programs and Outreach Strategies...

  16. 7 CFR 15a.39 - Health and insurance benefits and services.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... 7 Agriculture 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Health and insurance benefits and services. 15a.39... Programs and Activities Prohibited § 15a.39 Health and insurance benefits and services. In providing a medical, hospital, accident, or life insurance benefit, service, policy, or plan to any of its students, a...

  17. Insurance Companies Adapting to Trends by Adopting Medical Tourism.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Paul, David P; Barker, Tyler; Watts, Angela L; Messinger, Ashley; Coustasse, Alberto

    Health care costs in the United States are rising every year, and patients are seeking new ways to control their expenditures and save money. Going abroad to receive health care is a cheaper alternative than receiving the same or similar care at home. Insurance companies are beginning to realize the benefits of medical tourism for both themselves and their beneficiaries and have therefore started to introduce medical tourism plans for their clients as an option for their beneficiaries. This research study explores the benefits and risks of medical tourism and examines the US insurance market's reaction to the trend of increasing medical tourism. The US medical tourism industry mirrors that of the United Kingdom in recent years, with more patients seeking care abroad than in the United States. Insurance companies have introduced new plans providing the option of traveling abroad to countries such as India and Costa Rica. Medical tourism is gaining popularity with US residents, and insurance companies are recognizing this trend.

  18. Insurance and indemnification implications of future space projects

    Science.gov (United States)

    O'Brien, John E.

    1987-01-01

    NASA options regarding insurance and indemnification policies as they relate to NASA customers and contractors are described. The foundation for the discussion is the way in which NASA is planning to return the Space Shuttle fleet to safe flight as well as current U.S. policy concerning future uses of the Shuttle fleet. Issues discussed include: the nature of the Shuttle manifest; the policy regarding property damage or destruction; insurance against liability to third parties; the reduction of the scope of the risk to be insured; NASA as the insurer; a sharing arrangement between the user and NASA; and contractors and subcontractors involved in Shuttle operations.

  19. Flood risk and insurance loss potential in the Thames Gateway

    Science.gov (United States)

    Eldridge, J.; Horn, D.

    2009-04-01

    The Thames Gateway, currently Europe's largest regeneration project, is an area of redevelopment located in the South East of England, with Government plans to create up to 160,000 new homes and 180,000 new jobs by 2016. Although the new development is intended to contribute £12bn annually to the economy, the potential flood risk is high, with much of the area situated on Thames tidal floodplain and vulnerable to both storm surges and peak river flows. This poses significant hazard to those inhabiting the area and has raised concern amongst the UK insurance industry, who would be liable for significant financial claims if a large flood event were to occur, particularly with respect to the number of new homes and businesses being built in flood risk areas. Flood risk and the potential damage to both lives and assets in vulnerable areas have gained substantial recognition, in light of recent flooding events, from both governmental agencies and in the public's awareness of flood hazard. This has resulted in a change in UK policy with planning policy for flood risk (PPS25, Planning Policy Statement 25) adopting a more strategic approach to development, as well as a new Flooding and Water Bill which is due for consultation in 2009. The Government and the Association of British Insurers, who represent the UK insurance industry, have also recently changed their Statement of Principles which guides provision of flood insurance in the future. This PhD research project aims to quantify flood risk in the Thames Gateway area with a view to evaluating the insurance loss potential under different insurance and planning scenarios. Using current sources of inundation extent, and incorporating varying insurance penetration rates and degrees of adoption of planning policy and guidance, it focuses on estimating flood risk under these different scenarios. This presentation introduces the development of the project and the theory and methodology which will be used to address the

  20. National Renewable Energy Laboratory: 35 Years of Innovation (Brochure)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    2012-04-01

    This brochure is an overview of NREL's innovations over the last 35 years. It includes the lab's history and a description of the laboratory of the future. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) is the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) primary national laboratory for renewable energy and energy efficiency. NREL's work focuses on advancing renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies from concept to the commercial marketplace through industry partnerships. The Alliance for Sustainable Energy, LLC, a partnership between Battelle and MRIGlobal, manages NREL for DOE's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy.

  1. Health Care Analysis for the MCRMC Insurance Cost Model

    Science.gov (United States)

    2015-06-01

    incentive to reduce utilization  Subsidy to leave TRICARE and use other private health insurance  Increases in TRICARE premiums and co-pays  This...analysis develops the estimated cost of providing health care through a premium -based insurance model consistent with an employer-sponsored benefit...State  Income  Plan premium data  Contract cost data 22 May 2015 9 Agenda  Overview  Background  Data  Insurance Cost Estimate Methodology

  2. The Role of Wealth and Health in Insurance Choice: Bivariate Probit Analysis in China

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yiding Yue

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available This paper captures the correlation between the choices of health insurance and pension insurance using the bivariate probit model and then studies the effect of wealth and health on insurance choice. Our empirical evidence shows that people who participate in a health care program are more likely to participate in a pension plan at the same time, while wealth and health have different effects on the choices of the health care program and the pension program. Generally, the higher an individual’s wealth level is, the more likelihood he will participate in a health care program; but wealth has no effect on the participation of pension. Health status has opposite effects on choices of health care programs and pension plans; the poorer an individual’s health is, the more likely he is to participate in health care programs, while the better health he enjoys, the more likely he is to participate in pension plans. When the investigation scope narrows down to commercial insurance, there is only a significant effect of health status on commercial health insurance. The commercial insurance choice and the insurance choice of the agricultural population are more complicated.

  3. Estimating workers' marginal valuation of employer health benefits: would insured workers prefer more health insurance or higher wages?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Royalty, Anne Beeson

    2008-01-01

    In recent years the cost of health insurance has been increasing much faster than wages. In the face of these rising costs, many employers will have to make difficult decisions about whether to cut back health benefits or to compensate workers with lower wages or lower wage growth. In this paper, we ask the question, "Which do workers value more -- one additional dollar's worth of health benefits or one more dollar in their pockets?" Using a new approach to obtaining estimates of insured workers' marginal valuation of health benefits this paper estimates how much, on average, employees value the marginal dollar paid by employers for their workers' health insurance. We find that insured workers value the marginal health premium dollar at significantly less than the marginal wage dollar. However, workers value insurance generosity very highly. The marginal dollar spent on health insurance that adds an additional dollar's worth of observable dimensions of plan generosity, such as lower deductibles or coverage of additional services, is valued at significantly more than one dollar.

  4. Geographic variation in premiums in health insurance marketplaces.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barker, Abigail R; McBride, Timothy D; Kemper, Leah M; Mueller, Keith

    2014-08-01

    This policy brief analyzes the 2014 premiums associated with qualified health plans (QHPs) made available through new health insurance marketplaces (HIMs), an implementation of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) of 2010. We report differences in premiums by insurance rating areas while controlling for other important factors such as the actuarial value of the plan (metal level), cost-of-living differences, and state-level decisions over type of rating area. While market equilibrium, based on experience and understanding of the characteristics of the new market, should not be expected this soon, preliminary results give policymakers key issues to monitor.

  5. The Reallocation of Compensation in Response to Health Insurance Premium Increases

    OpenAIRE

    Dana P. Goldman; Neeraj Sood; Arleen Leibowitz

    2003-01-01

    This paper examines how compensation packages change when health insurance premiums rise. We use data on employee choices within a single large firm with a flexible benefits plan; an increasingly common arrangement among medium and large firms. In these companies, employees explicitly choose how to allocate compensation between cash and various benefits such as retirement, medical insurance, life insurance, and dental benefits. We find that a $1 increase in the price of health insurance leads...

  6. 78 FR 17606 - Common Crop Insurance Regulations; Arizona-California Citrus Crop Insurance Provisions

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-03-22

    ... definition of ``crop year'' by removing the term ``citrus'' and adding the term ``insured'' in its place; 0 v... is planning to replace the category of ``type'' in the actuarial documents with four categories named... category of ``practice'' in the actuarial documents with four categories named ``cropping practice...

  7. The potential and peril of health insurance tobacco surcharge programs: evidence from Georgia's State Employees' Health Benefit Plan.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liber, Alex C; Hockenberry, Jason M; Gaydos, Laura M; Lipscomb, Joseph

    2014-06-01

    A rapidly growing number of U.S. employers are charging health insurance surcharges for tobacco use to their employees. Despite their potential to price-discriminate, little systematic empirical evidence of the impacts of these tobacco surcharges has been published. We attempted to assess the impact of a health insurance surcharge for tobacco use on cessation among enrollees in Georgia's State Health Benefit Plan (GSHBP). We identified a group of enrollees in GSHBP who began paying the tobacco surcharge at the program's inception in July 2005. We examined the proportion of these enrollees who certified themselves and their family members as tobacco-free and no longer paid the surcharge through April 2011, and we defined this as implied cessation. We compared this proportion to a national expected annual 2.6% cessation rate. We also compared our observation group to a comparison group to assess surcharge avoidance. By April 2011, 45% of enrollees who paid a tobacco surcharge starting in July 2005 had certified themselves as tobacco-free. This proportion exceeded the expected cessation based on 3 times the national rate (p health insurance surcharges in changing behavior, are tempered by the important limitation that enrollees' certification of quitting was self-reported and not subject to additional, clinical verification.

  8. Determinants of Coverage Decisions in Health Insurance Marketplaces: Consumers' Decision-Making Abilities and the Amount of Information in Their Choice Environment

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barnes, Andrew J; Hanoch, Yaniv; Rice, Thomas

    2015-01-01

    Objective To investigate the determinants and quality of coverage decisions among uninsured choosing plans in a hypothetical health insurance marketplace. Study Setting Two samples of uninsured individuals: one from an Internet-based sample comprised largely of young, healthy, tech-savvy individuals (n = 276), and the other from low-income, rural Virginians (n = 161). Study Design We assessed whether health insurance comprehension, numeracy, choice consistency, and the number of plan choices were associated with participants' ability to choose a cost-minimizing plan, given their expected health care needs (defined as choosing a plan costing no more than $500 in excess of the total estimated annual costs of the cheapest plan available). Data Collection Primary data were collected using an online questionnaire. Principal Findings Uninsured who were more numerate showed higher health insurance comprehension; those with more health insurance comprehension made choices of health insurance plans more consistent with their stated preferences; and those who made choices more concordant with their stated preferences were less likely to choose a plan that cost more than $500 in excess of the cheapest plan available. Conclusions Increasing health insurance comprehension and designing exchanges to facilitate plan comparison will be critical to ensuring the success of health insurance marketplaces. PMID:24779769

  9. Effect of Health Insurance on Demand for Outpatient Medical Care in ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    ahavugimana

    objective of this paper is to examine factors influencing outpatient care demand in ..... Endogeneity of health insurance arises because the decision to purchase health ... insurance plan, or by purchasing privately a generous coverage. Existing ...

  10. Health insurance premium tax credit. Final regulations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-02-01

    This document contains final regulations relating to the health insurance premium tax credit enacted by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010.These final regulations provide guidance to individuals related to employees who may enroll in eligible employer-sponsored coverage and who wish to enroll in qualified health plans through Affordable Insurance Exchanges (Exchanges) and claim the premium tax credit.

  11. The individual insurance market before reform: low premiums and low benefits.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Whitmore, Heidi; Gabel, Jon R; Pickreign, Jeremy; McDevitt, Roland

    2011-10-01

    Based on analyses of individual market health plans sold through ehealthinsurance and enrollment information collected from individual market carriers, this article profiles the individual health insurance market in 2007, before health reform. The article examines premiums, plan enrollment, cost sharing, and covered benefits and compares individual and group markets. Premiums for the young are lower than in the group market but higher for older people. Cost sharing is substantial in the individual insurance market. Seventy-eight percent of people were enrolled in plans with deductibles for single coverage, which averaged $2,117. Annual out-of-pocket maximums averaged $5,271. Many plans do not cover important benefits. Twelve percent of individually insured persons had no coverage for office visits and only 43% have maternity benefits in their basic coverage. With the advent of health exchanges and new market rules in 2014, covered benefits may become richer, cost sharing will decline, but premiums for the young will rise.

  12. Health Insurance Coverage: Early Release of Estimates from the National Health Interview Survey, January -- June 2013

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... from 2010 to 2013 were also evaluated using logistic regression analysis. State-specific health insurance estimates are ... coverage options; compare health insurance plans based on cost, benefits, and other important features; choose a plan; ...

  13. Where are the radioactive wastes in France? Brochure no 3

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2004-01-01

    This document is one of the 6 regional brochures which make the geographical inventory of radioactive wastes in France. For each region, a table lists the recorded sites and a regional map localizes those having a detailed descriptive file. These files mention the most important waste owners (medical, research, nuclear and military industries), the type of waste and the type of management. The polluted sites are also mentioned, even if they are already decontaminated. The volume no 3 concerns the Nord-Pas-de-Calais, Picardie, Champagne-Ardenne, Bourgogne, Alsace, Lorraine, Franche-Comte regions. (J.S.)

  14. Where are the radioactive wastes in France? Brochure no 1

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2004-01-01

    This document is one of the 6 regional brochures which make the geographical inventory of radioactive wastes in France. For each region, a table lists the recorded sites and a regional map localizes those having a detailed descriptive file. These files mention the most important waste owners (medical, research, nuclear and military industries), the type of waste and the type of management. The polluted sites are also mentioned, even if they are already decontaminated. The volume no 1 concerns the Ile-de-France region (Paris region). (J.S.)

  15. Where are the radioactive wastes in France? Brochure no 6

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2004-01-01

    This document is one of the 6 regional brochures which make the geographical inventory of radioactive wastes in France. For each region, a table lists the recorded sites and a regional map localizes those having a detailed descriptive file. These files mention the most important waste owners (medical, research, nuclear and military industries), the type of waste and the type of management. The polluted sites are also mentioned, even if they are already decontaminated. The volume no 6 concerns the Aquitaine, Limousin, Midi-Pyrenees and Poitou-Charentes regions. (J.S.)

  16. Where are the radioactive wastes in France? Brochure no 2

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2004-01-01

    This document is one of the 6 regional brochures which make the geographical inventory of radioactive wastes in France. For each region, a table lists the recorded sites and a regional map localizes those having a detailed descriptive file. These files mention the most important waste owners (medical, research, nuclear and military industries), the type of waste and the type of management. The polluted sites are also mentioned, even if they are already decontaminated. The volume no 2 concerns the Bretagne (Brittany), Pays de la Loire, Haute-Normandie, Basse-Normandie and Centre regions. (J.S.)

  17. Knowledge and understanding of health insurance: challenges and remedies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barnes, Andrew J; Hanoch, Yaniv

    2017-07-13

    As coverage is expanded in health systems that rely on consumers to choose health insurance plans that best meet their needs, interest in whether consumers possess sufficient understanding of health insurance to make good coverage decisions is growing. The recent IJHPR article by Green and colleagues-examining understanding of supplementary health insurance (SHI) among Israeli consumers-provides an important and timely answer to the above question. Indeed, their study addresses similar problems to the ones identified in the US health care market, with two notable findings. First, they show that overall-regardless of demographic variables-there are low levels of knowledge about SHI, which the literature has come to refer to more broadly as "health insurance literacy." Second, they find a significant disparity in health insurance literacy between different SES groups, where Jews were significantly more knowledgeable about SHI compared to their Arab counterparts.The authors' findings are consistent with a growing body of literature from the U.S. and elsewhere, including our own, presenting evidence that consumers struggle with understanding and using health insurance. Studies in the U.S. have also found that difficulties are generally more acute for populations considered the most vulnerable and consequently most in need of adequate and affordable health insurance coverage.The authors' findings call attention to the need to tailor communication strategies aimed at mitigating health insurance literacy and, ultimately, access and outcomes disparities among vulnerable populations in Israel and elsewhere. It also raises the importance of creating insurance choice environments in health systems relying on consumers to make coverage decisions that facilitate the decision process by using "choice architecture" to, among other things, simplify plan information and highlight meaningful differences between coverage options.

  18. Multiemployer Pension Plans

    Data.gov (United States)

    Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation — This spreadsheet lists the active multiemployer pensions plans insured by PBGC. Plans are identified by name, employer identification number (EIN) and plan number...

  19. Health insurance and the demand for medical care: Instrumental variable estimates using health insurer claims data.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dunn, Abe

    2016-07-01

    This paper takes a different approach to estimating demand for medical care that uses the negotiated prices between insurers and providers as an instrument. The instrument is viewed as a textbook "cost shifting" instrument that impacts plan offerings, but is unobserved by consumers. The paper finds a price elasticity of demand of around -0.20, matching the elasticity found in the RAND Health Insurance Experiment. The paper also studies within-market variation in demand for prescription drugs and other medical care services and obtains comparable price elasticity estimates. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  20. Planning outstanding reserves in general insurance

    Science.gov (United States)

    Raeva, E.; Pavlov, V.

    2017-10-01

    Each insurance company have to ensure its solvency through presentation of accounts for its own reserves in the start of the year. Usually the task of the actuary is to estimate the state of the company on an annual basis and the expectation of the status of the company for a future period. One of the major problem when calculating the liabilities of the incurred claims, is related to the delay of payments. Object of consideration in the present note are the outstanding claim reserves, which are set aside to cover claims, occurred before the date of the annual account, but still not paid, and related with them expenses. There may be different reasons for the delay of claims settlement. For example, continuation the process of the liquidation of the damage waiting for necessary documents or the presence of controversial cases whose permission takes time, etc. Thus the claims, which determine the outstanding reserves could be divided in the following types: claims, which are reported, but not settled (RBNS); claims, which are incurred but not reported (IBNR); claims, whose case is finished, but it is possible to be reopened. When calculating the reserves for IBNR claims, most widely used is the Chain-ladder method and its modification presented by the Bornhuetter - Ferguson method. For modeling the outstanding claims, the available data should be presented in so called run-off triangle, which underlies in the basis of such methods. The present work provides a review of the algorithm for calculating insurance outstanding claim reserves according to the Chain-ladder method. Using available data for claims related to liability of drivers, registered in Bulgaria an example is constructed to illustrate the methodology of the Chain-Ladder method. Back-testing approach is used for validating the results.

  1. The Addiction Benefits Scorecard: A Framework to Promote Health Insurer Accountability and Support Consumer Engagement.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Danovitch, Itai; Kan, David

    2017-01-01

    Health care insurance plans covering treatment for substance use disorders (SUD) offer a wide range of benefits. Distinctions between health plan benefits are confusing, and consumers making selections may not adequately understand the characteristics or significance of the choices they have. The California Society of Addiction Medicine sought to help consumers make informed decisions about plan selections by providing education on the standard of care for SUD and presenting findings from an expert analysis of selected health plans. We developed an assessment framework, based on criteria endorsed by the American Society of Addiction Medicine, to rate the quality of SUD treatment benefits offered by a sample of insurance plans. We convened an expert panel of physicians to rate 16 policies of 10 insurance providers across seven categories. Data from published resources for 2014 insurance plans were extracted, categorized, and rated. The framework and ratings were summarized in a consumer-facing white paper. We found significant heterogeneity in benefits across comparable plans, as well as variation in the characterization and clarity of published services. This article presents findings and implications of the project. There is a pressing need to define requirements for SUD benefits and to hold health plans accountable for offering quality services in accordance with those benefits.

  2. An early examination of access to select orphan drugs treating rare diseases in health insurance exchange plans.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Robinson, Sandy W; Brantley, Kelly; Liow, Christine; Teagarden, J Russell

    2014-10-01

    Patients with rare diseases often face significant health care access challenges, particularly since the number of available treatment options for rare diseases is limited. The implementation of health insurance exchanges promises improved access to health care. However, when purchasing a plan, patients with rare diseases need to consider multiple factors, such as insurance premium, access to providers, coverage of a specific medication or treatment, tier placement of drug, and out-of-pocket costs.  To provide an early snapshot of the exchange plan landscape from the perspective of patients with select rare diseases by evaluating the degree of access to medications in a subset of exchange plans based on coverage, tier placement, associated cost sharing, and utilization management (UM) applied.  The selection of drugs for this analysis began by identifying rare diseases with FDA-approved treatment options using the National Institutes of Health Office of Rare Diseases' webpage and further identification of a subset of drugs based on select criteria to ensure a varied sample, including the characteristics and prevalence of the condition. The medications were categorized based on whether alternative therapies have FDA approval for the same indication and whether there are comparators based on class or therapeutic area. The list was narrowed to 11 medications across 7 diseases, and the analysis was based on how these drugs are listed in exchange plan outpatient pharmacy benefit formularies. This analysis focused on 84 plans in 15 states with the highest expected exchange enrollment and included a variety of plan types to ensure that variability in the marketplace was represented. To best approximate plans that will have the greatest enrollment, the analysis focused on silver and bronze plan formularies because consumers in this market are expected to be sensitive to premiums. Data on drug coverage, tier placement, cost, and UM were collected from these plans

  3. Men's Help Seeking for Depression: The Efficacy of a Male-Sensitive Brochure about Counseling

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hammer, Joseph H.; Vogel, David L.

    2010-01-01

    Although depression among men is becoming better understood, men still underuse counseling services. Hence, there is an important need for improved ways to reach out to depressed men. This study examined the efficacy of a male-sensitive brochure aimed toward improving attitudes about seeking counseling and reducing the self-stigma of seeking…

  4. Commercial insurance vs community-based health plans: time for a policy option with clinical emphasis to address the cost spiral.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Amundson, Bruce

    2005-01-01

    The nation continues its ceaseless struggle with the spiraling cost of health care. Previous efforts (regulation, competition, voluntary action) have included almost every strategy except clinical. Insurers have largely failed in their cost-containment efforts. There is a strong emerging body of literature that demonstrates the relationship between various clinical strategies and reductions in utilization and costs. This article describes the organization of health services, including integration of delivery and financing systems, at the community level as a model that effectively addresses the critical structural flaws that have frustrated control of costs. Community-based health plans (CHPs) have been developed and have demonstrated viability. The key elements of CHPs are a legal organizational structure, a full provider network, advanced care-management systems, and the ability to assume financial risk. Common misconceptions regarding obstacles to CHP development are the complexity of the undertaking, difficulty assuming the insurance function, and insured pools that are too small to be viable. The characteristics of successful CHPs and 2 case studies are described, including the types of advanced care-management systems that have resulted in strong financial performance. The demonstrated ability of CHPs to establish financial viability with small numbers of enrollees challenges the common assumption that there is a fixed relationship between health plan enrollment size and financial performance. Organizing the health system at the community/regional level provides an attractive alternative model in the health-reform debate. There is an opportunity for clinical systems and state and federal leaders to support the development of community-based integrated delivery and financing system models that, among other advantages, have significant potential to modulate the pernicious cost spiral.

  5. 78 FR 4593 - Medicaid, Children's Health Insurance Programs, and Exchanges: Essential Health Benefits in...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-01-22

    ...'s Health Insurance Programs, and Exchanges: Essential Health Benefits in Alternative Benefit Plans...-2334-P] RIN 0938-AR04 Medicaid, Children's Health Insurance Programs, and Exchanges: Essential Health... 2010 (collectively referred to as the Affordable Care Act), and the Children's Health Insurance Program...

  6. Randomized Trial of a Children's Book Versus Brochures for Safe Sleep Knowledge and Adherence in a High-Risk Population.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hutton, John S; Gupta, Resmi; Gruber, Rachel; Berndsen, Jennifer; DeWitt, Thomas; Ollberding, Nicholas J; Van Ginkel, Judith B; Ammerman, Robert T

    Sleep-related infant deaths have plateaued in the past decade, disproportionately affecting low socioeconomic status (SES) families. Printed materials are widely used for anticipatory guidance, yet none for safe sleep has been studied. We tested the efficacy of a specially designed children's book compared to brochures for safe sleep knowledge and adherence, which we hypothesized would be greater due to superior readability and engagement. This randomized controlled trial involved low-SES mothers (n = 282) enrolled in a home visiting program. Home visitors (n = 56) were randomly assigned to perform safe sleep teaching and assessments during 3 visits: third trimester, 1 week old, and 2 months old, exclusively utilizing a specially designed children's book or brochures, and surveys incorporating the American Academy of Pediatrics' safe sleep recommendations. Outcomes were safe sleep knowledge, adherence, and usefulness of materials, controlling for maternal health literacy. Safe sleep knowledge increased across all time points with no overall group difference, though gains for sleep-evocative and general health items varied. Odds of bed sharing were higher and exclusive crib use lower for the brochure group (P book and mothers in the book group reported more book sharing with their baby. While a specially designed children's book and brochures were equally effective conveying aggregate safe sleep knowledge in low-SES mothers, adherence to exclusive crib use and avoiding bed sharing were greater in the book group, attributable to enhanced dialogue, readability and emotional engagement. Children's books are a promising mode of anticipatory guidance, warranting further investigation. Copyright © 2017 Academic Pediatric Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  7. Crop insurance: Risks and models of insurance

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Čolović Vladimir

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available The issue of crop protection is very important because of a variety of risks that could cause difficult consequences. One type of risk protection is insurance. The author in the paper states various models of insurance in some EU countries and the systems of subsidizing of insurance premiums by state. The author also gives a picture of crop insurance in the U.S., noting that in this country pays great attention to this matter. As for crop insurance in Serbia, it is not at a high level. The main problem with crop insurance is not only the risks but also the way of protection through insurance. The basic question that arises not only in the EU is the question is who will insure and protect crops. There are three possibilities: insurance companies under state control, insurance companies that are public-private partnerships or private insurance companies on a purely commercial basis.

  8. Nonprofit health insurers: the story Wall Street doesn't tell.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Johnson, Susan R

    2003-01-01

    For several years, Wall Street investment firms have campaigned for conversion of nonprofit health insurers to investor ownership, arguing that an infusion of equity capital is critical to insurers' survival. However, closer examination of the financial performance and capital position of not-for-profit health plans shows that: The lower operating margins reported by not-for-profit health plans very likely reflect the organizations' corporate missions to serve their communities by minimizing the cost of coverage and their ability to invest all gains back into the company for the future benefit of their customers. Their investor-owned counterparts must generate higher margins to give shareholders a return on their investment. Compared with investor-owned insurers, not-for-profit health plans use a significantly higher percentage of the customers' premium dollar to pay health care claims. A lower percentage goes for administrative expenses. Over the past 10 years, not-for-profit health plans have succeeded in using operational and investment gains to build and retain a strong capital position--stronger than that of investor-owned companies--while investing heavily in infrastructure, product development, and market growth.

  9. Chinese nuclear insurance and Chinese nuclear insurance pool

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gong Zhiqi

    2000-01-01

    Chinese Nuclear Insurance Started with Daya Bay Nuclear Power Station, PICC issued the insurance policy. Nuclear insurance cooperation between Chinese and international pool's organizations was set up in 1989. In 1996, the Chinese Nuclear Insurance Pool was prepared. The Chinese Nuclear Insurance Pool was approved by The Chinese Insurance Regulatory Committee in May of 1999. The principal aim is to centralize maximum the insurance capacity for nuclear insurance from local individual insurers and to strengthen the reinsurance relations with international insurance pools so as to provide the high quality insurance service for Chinese nuclear industry. The Member Company of Chinese Nuclear Pool and its roles are introduced in this article

  10. Innovative strategies to help Consumer Operated and Oriented Plans (CO-OPs) compete in new insurance marketplaces.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gardiner, Terry; Neece, Roger; Mendelevitz, Michael

    2012-04-01

    The Affordable Care Act paves the way for groups to develop innovative, affordable health insurance and care options known as Consumer Operated and Oriented Plans (CO-OPs). These CO-OPs will be nonprofit, consumer-controlled entities that are designed to serve individuals and small businesses, especially in noncompetitive markets. The CO-OP provision was included in the Affordable Care Act to address the lack of affordable health plan alternatives in many state and regional markets and to counter a trend toward market concentration. Despite their promise, CO-OPs face a number of business challenges that go beyond typical start-up hurdles. This issue brief lays out a number of innovative strategies CO-OP organizers are developing to increase the odds of long-term sustainability and economic success. These strategies--aimed at building market share, creating integrated provider networks, and achieving cost savings through payment reform--could establish CO-OPs as a viable new entrant in the health care field.

  11. Realizing a Clean Energy Future: Highlights of NREL Analysis (Brochure)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    2013-12-01

    Profound energy system transformation is underway. In Hawaiian mythology, Maui set out to lasso the sun in order to capture its energy. He succeeded. That may have been the most dramatic leap forward in clean energy systems that the world has known. Until now. Today, another profound transformation is underway. A combination of forces is taking us from a carbon-centric, inefficient energy system to one that draws from diverse energy sources - including the sun. NREL analysis is helping guide energy systems policy and investment decisions through this transformation. This brochure highlights NREL analysis accomplishments in the context of four thematic storylines.

  12. Where are the radioactive wastes in France? Brochure no 5

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2004-01-01

    This document is one of the 6 regional brochures which make the geographical inventory of radioactive wastes in France. For each region, a table lists the recorded sites and a regional map localizes those having a detailed descriptive file. These files mention the most important waste owners (medical, research, nuclear and military industries), the type of waste and the type of management. The polluted sites are also mentioned, even if they are already decontaminated. The volume no 5 concerns the Languedoc-Roussillon and Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azur regions, Corsica, and the overseas departements and territories. (J.S.)

  13. 24 CFR 1000.139 - What are the standards for insurance entities owned and controlled by recipients?

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ...) The plan maintains internal controls and cost containment measures, as shown by the annual budget; (6... designation of a chartered property/casualty underwriter (CPCU), associate in risk management (ARM), or... entity, tribal self-insurance plan, tribal risk retention group, or Indian housing self-insurance risk...

  14. Health insurance exchanges of past and present offer examples of features that could attract small-business customers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gardiner, Terry

    2012-02-01

    The Affordable Care Act calls on states to create health insurance exchanges serving small businesses by 2014. These exchanges will allow small-business owners to pool their buying power, have more choices of health plans, and buy affordable health insurance. However, creating an exchange that appeals to small-business owners poses several challenges. Past and current exchanges provide valuable insights into the role exchanges can play, services they can offer, and design features that can make them successful. For example, states should allow insurance brokers to provide employers with advice and analysis regarding plans offered in the exchanges. Exchanges should also provide services to ease enrollment, such as a single application for all of the plans they offer, and make additional benefits, such as wellness programs, available on a stand-alone basis or within insurance plans.

  15. Providing Universal Health Insurance Coverage in Nigeria.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Okebukola, Peter O; Brieger, William R

    2016-07-07

    Despite a stated goal of achieving universal coverage, the National Health Insurance Scheme of Nigeria had achieved only 4% coverage 12 years after it was launched. This study assessed the plans of the National Health Insurance Scheme to achieve universal health insurance coverage in Nigeria by 2015 and discusses the challenges facing the scheme in achieving insurance coverage. In-depth interviews from various levels of the health-care system in the country, including providers, were conducted. The results of the analysis suggest that challenges to extending coverage include the difficulty in convincing autonomous state governments to buy into the scheme and an inadequate health workforce that might not be able to meet increased demand. Recommendations for increasing the scheme's coverage include increasing decentralization and strengthening human resources for health in the service delivery systems. Strong political will is needed as a catalyst to achieving these goals. © The Author(s) 2016.

  16. Recalls and unemployment insurance taxes

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Jurajda, Štěpán

    2004-01-01

    Roč. 11, č. 10 (2004), s. 651-656 ISSN 1350-4851 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z7085904 Keywords : recalls * unemployment insurance taxes Subject RIV: AH - Economics Impact factor: 0.135, year: 2004 http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=bth&AN=14132347&site=ehost-live

  17. 44 CFR 78.5 - Flood Mitigation Plan development.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-01

    ... 44 Emergency Management and Assistance 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Flood Mitigation Plan..., DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY INSURANCE AND HAZARD MITIGATION National Flood Insurance Program FLOOD MITIGATION ASSISTANCE § 78.5 Flood Mitigation Plan development. A Flood Mitigation Plan will articulate a...

  18. 76 FR 78741 - Medicare, Medicaid, Children's Health Insurance Programs; Transparency Reports and Reporting of...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-12-19

    ... Parts 402 and 403 [CMS-5060-P] RIN 0938-AR33 Medicare, Medicaid, Children's Health Insurance Programs...'s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) to report annually to the Secretary certain payments or transfers... State plan under title XIX (Medicaid) or XXI of the Act (the Children's Health Insurance Program, or...

  19. Employer-sponsored long-term care insurance: best practices for increasing sponsorship.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pincus, J

    2000-04-01

    Behind the enthusiasm of policymakers for long-term care (LTC) insurance is the belief that increased ownership of private LTC insurance will reduce the government's future liability for financing the nation's LTC needs, currently projected by the Congressional Budget Office to increase by 2.6 percent annually between 2000 and 2040. Some observers say that sustained economic growth could keep these increased expenditures at the same share of total GDP; others argue that current federal expenditure trends will become unsustainable without large tax increases. The potential of the employer-sponsored group LTC market to stave off a national LTC financing crisis has recently started to receive popular notice in the news media. However, for the potential of the group LTC market to be realized, there must be widespread employer sponsorship of group LTC plans and significant participation levels among eligible employees in these plans. The present analysis of industry data estimates the LTC plan sponsorship rate for all U.S. employers with 10 or more employees at 0.2 percent. The sponsorship rate among large employers is significantly higher (8.7 percent). The greatest growth opportunities are projected to lie in the smaller employer market, because it is enormous and virtually untapped. Nonsponsors cite a variety of barriers to employer sponsorship of LTC plans. For many nonsponsors, the most important obstacles are the intrinsic characteristics of their work forces: employees are too young, transient, part-time, and/or low-income to be suitable for LTC insurance. For many others, lack of awareness and low priority are the primary obstacles. Because group LTC insurance has been widely available for only 10 years, many benefits managers view it as "too new and untested." Prior to the passage of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), in August 1996, the tax treatment of long-term care insurance premiums was unclear because Congress had not

  20. Evaluating risk communication about fish consumption advisories: efficacy of a brochure versus a classroom lesson in Spanish and English.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Burger, Joanna; McDermott, Melanie Hughes; Chess, Caron; Bochenek, Eleanor; Perez-Lugo, Marla; Pflugh, Kerry Kirk

    2003-08-01

    Presentation format can influence the way target audiences understand risk-related information. Brochures or fish fact sheets are the methods traditionally used by state agencies to inform the public about fish consumption advisories and the risks from consuming fish. This study examines the efficacy of presenting information about the risks from consuming contaminated fish and shellfish in two different formats: a brochure and classroom presentation. The two instruments were developed and tested in Spanish and English, reflecting the local ethnic composition in the Newark Bay Complex. The instruments were tested on women of child-bearing age at the Women, Infants, and Children Center in Elizabeth, New Jersey. Detailed diagrams were used in both presentations, including contaminated fish species, fish preparation methods, and food chain bioaccumulation and transmission to the fetus. There were few language-related differences in the efficacy of the classroom lesson, and the main ideas were understood by both groups. Where there were significant differences in understanding about the risks from consuming fish or crabs from the contaminated waters of Newark Bay, in all cases the women exposed to the classroom lesson had a better understanding than those who read the brochure. Ninety-six percent of the women who heard the lesson understood that it was unsafe to eat fish from the port, compared to 72% of those reading the brochure. Both formats succeeded in imparting information to most women about the area under advisories, the fish species under advisories, and transmission of toxins to the fetus. Information on fish preparation was recalled less clearly, partly because women were asked to relate methods to reduce the risk from consuming fish from 11 presented, and most recalled only two or three of the list. The advantages and disadvantages of conducting short classes to women of child-bearing age are discussed.

  1. Individual health insurance within the family : can subsidies promote family coverage?

    OpenAIRE

    Kanika Kapur; M. Susan Marquis; José J. Escarce

    2007-01-01

    This paper examines the role of price in health insurance coverage decisions within the family to guide policy in promoting whole family coverage. We analyze the factors that affect individual health insurance coverage among families, and explore family decisions about whom to cover and whom to leave uninsured. The analysis uses household data from California combined with abstracted individual health plan benefit and premium data. We find that premium subsidies for individual insurance would...

  2. Wage and Benefit Changes in Response to Rising Health Insurance Costs

    OpenAIRE

    Dana Goldman; Neeraj Sood; Arleen Leibowitz

    2005-01-01

    Many companies have defined-contribution benefit plans requiring employees to pay the full cost (before taxes) of more generous health insurance choices. Research has shown that employee decisions are quite responsive to these arrangements. What is less clear is how the total compensation package changes when health insurance premiums rise. This paper examines employee compensation decisions during a three-year period when health insurance premiums were rising rapidly. The data come from a si...

  3. 12 CFR 330.14 - Retirement and other employee benefit plan accounts.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... 12 Banks and Banking 4 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Retirement and other employee benefit plan... STATEMENTS OF GENERAL POLICY DEPOSIT INSURANCE COVERAGE § 330.14 Retirement and other employee benefit plan accounts. (a) “Pass-through” insurance. Any deposits of an employee benefit plan in an insured depository...

  4. "The State of Chihuahua", Lesson Plan for "Cultural Unit: Focus on Mexico."

    Science.gov (United States)

    Llewellyn, Marianne

    This lesson plan was designed for students in Montana schools. The objectives for this culture unit are having: (1) students recognize the similarities between their home stat of Montana and the Mexican state of Chihuahua; (2) students learn about features unique to Chihuahua; and (3) students create an advertising brochure marketing Chihuahua to…

  5. 44 CFR 78.9 - Planning grant approval process.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-01

    ..., DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY INSURANCE AND HAZARD MITIGATION National Flood Insurance Program FLOOD MITIGATION ASSISTANCE § 78.9 Planning grant approval process. The State POC will evaluate and approve applications for Planning Grants. Funds will be provided only for the flood portion of any mitigation plan, and...

  6. Single-employer Pension Plans

    Data.gov (United States)

    Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation — This spreadsheet lists the active single-employer pensions plans insured by PBGC. Plans are identified by name, employer identification number (EIN) and plan number...

  7. Global warming and the insurance industry

    Science.gov (United States)

    Berz, G. A.

    1992-06-01

    In the last few decades, the international insurance industry has been confronted with a drastic increase in the scope and frequency of great natural disasters. The trend is primarily attributable to the continuing steady growth of the world population and the increasing concentration of people and economic values in urban areas. An additional factor is the global migration of populations and industries into areas like the coastal regions which are particularly exposed to natural hazards. The natural hazards themselves, on the other hand, have not yet shown any significant increase. In addition to the problems the insurance industry has with regard to pricing, capacity and loss reserves, the assessment of insured liabilities, preventive planning and the proper adjustment of catastrophe losses are gaining importance. The present problems will be dramatically aggravated if the greenhouse predictions come true. The increased intensity of all convective processes in the atmosphere will force up the frequency and severity of tropical cyclones, tornados, hailstorms, floods and storm surges in many parts of the world with serious consequences for all types of property insurance. Rates will have to be raised and in certain coastal areas insurance coverage will only be available after considerable restrictions have been imposed, e.g., significant deductibles and/or liability or loss limits. In areas of high insurance density the loss potential of individual catastrophes can reach a level where the national and international insurance industries run into serious capacity problems. Recent disasters showed the disproportionately high participation of reinsurers in extreme disaster losses and the need for more risk transparency if the insurance industry is to fulfill its obligations in an increasingly hostile environment.

  8. Employer contribution and premium growth in health insurance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Yiyan; Jin, Ginger Zhe

    2015-01-01

    We study whether employer premium contribution schemes could impact the pricing behavior of health plans and contribute to rising premiums. Using 1991-2011 data before and after a 1999 premium subsidy policy change in the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHBP), we find that the employer premium contribution scheme has a differential impact on health plan pricing based on two market incentives: 1) consumers are less price sensitive when they only need to pay part of the premium increase, and 2) each health plan has an incentive to increase the employer's premium contribution to that plan. Both incentives are found to contribute to premium growth. Counterfactual simulation shows that average premium would have been 10% less than observed and the federal government would have saved 15% per year on its premium contribution had the subsidy policy change not occurred in the FEHBP. We discuss the potential of similar incentives in other government-subsidized insurance systems such as the Medicare Part D and the Health Insurance Marketplace under the Affordable Care Act. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  9. Evaluating the Impact of Health Insurance Industry Consolidation: Learning from Experience.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dafny, Leemore S

    2015-11-01

    Research shows consolidation in the private health insurance industry leads to premium increases, even though insurers with larger local market shares generally obtain lower prices from health care providers. Additional research is needed to understand how to protect against harms and unlock benefits from scale. Data on enrollment, premiums, and costs of commercial health insurance--by insurer, plan, customer segment, and local market--would help us understand whether, when, and for whom consolidation is harmful or beneficial. Such transparency is common where there is a strong public interest and substantial public regulation, both of which characterize this vital sector.

  10. Employee responses to health insurance premium increases.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Goldman, Dana P; Leibowitz, Arleen A; Robalino, David A

    2004-01-01

    To determine the sensitivity of employees' health insurance decisions--including the decision to not choose health maintenance organization or fee-for-service coverage--during periods of rapidly escalating healthcare costs. A retrospective cohort study of employee plan choices at a single large firm with a "cafeteria-style" benefits plan wherein employees paid all the additional cost of purchasing more generous insurance. We modeled the probability that an employee would drop coverage or switch plans in response to employee premium increases using data from a single large US company with employees across 47 states during the 3-year period of 1989 through 1991, a time of large premium increases within and across plans. Premium increases induced substantial plan switching. Single employees were more likely to respond to premium increases by dropping coverage, whereas families tended to switch to another plan. Premium increases of 10% induced 7% of single employees to drop or severely cut back on coverage; 13% to switch to another plan; and 80% to remain in their existing plan. Similar figures for those with family coverage were 11%, 12%, and 77%, respectively. Simulation results that control for known covariates show similar increases. When faced with a dramatic increase in premiums--on the order of 20%--nearly one fifth of the single employees dropped coverage compared with 10% of those with family coverage. Employee coverage decisions are sensitive to rapidly increasing premiums, and single employees may be likely to drop coverage. This finding suggests that sustained premium increases could induce substantial increases in the number of uninsured individuals.

  11. Health insurance for Users and other Associated Members of the Personnel

    CERN Multimedia

    2015-01-01

    A new health insurance option for Associated Members of the Personnel (including users): Allianz Worldwide Care Healthcare Plan for CERN MPAs.   Based on a survey conducted by the Users’ Office and a request by the Advisory Committee of CERN Users (ACCU), CERN has looked into health insurance products on the market and has identified a health insurance for MPAs and their accompanying family members which covers the financial consequences of illness and accidents and which is deemed adequate in CERN’s Host States. This insurance may be a useful option for MPAs who may not have adequate coverage in place from their home institution or who choose not to or cannot enrol in the CERN Health Insurance Scheme (CHIS). For the time being the insurance company can only offer limited duration policies to MPAs. We hope that this restriction can be removed in the future. The health insurance is offered by the insurance company Allianz WorldWide Care for a monthly fee of 139 euros per insure...

  12. [The state and health insurance].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lagrave, Michel

    2003-01-01

    The relationship between the State and the health insurance passes through an institutional and financial crisis, leading the government to decide a new governance of the health care system and of the health insurance. The onset of the institutional crisis is the consequence of the confusion of the roles played by the State and the social partners. The social democracy installed by the French plan in 1945 and the autonomy of management of the health insurance established by the 1967 ordinances have failed. The administration parity (union and MEDEF) flew into pieces. The State had to step in by failing. The light is put on the financial crisis by the evolution of ONDAM (National Objective of the Health Insurance Expenses) which appears in the yearly law financing Social Security. The drift of the real expenses as compared to the passed ONDAM bill is constant and worsening. The question of reform includes the link between social democracy to be restored (social partners) and political democracy (Parliament and Government) to establish a contractual democracy. The Government made the announcement of an ONDAM sincere and medically oriented, based on tools agreed upon by all parties. The region could become a regulating step involving a regional health council. An accounting magistrate would be needed to consider not only the legal aspect but to include economic fallouts of health insurance. The role and the missions of the Social Security Accounting Committee should be reinforced.

  13. Posters y trípticos (Brochures) en LATEX con Beamer y Leaflet

    OpenAIRE

    Borbón, Alexánder

    2013-01-01

    Resumen. En este artículo se muestra la manera en que se puede realizar posters y trípticos (panfletos o brochures) con LATEX. Para realizar los posters se utiliza la clase beamer que usualmente se utiliza para hacer presentaciones, se utiliza el paquete beamerposter para poder utilizarla para posters. Los trípticos se realizan de dos formas, la primera utilizando la clase beamer con el paquete geometry y la segunda utilizando la clase leaflet que es una clase especializada para hacer este ti...

  14. Community-based health insurance knowledge, concern ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Community-based health insurance knowledge, concern, preferences, and financial planning for health care among informal sector workers in a health district of Douala, Cameroon. ... This is mainly due to the lack of awareness and limited knowledge on the basic concepts of a CBHI by this target population. Solidarity ...

  15. 77 FR 70583 - Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act; Health Insurance Market Rules; Rate Review

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-11-26

    ... Parts 144, 147, 150, et al. Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act; Health Insurance Market Rules... and 156 [CMS-9972-P] RIN 0938-AR40 Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act; Health Insurance Market... Affordable Care Act with respect to health insurance issuers and group health plans that are non-federal...

  16. Breast Health Services: Accuracy of Benefit Coverage Information in the Individual Insurance Marketplace.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hamid, Mariam S; Kolenic, Giselle E; Dozier, Jessica; Dalton, Vanessa K; Carlos, Ruth C

    2017-04-01

    The aim of this study was to determine if breast health coverage information provided by customer service representatives employed by insurers offering plans in the 2015 federal and state health insurance marketplaces is consistent with Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) and state-specific legislation. One hundred fifty-eight unique customer service numbers were identified for insurers offering plans through the federal marketplace, augmented with four additional numbers representing the Connecticut state-run exchange. Using a standardized patient biography and the mystery-shopper technique, a single investigator posed as a purchaser and contacted each number, requesting information on breast health services coverage. Consistency of information provided by the representative with the ACA mandates (BRCA testing in high-risk women) or state-specific legislation (screening ultrasound in women with dense breasts) was determined. Insurer representatives gave BRCA test coverage information that was not consistent with the ACA mandate in 60.8% of cases, and 22.8% could not provide any information regarding coverage. Nearly half (48.1%) of insurer representatives gave coverage information about ultrasound screening for dense breasts that was not consistent with state-specific legislation, and 18.5% could not provide any information. Insurance customer service representatives in the federal and state marketplaces frequently provide inaccurate coverage information about breast health services that should be covered under the ACA and state-specific legislation. Misinformation can inadvertently lead to the purchase of a plan that does not meet the needs of the insured. Copyright © 2016 American College of Radiology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  17. 24 CFR 266.602 - Mortgage insurance premium: Insured advances.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... 24 Housing and Urban Development 2 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Mortgage insurance premium: Insured... Contract Rights and Obligations Mortgage Insurance Premiums § 266.602 Mortgage insurance premium: Insured.... On each anniversary of the initial closing, the HFA shall pay an interim mortgage insurance premium...

  18. 12 CFR 745.9-2 - Retirement and other employee benefit plan accounts.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... 12 Banks and Banking 6 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Retirement and other employee benefit plan... Coverage § 745.9-2 Retirement and other employee benefit plan accounts. (a) Pass-through share insurance. Any shares of an employee benefit plan in an insured credit union shall be insured on a “pass-through...

  19. Reimbursement for Supportive Cancer Medications Through Private Insurance in Saskatchewan

    Science.gov (United States)

    Forte, Lindy; Olson, Colleen; Atchison, Carolyn; Gesy, Kathy

    2009-01-01

    Background: As demand for cancer treatment grows, and newer, more expensive drugs become available, public payers in Canada are finding it increasingly difficult to fund the full range of available cancer drugs. Objective: To determine the extent of private drug coverage for supportive cancer treatments in Saskatchewan, preparatory to exploring the potential for cost-sharing. Methods: Patients who presented for chemotherapy and who provided informed consent for participation were surveyed regarding their access to private insurance. Insurers were contacted to verify patients' level of coverage for supportive cancer medications. Groups with specified types of insurance were compared statistically in terms of age, income bracket, time required to assess insurance status, and amount of deductible. Logistic regression was used to determine the effect of patients' age and income on the probability of having insurance. Results: Of 169 patients approached to participate, 156 provided consent and completed the survey. Their mean age was 58.5 years. About two-fifths of all patients (64 or 41%) were in the lowest income bracket (up to $30 000). Sixty-three (40%) of the patients had private insurance for drugs, and 36 (57%) of these plans included reimbursement for supportive cancer medications. A deductible was in effect in 31 (49%) of the plans, a copayment in 28 (44%), and a maximum payment in 8 (13%). Income over $50 000 was a significant predictor of access to drug insurance (p = 0.003), but age was not significantly related to insurance status. Conclusions: A substantial proportion of cancer patients in this study had access to private insurance for supportive cancer drugs for which reimbursement is currently provided by the Saskatchewan Cancer Agency. Cost-sharing and optimal utilization of the multipayer environment might offer a greater opportunity for public payers to cover future innovative and supportive therapies for cancer, but further study is required to

  20. The Affordable Care Act and health insurance exchanges: effects on the pediatric dental benefit.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Orynich, C Ashley; Casamassimo, Paul S; Seale, N Sue; Reggiardo, Paul; Litch, C Scott

    2015-01-01

    To examine the relationship between state health insurance Exchange selection and pediatric dental benefit design, regulation and cost. Medical and dental plans were analyzed across three types of state health insurance Exchanges: State-based (SB), State-partnered (SP), and Federally-facilitated (FF). Cost-analysis was completed for 10,427 insurance plans, and health policy expert interviews were conducted. One-way ANOVA compared the cost-sharing structure of stand-alone dental plans (SADP). T-test statistics compared differences in average total monthly pediatric premium costs. No causal relationships were identified between Exchange selection and the pediatric dental benefit's design, regulation or cost. Pediatric medical and dental coverage offered through the embedded plan design exhibited comparable average total monthly premium costs to aggregate cost estimates for the separately purchased SADP and traditional medical plan (P=0.11). Plan designs and regulatory policies demonstrated greater correlation between the SP and FF Exchanges, as compared to the SB Exchange. Parameters defining the pediatric dental benefit are complex and vary across states. Each state Exchange was subject to barriers in improving the quality of the pediatric dental benefit due to a lack of defined, standardized policy parameters and further legislative maturation is required.

  1. Designing Insurance to Promote Use of Childhood Obesity Prevention Services

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kimberly J. Rask

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Childhood obesity is a recognized public health crisis. This paper reviews the lessons learned from a voluntary initiative to expand insurance coverage for childhood obesity prevention and treatment services in the United States. In-depth telephone interviews were conducted with key informants from 16 participating health plans and employers in 2010-11. Key informants reported difficulty ensuring that both providers and families were aware of the available services. Participating health plans and employers are beginning new tactics including removing enrollment requirements, piloting enhanced outreach to selected physician practices, and educating providers on effective care coordination and use of obesity-specific billing codes through professional organizations. The voluntary initiative successfully increased private health insurance coverage for obesity services, but the interviews described variability in implementation with both best practices and barriers identified. Increasing utilization of obesity-related health services in the long term will require both family- and provider-focused interventions in partnership with improved health insurance coverage.

  2. Analysis on the Intention to Purchase Weather Index Insurance and Development Agenda

    Science.gov (United States)

    Park, K.; Jung, J.; Shin, J.; Kim, B.

    2013-12-01

    The purpose of this paper is to analyze how to revitalize weather insurance. Current state of weather insurance market is firstly described, and the necessity of insurance products and intention to purchase are analyzed based on the recognition survey regarding weather insurance focusing on the weather index insurance. The result of intention to purchase insurance products were examined with Ordered Logit Analysis (OLA), indicating that the amount of damages, the impacts of weather change, and experience of damage and loss have a positive relationship with the intention to purchase weather insurance. In addition, recognition of the amount of acceptable payment for insurance (i.e. willingness to pay) was analyzed for both the group who wants to purchase insurance (Group 1) and the group who does not want to (Group 2). The results demonstrate that Group 1 shows statistically higher significance than Group 2. Based on the results above with the increase in abnormal weather phenomena, we could predict that the amount of damages and losses will be rapidly increasing. The portion of weather insurance market is also expected to consistently develop and expand. This study could be a cornerstone for drawing a plan to revitalize weather insurance.

  3. Benefit requirements for substance use disorder treatment in state health insurance exchanges.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tran Smith, Bikki; Seaton, Kathleen; Andrews, Christina; Grogan, Colleen M; Abraham, Amanda; Pollack, Harold; Friedmann, Peter; Humphreys, Keith

    2018-01-01

    Established in 2014, state health insurance exchanges have greatly expanded substance use disorder (SUD) treatment coverage in the United States as qualified health plans (QHPs) within the exchanges are required to conform to parity provisions laid out by the Affordable Care Act and the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA). Coverage improvements, however, have not been even as states have wide discretion over how they meet these regulations. How states regulate SUD treatment benefits offered by QHPs has implications for the accessibility and quality of care. In this study, we assessed the extent to which state insurance departments regulate the types of SUD services and medications plans must provide, as well as their use of utilization controls. Data were collected as part of the National Drug Abuse Treatment System Survey, a nationally-representative, longitudinal study of substance use disorder treatment. Data were obtained from state Departments of Insurance via a 15-minute internet-based survey. States varied widely in regulations on QHPs' administration of SUD treatment benefits. Some states required plans to cover all 11 SUD treatment services and medications we assessed in the study, whereas others did not require plans to cover anything at all. Nearly all states allowed the plans to employ utilization controls, but reported little guidance regarding how they should be used. Although some states have taken full advantage of the health insurance exchanges to increase access to SUD treatment, others seem to have done the bare minimum required by the ACA. By not requiring coverage for the entire SUD continuum of care, states are hindering client access to appropriate types of care necessary for recovery.

  4. 78 FR 6275 - Medicaid, Children's Health Insurance Programs, and Exchanges: Essential Health Benefits in...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-01-30

    ... Medicaid, Children's Health Insurance Programs, and Exchanges: Essential Health Benefits in Alternative...'s Health Insurance Programs, and Exchanges: Essential Health Benefits in Alternative Benefit Plans... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services 42 CFR Parts 430...

  5. 17 CFR 270.6e-3(T) - Temporary exemptions for flexible premium variable life insurance separate accounts.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... for issuance, increases in or additions of insurance benefits, transfer and redemption of flexible... deducted from amounts transferred to a flexible contract from another plan of insurance; (iii) Sections 27... guaranteed death benefit risks assumed by the life insurer under the flexible contracts (collectively, a...

  6. Optimum amount of an insurance sum in life insurance

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Janez Balkovec

    2001-01-01

    Full Text Available Personal insurance represents one of the sources of personal social security as a category of personal property. How to get a proper life insurance is a frequently asked question. When insuring material objects (car, house..., the problem is usually not in the amount of the taken insurance. With life insurance (abstract goods, problems as such occur. In this paper, we wish to present a model that, according to the financial situation and the anticipated future, makes it possible to calculate the optimum insurance sum in life insurance.

  7. Breastfeeding: Planning Ahead

    Medline Plus

    Full Text Available ... To receive Breastfeeding email updates Enter email Submit Planning ahead From choosing the crib to finding a ... care Get health insurance Get help with family planning Get help with mental health Find girls' health ...

  8. Insuring against Health Shocks: Health Insurance and Household Choices

    OpenAIRE

    Liu, Kai

    2015-01-01

    This paper provides empirical evidence on the role of public health insurance in mitigating adverse outcomes associated with health shocks. Exploiting the rollout of a universal health insurance program in rural China, I find that total household income and consumption are fully insured against health shocks even without access to health insurance. Household labor supply is an important insurance mechanism against health shocks. Access to health insurance helps households to maintain investme...

  9. Consumer Health Insurance Shopping Behavior and Challenges: Lessons From Two State-Based Marketplaces.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sinaiko, Anna D; Kingsdale, Jon; Galbraith, Alison A

    2017-07-01

    Selecting a health plan in a health insurance exchange is a critical decision, yet consumers are known to face challenges with health plan choice. We surveyed new enrollees in two state-based exchanges in 2015 to investigate how a nonelderly, primarily low-income population chose their health plans and the implications of shopping behavior for early experiences in their plans. Financial considerations were most important to enrollees. Prior Medicaid enrollees and the uninsured were more likely to have multiple shopping challenges (e.g., difficulty identifying the best or most affordable plan, fair/poor experience, unmet need for help) than enrollees with prior employer coverage (42.9% vs. 32.5% vs. 16.4%, respectively, p Shopping challenges were associated with difficulty finding a doctor, understanding coverage, and getting questions answered. Assistance targeting enrollees who previously had Medicaid or lacked insurance could improve both shopping experiences and downstream outcomes in plans.

  10. 78 FR 7484 - Insurer Reporting Requirements; Reports Under 49 U.S.C. on Section 33112(c)

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-02-01

    .... SUMMARY: This notice announces publication by NHTSA of the annual insurer report on motor vehicle theft... information on theft and recovery of vehicles; rating rules and plans used by motor vehicle insurers to reduce premiums due to a reduction in motor vehicle thefts; and actions taken by insurers to assist in deterring...

  11. Community College Students' Health Insurance Enrollment, Maintenance, and Talking With Parents Intentions: An Application of the Reasoned Action Approach.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huhman, Marian; Quick, Brian L; Payne, Laura

    2016-05-01

    A primary objective of health care reform is to provide affordable and quality health insurance to individuals. Currently, promotional efforts have been moderately successful in registering older, more mature adults yet comparatively less successful in registering younger adults. With this challenge in mind, we conducted extensive formative research to better understand the attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control of community college students. More specifically, we examined how each relates to their intentions to enroll in a health insurance plan, maintain their current health insurance plan, and talk with their parents about their parents having health insurance. In doing so, we relied on the revised reasoned action approach advanced by Fishbein and his associates (Fishbein & Ajzen, 2010; Yzer, 2012, 2013). Results showed that the constructs predicted intentions to enroll in health insurance for those with no insurance and for those with government-sponsored insurance and intentions to maintain insurance for those currently insured. Our study demonstrates the applicability of the revised reasoned action framework within this context and is discussed with an emphasis on the practical and theoretical contributions.

  12. Premium Forecasting of an Insurance Company: Automobile Insurance

    OpenAIRE

    Fouladvand, M. Ebrahim; Darooneh, Amir H.

    2002-01-01

    We present an analytical study of an insurance company. We model the company's performance on a statistical basis and evaluate the predicted annual income of the company in terms of insurance parameters namely the premium, total number of the insured, average loss claims etc. We restrict ourselves to a single insurance class the so-called automobile insurance. We show the existence a crossover premium p_c below which the company is loss-making. Above p_c, we also give detailed statistical ana...

  13. Research Support Facility (RSF): Leadership in Building Performance (Brochure)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    2011-09-01

    This brochure/poster provides information on the features of the Research Support Facility including a detailed illustration of the facility with call outs of energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies. Imagine an office building so energy efficient that its occupants consume only the amount of energy generated by renewable power on the building site. The building, the Research Support Facility (RSF) occupied by the U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) employees, uses 50% less energy than if it were built to current commercial code and achieves the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED{reg_sign}) Platinum rating. With 19% of the primary energy in the U.S. consumed by commercial buildings, the RSF is changing the way commercial office buildings are designed and built.

  14. ANALYSIS OF THE CURRENT STATE OF INSURANCE MARKET IN UKRAINE

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Melnyk Olga

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available Introduction. Modern insurance companies provide the formation of effective market mechanisms for attracting investment resources to the national economy through the effective functioning of the insurance market with the use of modern market infrastructure and financial instruments. In Ukraine, the insurance market has a significant development potential, which requires, first of all, a detailed assessment of all available opportunities for balanced development in the context of European integration processes. Therefore, the identification and analysis of modern trends in the development of the insurance market are relevant today from theoretical and practical points of view. The purpose of the study is to analyze the current state of the insurance market in Ukraine and determine the factors affecting the effectiveness of its activities. Results. It was defined that the insurance market is the second largest in terms of capitalization among other non-bank financial markets in Ukraine. The tendencies of changes in the main indicators of the insurance market activity, in particular regarding the number of concluded insurance contracts, insurance premiums and insurance payments, reinsurance, insurance reserves, insurers’ assets and authorized capital, were investigated. It was found that the increase in gross insurance premiums was made for almost all types of insurance, and the increase of gross insurance premiums was mainly due to auto insurance, medical insurance and financial risk insurance. Nowadays, the level of insurance penetration in Ukraine is still low. However, according to the Comprehensive Program for the Development of the Financial Sector of Ukraine, a gradual increase of this indicator is planned. Conclusions. The conducted studies indicate that the insurance market of Ukraine is at the stage of formation, gradually adapting to the requirements of European and world markets. In order to improve the situation, domestic insurers

  15. Insuring against health shocks: Health insurance and household choices.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Kai

    2016-03-01

    This paper provides empirical evidence on the role of public health insurance in mitigating adverse outcomes associated with health shocks. Exploiting the rollout of a universal health insurance program in rural China, I find that total household income and consumption are fully insured against health shocks even without access to health insurance. Household labor supply is an important insurance mechanism against health shocks. Access to health insurance helps households to maintain investment in children's human capital during negative health shocks, which suggests that one benefit of health insurance could arise from reducing the use of costly smoothing mechanisms. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  16. Medical malpractice reform and employer-sponsored health insurance premiums.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Morrisey, Michael A; Kilgore, Meredith L; Nelson, Leonard Jack

    2008-12-01

    Tort reform may affect health insurance premiums both by reducing medical malpractice premiums and by reducing the extent of defensive medicine. The objective of this study is to estimate the effects of noneconomic damage caps on the premiums for employer-sponsored health insurance. Employer premium data and plan/establishment characteristics were obtained from the 1999 through 2004 Kaiser/HRET Employer Health Insurance Surveys. Damage caps were obtained and dated based on state annotated codes, statutes, and judicial decisions. Fixed effects regression models were run to estimate the effects of the size of inflation-adjusted damage caps on the weighted average single premiums. State tort reform laws were identified using Westlaw, LEXIS, and statutory compilations. Legislative repeal and amendment of statutes and court decisions resulting in the overturning or repealing state statutes were also identified using LEXIS. Using a variety of empirical specifications, there was no statistically significant evidence that noneconomic damage caps exerted any meaningful influence on the cost of employer-sponsored health insurance. The findings suggest that tort reforms have not translated into insurance savings.

  17. Promoting Access to Health Insurance through a Multistate Extension Collaboration

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Joan Koonce

    2017-03-01

    Full Text Available This paper describes a multistate project that addressed the growing need for health insurance information for individuals by focusing on the Affordable Care Act (ACA and health insurance education and outreach efforts in targeted areas of the country in federally-facilitated marketplaces with high numbers of uninsured and underinsured individuals. Specifically, the project provided ACA and health insurance information to individuals in formal and informal settings to assist them in choosing a health insurance plan through the Marketplace. Education and outreach activities included group workshops and presentations, Q&A sessions, and panel discussions; one-on-one in-person consultations, phone consultations, and email consultations; and information provided through websites, blog posts, Facebook posts, tweets, YouTube videos, email blasts, newsletters, newspaper articles, and radio and TV programs. Health insurance enrollment assistance was provided by volunteers and some Extension educators or referrals were made to Navigators or Certified Application Counselors for enrollment assistance.

  18. How Have Health Insurers Performed Financially Under the ACA' Market Rules?

    Science.gov (United States)

    McCue, Michael J; Hall, Mark A

    2017-10-01

    The Affordable Care Act (ACA) transformed the market for individual health insurance, so it is not surprising that insurers' transition was not entirely smooth. Insurers, with no previous experience under these market conditions, were uncertain how to price their products. As a result, they incurred significant losses. Based on this experience, some insurers have decided to leave the ACA’s subsidized market, although others appear to be thriving. Examine the financial performance of health insurers selling through the ACA's marketplace exchanges in 2015--the market’s most difficult year to date. Analysis of financial data for 2015 reported by insurers from 48 states and D.C. to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Although health insurers were profitable across all lines of business, they suffered a 10 percent loss in 2015 on their health plans sold through the ACA's exchanges. The top quarter of the ACA exchange market was comfortably profitable, while the bottom quarter did much worse than the ACA market average. This indicates that some insurers were able to adapt to the ACA's new market rules much better than others, suggesting the ACA's new market structure is sustainable, if supported properly by administrative policy.

  19. Preference diversity and the breadth of employee health insurance options.

    OpenAIRE

    Moran, J R; Chernew, M E; Hirth, R A

    2001-01-01

    OBJECTIVE: To examine the effect of worker heterogeneity, firm size, and establishment size on the breadth of employer health insurance offerings. DATA SOURCES: The data were drawn from the 1993 Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Employer Health Insurance Survey of 22,000 business establishments selected randomly from ten states. STUDY DESIGN: The analysis was cross-sectional, using ordered probit models to relate the breadth of plan offerings to firm characteristics. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Firms wi...

  20. Life Insurance and Individual Pension System

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    İbrahim PAÇACI

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available There is no explanation in the source about the insurance and the private pension system, which are not known at the time of the formation of the fiqh and the period of the support. Upon the spread of the insurance, The provision of insurance in the geography of Islam has also begun to be discussed. There are contracts that have the elements and conditions that must be found in itself and that are not contradictory to the basic principles of Islam. In this respect, without accumulating life insurance that protects the person against sudden risks is permissible. The provision of cumulative life insurance and the individual pension system depends on the area where the premiums are deposited and the type of payment. Provided that the premiums are assessed in halal areas; a at the end of the period premiums and interests are paid back in full or on a specific plan, or b all or part of the premiums and interests are left in the company and the income share is paid as salary, these are permissible. However, it is not permissible if all or part of the premiums and duties are left in the company and a fixed salary is attached. It is permissible for the State to contribute to the entry into the private pension system in order to incentivize the savings, and it is permissible for them to receive this contribution.

  1. Defining the key-parameters of insurance product in Islamic insurance

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Galim Zaribzyanovich Vakhitov

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available Objective to define the range of actuarial calculations in Islamic insurance to study the main differences of the traditional and Islamic insurance to define what changes in calculations entail the above differences. Methods mathematical modeling probabilistic analysis of insurance risks adaptation of methods of actuarial mathematics to the principles of Islamic insurance. Results the mathematical form of the takafulfund models is presented the distribution is analyzed of a random variable of the resulting insurance fund or the insurance company balance in a particular fixed insurance portfolio. Scientific novelty calculation are presented of the optimal tariff rate in takaful. Islamic insurance is an innovative area of insurance industry. Actuarial calculations that meet the Sharia rules are still being developed. The authors set the new tasks of actuarial calculations including the specified changes in the calculation of the optimal tariff rate imposed by the Islamic insurance principles. Practical value the results obtained can be used in the actuarial calculations of the Islamic insurance companies. nbsp

  2. Exploring health insurance services in Sudan from the perspectives of insurers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Salim, Anas Mustafa Ahmed; Hamed, Fatima Hashim Mahmoud

    2018-01-01

    It has been 20 years since the introduction of health insurance in Sudan. This study was the first one that explored health insurance services in Sudan from the perspectives of the insurers. This was a qualitative, exploratory, interview study. The sampling frame was the list of Social Health Insurance and Private Health Insurance institutions in Sudan. Participants were selected from the four Social Health Insurance institutions and from five Private Health Insurance companies. The study was conducted in January and February 2017. In-depth individual interviews were conducted with a convenient sample of key executives from the different health insurers. Ideas and themes were identified and analysed using thematic analysis. The result showed that universal coverage was not achieved despite long time presence of Social Health Insurance and Private Health Insurance in Sudan. All participants described their services as comprehensive. All participants have good perception of the quality of the services they provide, although none of them investigated customer satisfaction. The main challenges facing Social Health Insurance are achieving universal coverage, ensuring sustainability and recruitment of the informal sector and self-employed population. Consumers' affordability of the premiums is the main obstacle for Private Health Insurance, while rising healthcare cost due to economic inflation is a challenge facing both Social Health Insurance and Private Health Insurance. In spite of the presence of Social Health Insurance and Private Health Insurance in Sudan, the country is still far from achieving universal coverage. Moreover, the sustainability of health insurance is questionable. The main reasons include low governmental financial resources and lack of affordability by beneficiaries especially for Private Health Insurance. This necessitates finding solutions to improve them or trying other types of health insurance. The quality of services provided by Social

  3. Energy-optimised planning and operation of UPS installations. Guidelines for planners and operators; Energieoptimierte Planung und Betrieb von USV-Anlagen. Ein Leitfaden fuer Planer und Betreiber

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Neyer, A.; Schnyder, G.; Mauchle, P.

    2004-09-15

    This comprehensive brochure elaborated for the Swiss Federal Office of Energy (SFOE) is one of a set of nine reports that provide an overall review of the energy-efficiency of UPS systems. This brochure for planners and operators of UPS installations takes a look at how UPS installations can be optimised in order to reduce losses and to provide optimal operation as far as energy efficiency is concerned. The brochure explains the various types of UPS systems and their use and gives tips on ordering. Operational modes, load considerations, system configuration and specifications for putting to tender are looked at, as are the requirements to be placed on the systems for optimal operation. Basic rules for planning activities are quoted. Finally, rotating UPS installations and dynamic energy storage are briefly looked at. The paper is completed with checklists and a quality/energy-matrix.

  4. Writing a Brochure Is as Easy as 1-2-3. A Kit for Workshop and Program Planners.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Witt, Ted

    This kit is intended to help program planners write the information needed for an effective brochure advertising a workshop, seminar, conference, class, or academy. The kit contains the following sections: (1) Benefit Headlines Capture Reader Attention; (2) Establish a Need Quickly; (3) Identifying the Audience; (4) Making Top Names Tops; (5)…

  5. Insurance: new approach to long-term care

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Helsing, L.D.

    1981-01-01

    The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the insurance industry may have found a way to finance the closure and post-closure care of waste-management facilities that will be less costly than a traditional trust fund. The new concept insures against a premature closing and provides funds for both closure and post-closure expenses by having the facility owner/operator pay regular premiums to provide closure funds. Liability questions do not come into play, as the policy deals exclusively with the facility's financial reliability. The program under development will attract medium and small firms. Questions about the new plan remain to be addressed during the hearing period

  6. Medicaid and Children's Health Insurance Programs; Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008; the Application of Mental Health Parity Requirements to Coverage Offered by Medicaid Managed Care Organizations, the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP), and Alternative Benefit Plans. Final rule.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2016-03-30

    This final rule will address the application of certain requirements set forth in the Public Health Service Act, as amended by the Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008, to coverage offered by Medicaid managed care organizations, Medicaid Alternative Benefit Plans, and Children’s Health Insurance Programs.

  7. 24 CFR 266.600 - Mortgage insurance premium: Insurance upon completion.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... 24 Housing and Urban Development 2 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Mortgage insurance premium... MULTIFAMILY PROJECT LOANS Contract Rights and Obligations Mortgage Insurance Premiums § 266.600 Mortgage insurance premium: Insurance upon completion. (a) Initial premium. For projects insured upon completion, on...

  8. Cyber Insurance - Managing Cyber Risk

    Science.gov (United States)

    2015-04-01

    disaster response plans, how employees and others access data systems, and at a minimum, the antivirus and anti- malware software used by the business, the...a policy for insuring data stored in the cloud.[5] Typically, businesses that install or ser- vice software or networks or provide IT consulting for...security, and privacy. Errors and omissions covers claims related to performance of services such as software development or consulting services

  9. Employer-sponsored pension plans

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rakonjac-Antić Tatjana N.

    2004-01-01

    Full Text Available Apart from pension plans within social insurance, in developed pension systems there are also available to individuals schemes which may to a large extent ensure a significant part of their total pension. Among them are the following: employer-sponsored pension plans or individual pension plans. The most widely used employer-sponsored pension plan in the USA is 401(k, in which both the employer and the employee contribute to the financing of the pension. These contributions as well as the return to their investment have a preferential tax treatment, i.e. do not enter a tax base. The funds are taxed only when drawn from the account in the form of a pension. This paper aims to present the functioning of 401(k pension plan as the most widely used employer sponsored pension plan in the USA, which is likely, in a modified form, to have an important place within our future reformed pension insurance system.

  10. 44 CFR 78.6 - Flood Mitigation Plan approval process.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-01

    ... 44 Emergency Management and Assistance 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Flood Mitigation Plan..., DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY INSURANCE AND HAZARD MITIGATION National Flood Insurance Program FLOOD MITIGATION ASSISTANCE § 78.6 Flood Mitigation Plan approval process. The State POC will forward all Flood...

  11. 76 FR 77442 - Mutual Insurance Holding Company Treated as Insurance Company

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-12-13

    ... insurance industry traces its roots back to England, where, in 1696, the first mutual fire insurer was... FEDERAL DEPOSIT INSURANCE CORPORATION 12 CFR Part 380 RIN 3064-AD89 Mutual Insurance Holding Company Treated as Insurance Company AGENCY: Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC). ACTION: Notice...

  12. Hawai'i's EVolution: Hawai'i Powered. Technology Driven. (Brochure)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    2013-05-01

    This Hawaii Clean Energy Initiative (HCEI) brochure outlines Hawaii's energy and transportation goals and the implementation of electric vehicles (EV) and electric vehicle infrastructure since HCEI began in 2008. It includes information about Hawaii's role in leading the nation in available EV charging infrastructure per capita; challenges for continuing to implement EV technology; features on various successful EV users, including the Hawaiian Electric Company, Enterprise Rent-A-Car, and Senator Mike Gabbard; how EVs can integrate into and help propel Hawaii's evolving smart grid; and much more.

  13. Western GeoPower Corp. brochure : nature's own clean, renewable energy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2004-10-01

    This brochure describes the most advanced geothermal project in Canada. British Columbia's Western GeoPower Corporation holds Canada's only geothermal lease issued for commercial production of electricity. The company's South Meager Geothermal Project is expected to bring 100 MW of generating capacity on stream in 2007 and an additional 100 MW in 2009. The project has a maximum potential of 250 MW. Geothermal energy was described as being the heat radiating from the Earth's molten core that can be harnessed to produce electricity, steam and hot water for industrial, commercial and residential use. This brochure explained how geothermal energy is created, where it is found, and its importance in the global energy scene. Potential geothermal power capacity is estimated to be 50,000 times the energy of all known petroleum reserves. Most countries of the Pacific Rim have developed geothermal resources to produce electricity. Iceland produces 80 per cent of its power requirements from geothermal energy. The cost of generating electricity from geothermal resources has been reduced by 25 per cent in the past decade due to technological advances. In addition, geothermal power plants receive incentives and premium prices related to their capacity. Geothermal power plants are extremely reliable and have a 95 per cent load capacity utilization. The thermal reservoir defined at South Meager has an areal extent of 4.5 to 7.5 square km and a thickness of 2,800 metres. This high temperature field located near Whistler, British Columbia is a major geothermal site with enough electricity for a city of about 500,000 people. The project is located near the province's main electricity grid which provides a direct link with the Bonneville Power Authority grid in the northwestern United States. The three phases of the South Meager Geothermal Project are: (1) resource confirmation in 2004-2005, (2) feasibility study, permitting and financing in 2005, and (3) project design and

  14. Premium copayments and the trade-off between wages and employer-provided health insurance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lubotsky, Darren; Olson, Craig A

    2015-12-01

    This paper estimates the trade-off between salary and health insurance costs using data on Illinois school teachers between 1991 and 2008 that allow us to address several common empirical challenges in this literature. Teachers paid about 17 percent of the cost of individual health insurance and about 46 percent of the cost of their family members' plans through premium contributions, but we find no evidence that teachers' salaries respond to changes in insurance costs. Consistent with a higher willingness to pay for insurance, we find that premium contributions are higher in districts that employ a higher-tenured workforce. We find no evidence that school districts respond to higher health insurance costs by reducing the number of teachers. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  15. 7 CFR Exhibit L to Subpart A of... - Insured 10-Year Home Warranty Plan Requirements

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ...) RURAL HOUSING SERVICE, RURAL BUSINESS-COOPERATIVE SERVICE, RURAL UTILITIES SERVICE, AND FARM SERVICE... is an insurer which is licensed in one state and is authorized, under the Products Liability Risk... insurance commission or regulatory agency challenges the legal authority of such group, FmHA or its...

  16. The Big Five Health Insurers' Membership And Revenue Trends: Implications For Public Policy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schoen, Cathy; Collins, Sara R

    2017-12-01

    The five largest US commercial health insurance companies together enroll 125 million members, or 43 percent of the country's insured population. Over the past decade these insurers have become increasingly dependent for growth and profitability on public programs, according to an analysis of corporate reports. In 2016 Medicare and Medicaid accounted for nearly 60 percent of the companies' health care revenues and 20 percent of their comprehensive plan membership. Although headlines have focused on losses in the state Marketplaces created by the Affordable Care Act (ACA), the Marketplaces represent only a small fraction of insurers' members. Overall, the five largest insurers have remained profitable since passage of the ACA as a result of profits in other market segments. Notably, companies with significant Medicare or Medicaid enrollment have continued to insure beneficiaries in states where the insurers do not participate in Marketplaces. Given the insurers' dependence on public programs, there is potential to improve access if federal or state governments, or both, required insurers that participate in Medicare or Medicaid to also participate in the Marketplaces in the same geographic area. Such requirements could ensure more viable and less volatile insurance, benefiting people insured within each market as well as those who cycle on and off public and private insurance.

  17. A flexible benefits tax credit for health insurance and more.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Etheredge, Lynn

    2001-01-01

    This essay outlines a concept for a "flexible benefits" tax credit for expanding health insurance coverage and other purposes such as retirement savings plans (with potential withdrawals for higher education, first-home ownership, and catastrophic medical expenses). Two examples are presented. The advantages of a flexible benefits tax credit are considered in terms of efficient use of the budget surplus to help meet the varied (and changing) needs of American families, to eliminate major national gaps in health insurance and pension coverage, and to advance other objectives. If the budget surplus is used wisely, political decisionmakers could achieve health insurance coverage for most uninsured workers and children and assure a future with real economic security for American families.

  18. Temporal trends in genital warts among individuals covered by the public prescription drug insurance plan in the province of Quebec, Canada, from 1998 to 2007.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Steben, Marc; Ouhoummane, Najwa; Rodier, Caroline; Brassard, Paul

    2013-04-01

    We assessed temporal trend in the incidence and prevalence of genital warts (GWs) in the province of Quebec, Canada, between 1998 and 2007 as a baseline for future assessment of the impact of Quebec human papillomavirus vaccination program. Data on GWs were obtained from the linkage of the physician service claims and the public insurance drug plan databases. Genital warts were identified through a prescription of podofilox, a medical procedure code specific to GWs or a diagnosis code for viral warts followed by a prescription of imiquimod or fluorouracil within 2 weeks. An episode was considered incident if it was preceded by a 12-month interval period free of GWs care. During the study period, a total of 27,138 episodes of GWs occurred among 24,267 individuals. The age-standardized incidence rate increased over time in men and women. The highest incidence was observed in women aged 20 to 24 years (391.9/100,000) and in men aged 25 to 29 years (383.3/100,000). Similar trends in prevalence were observed. The incidence and prevalence of GWs has increased among the population covered by the public insurance drug plan in Quebec.

  19. Why not private health insurance? 2. Actuarial principles meet provider dreams.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Deber, R; Gildiner, A; Baranek, P

    1999-09-07

    What do insurers and employers feel about proposals to expand Canadian health care financing through private insurance, in either a parallel stream or a supplementary tier? The authors conducted 10 semistructured, open-ended interviews in the autumn and early winter of 1996 with representatives of the insurance industry and benefits managers working with large employers; respondents were identified using a snowball sampling technique. The respondents felt that proposals for parallel private plans within a competitive market are incompatible with insurance principles, as long as a well-functioning and relatively comprehensive public system continues to exist; the maintenance of a strong public system was both socially and economically desirable. With the exception of serving the niche market for the private management of return-to-work strategies, respondents showed little interest in providing parallel coverage. They were receptive to a larger role for supplementary insurance but cautioned that they are not willing to cover all delisted services. As business executives they stated that they are willing to insure only services and clients that will be profitable.

  20. 12 CFR 2.4 - Bonus and incentive plans.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... plan based on the sale of credit life insurance if payments to the employee or officer in any one year... 12 Banks and Banking 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Bonus and incentive plans. 2.4 Section 2.4 Banks and Banking COMPTROLLER OF THE CURRENCY, DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY SALES OF CREDIT LIFE INSURANCE...

  1. Deposit Insurance Coverage, Credibility of Non-insurance, and Banking Crises

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Angkinand, Apanard; Wihlborg, Clas

    2005-01-01

    level require analyses of institutional factors affecting the credibility of non-insurance. In particular, the implementation of effective distress resolution procedures for banks would allow governments to reduce explicit deposit insurance coverage and, thereby, to strengthen market discipline......The ambiguity in existing empirical work with respect to effects of deposit insurance schemes on banks' risk-taking can be resolved if it is recognized that absence of deposit insurance is rarely credible and that the credibility of non-insurance can be enhanced by explicit deposit insurance...... schemes. We show that under reasonable conditions for effects on risk-taking of creditor protection in banking, and for effects on credibility of non-insurance of explicit coverage of deposit insurance schemes, there exists a partial level of coverage that maximizes market discipline and minimizes moral...

  2. Insurance premiums and insurance coverage of near-poor children.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hadley, Jack; Reschovsky, James D; Cunningham, Peter; Kenney, Genevieve; Dubay, Lisa

    States increasingly are using premiums for near-poor children in their public insurance programs (Medicaid/SCHIP) to limit private insurance crowd-out and constrain program costs. Using national data from four rounds of the Community Tracking Study Household Surveys spanning the seven years from 1996 to 2003, this study estimates a multinomial logistic regression model examining how public and private insurance premiums affect insurance coverage outcomes (Medicaid/SCHIP coverage, private coverage, and no coverage). Higher public premiums are significantly associated with a lower probability of public coverage and higher probabilities of private coverage and uninsurance; higher private premiums are significantly related to a lower probability of private coverage and higher probabilities of public coverage and uninsurance. The results imply that uninsurance rates will rise if both public and private premiums increase, and suggest that states that impose or increase public insurance premiums for near-poor children will succeed in discouraging crowd-out of private insurance, but at the expense of higher rates of uninsurance. Sustained increases in private insurance premiums will continue to create enrollment pressures on state insurance programs for children.

  3. Nuclear insurance

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Anon.

    1992-01-01

    The yearbook contains among others the figures of the nuclear insurance line. According to these these the DKVG (German nuclear power plant insurance association) has 102 member insurance companies all registered in the Federal Republic of Germany. By using reinsurance capacities of the other pools at present property insurance amounts to 1.5 billion DM and liability insurance to 200 million DM. In 1991 the damage charges on account of DKV amounted to 3.1 (1990 : 4.3) million DM. From these 0.6 million DM are apportioned to payments and 2.5 million DM to reserves. One large damage would cost a maximum gross sum of 2.2 billion DM property and liability insurance; on account of DKVG 750 million DM. (orig./HSCH) [de

  4. Estimation of a hedonic pricing model for Medigap insurance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Robst, John

    2006-12-01

    This paper uses a unique database to examine premiums paid by beneficiaries for Medigap supplemental coverage. Average premiums charged by insurers are reported, as well as premiums by enrollee age and gender, and additional policy characteristics. Marginal prices for Medigap benefits are estimated using hedonic price regressions. In addition, the paper considers how additional policy characteristics and geographic differences in the use and cost of medical care affect premiums. A comprehensive database on premiums paid by beneficiaries for newly issued Medigap policies in the year 2000 along with state-level characteristics. Hedonic pricing equations are used to estimate implicit prices for Medigap benefits. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services contracted for the creation of a detailed database on Medigap premiums. Data were collected in three stages. First, letters were sent directly to insurers requesting premium data. Second, letters were directly to state insurance commissioner's offices requesting premium data. Last, each state insurance commissioner's office was visited to collect missing data. With the exceptions of the part B deductible and drug benefit, Medigap supplemental insurance is priced consistent with the actuarial value of benefits offered under the standardized plans. Premiums vary substantially based on rating method, whether the policy is guaranteed issue, Medigap Select, or explicitly for smokers. Premiums increase with enrollee age, but do not vary between men and women. The relationship between premiums and enrollee age varies across rating methods. Attained-age policies show the strongest relationship between age and premiums, while community-rated premiums, by definition, do not vary with age. Medigap supplemental insurance premiums are higher in states with poorer health, greater utilization, and greater managed care penetration. Despite the high cost, Medigap plans are generally priced in accordance with the actuarial value of

  5. Estimation of a Hedonic Pricing Model for Medigap Insurance

    Science.gov (United States)

    Robst, John

    2006-01-01

    Objective This paper uses a unique database to examine premiums paid by beneficiaries for Medigap supplemental coverage. Average premiums charged by insurers are reported, as well as premiums by enrollee age and gender, and additional policy characteristics. Marginal prices for Medigap benefits are estimated using hedonic price regressions. In addition, the paper considers how additional policy characteristics and geographic differences in the use and cost of medical care affect premiums. Data Sources/Study Setting A comprehensive database on premiums paid by beneficiaries for newly issued Medigap policies in the year 2000 along with state-level characteristics. Study Design Hedonic pricing equations are used to estimate implicit prices for Medigap benefits. Data Collection/Extraction Methods The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services contracted for the creation of a detailed database on Medigap premiums. Data were collected in three stages. First, letters were sent directly to insurers requesting premium data. Second, letters were directly to state insurance commissioner's offices requesting premium data. Last, each state insurance commissioner's office was visited to collect missing data. Principal Findings With the exceptions of the part B deductible and drug benefit, Medigap supplemental insurance is priced consistent with the actuarial value of benefits offered under the standardized plans. Premiums vary substantially based on rating method, whether the policy is guaranteed issue, Medigap Select, or explicitly for smokers. Premiums increase with enrollee age, but do not vary between men and women. The relationship between premiums and enrollee age varies across rating methods. Attained-age policies show the strongest relationship between age and premiums, while community-rated premiums, by definition, do not vary with age. Medigap supplemental insurance premiums are higher in states with poorer health, greater utilization, and greater managed care

  6. Planning and Designing Web- Based Electronic Commerce: a case study in the insurance industry

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rolf Teubner

    1998-11-01

    Full Text Available Electronic Commerce (EC comprises new ways of doing business with customers, suppliers and other business partners. EC is enabled by information and communication technology, in particular the World Wide Web (in short, the Web. While numerous organisations have started to use the Web as an interface to clients and business partners, many have been disappointed by lower than expected response rates and higher than expected costs. One reason for non profitable Web based EC applications is that they do not reflect the strategic preconditions of EC. This lack may be due to deficits in the process of developing an EC-strategy for their Web application. Furthermore, there is a void of instruments and tools to support this process. In order to fill this void, this paper proposes two basic frameworks for planning a Web based EC application. The application of these frameworks is illustrated by the example of a medium seized insurance company. Based on experiences drawn from the case study, the proposed frameworks will be evaluated.

  7. Mental Health and Substance Abuse Insurance Parity for Federal Employees: How Did Health Plans Respond?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barry, Colleen L.; Ridgely, M. Susan

    2008-01-01

    A fundamental concern with competitive health insurance markets is that they will not supply efficient levels of coverage for treatment of costly, chronic, and predictable illnesses, such as mental illness. Since the inception of employer-based health insurance, coverage for mental health services has been offered on a more limited basis than…

  8. The Development of a Food Safety Brochure for Families: The Use of Formative Evaluation and Plain Language Strategies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Perry, Christina; Albrecht, Julie; Litchfield, Ruth; Meysenburg, Rebecca L.; Er, Ida NgYin; Lum, Adeline; Beattie, Sam; Larvick, Carol; Schwarz, Carol; Temple, Jan; Meimann, Elizabeth

    2012-01-01

    Printed materials have been used extensively as an educational tool to increase food safety awareness. Few educational materials have been designed to target families with young children for food safety education. This article reports the use of the formative evaluation process to develop a brochure designed to enhance awareness about food safety…

  9. Insurance crisis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Williams, P.L.

    1996-01-01

    The article discusses the effects of financing and technology advances on the availability of insurance for independent power producers operating gas turbines. Combined cycle units which require new materials and processes make it difficult to assess risk. Insurers are denying coverage, or raising prices and deductibles. Many lenders, however, are requiring insurance prior to financing. Some solutions proposed include information sharing by industry participants and insurers and increased risk acceptance by plant owners/operators

  10. Introduction to insurance mathematics technical and financial features of risk transfers

    CERN Document Server

    Olivieri, Annamaria

    2015-01-01

    This second edition expands the first chapters, which focus on the approach to risk management issues discussed in the first edition, to offer readers a better understanding of the risk management process and the relevant quantitative phases. In the following chapters the book examines life insurance, non-life insurance and pension plans, presenting the technical and financial aspects of risk transfers and insurance without the use of complex mathematical tools.   The book is written in a comprehensible style making it easily accessible to advanced undergraduate and graduate students in Economics, Business and Finance, as well as undergraduate students in Mathematics who intend starting on an actuarial qualification path. With the systematic inclusion of practical topics, professionals will find this text useful when working in insurance and pension related areas, where investments, risk analysis and financial reporting play a major role.

  11. Developing algorithms for healthcare insurers to systematically monitor surgical site infection rates

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Livingston James M

    2007-06-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Claims data provide rapid indicators of SSIs for coronary artery bypass surgery and have been shown to successfully rank hospitals by SSI rates. We now operationalize this method for use by payers without transfer of protected health information, or any insurer data, to external analytic centers. Results We performed a descriptive study testing the operationalization of software for payers to routinely assess surgical infection rates among hospitals where enrollees receive cardiac procedures. We developed five SAS programs and a user manual for direct use by health plans and payers. The manual and programs were refined following provision to two national insurers who applied the programs to claims databases, following instructions on data preparation, data validation, analysis, and verification and interpretation of program output. A final set of programs and user manual successfully guided health plan programmer analysts to apply SSI algorithms to claims databases. Validation steps identified common problems such as incomplete preparation of data, missing data, insufficient sample size, and other issues that might result in program failure. Several user prompts enabled health plans to select time windows, strata such as insurance type, and the threshold number of procedures performed by a hospital before inclusion in regression models assessing relative SSI rates among hospitals. No health plan data was transferred to outside entities. Programs, on default settings, provided descriptive tables of SSI indicators stratified by hospital, insurer type, SSI indicator (inpatient, outpatient, antibiotic, and six-month period. Regression models provided rankings of hospital SSI indicator rates by quartiles, adjusted for comorbidities. Programs are publicly available without charge. Conclusion We describe a free, user-friendly software package that enables payers to routinely assess and identify hospitals with potentially high SSI

  12. The relationship between employer health insurance characteristics and the provision of employee assistance programs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zarkin, G A; Garfinkel, S A

    1994-01-01

    Workplace drug and alcohol abuse imposes substantial costs on employers. In response, employers have implemented a variety of programs to decrease substance abuse in the workplace, including drug testing, health and wellness programs, and employee assistance programs (EAPs). This paper focuses on the relationship between enterprises' organizational and health insurance characteristics and the firms' decisions to provide EAPs. Using data from the 1989 Survey of Health Insurance Plans (SHIP), sponsored by the Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA), we estimated the prevalence of EAPs by selected organizational and health insurance characteristics for those firms that offer health insurance to their workers. In addition, we estimated logistic models of the enterprises' decisions to provide EAPs as functions of the extent of state substance abuse and mental health insurance mandates, state-level demographic variables, and organizational and health insurance characteristics. Our results suggest that state mandates and demographic variables, as well as organizational and health insurance characteristics, are important explanatory variables of enterprises' decisions to provide EAPs.

  13. Mitigation Index Insurance for Developing Countries: Insure the Loss or Insure the Signal?

    OpenAIRE

    Li, Yiting; Miranda, Mario J.

    2015-01-01

    Conventional agricultural index insurance indemnifies based on the observed value of a specified variable, such as rainfall, that is correlated with agricultural production losses. Typically, indemnities are paid to the policyholder after the losses have been experienced. This paper explores alternate timing for index insurance payouts. In particular, we explore the potential benefits of what we call “mitigation index insurance” in which the payouts of the insurance contract arrive before los...

  14. Infusing Adult Education Principles Into a Health Insurance Literacy Program.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brown, Virginia

    2018-03-01

    Health insurance literacy is an emerging concept in the health education and health promotion field. The passage of the Affordable Care Act highlighted the link between health insurance and health outcomes. However, the law does not specifically address how the public should be educated on choosing an appropriate health insurance plan. Research shows adults, regardless of previous health insurance status, are likely confused and uncertain about their selection. The University of Maryland Extension developed and created health insurance Smart Choice Health Insurance™ to reduce confusion and increase confidence and capability to make this decision. Andragogy, an adult learning theory, was used to guide the development of the program and help ensure best practices are used to achieve desired outcomes. Using the six principles of andragogy, the team incorporated reality-based case studies, allowed adults time to practice, and emphasized choice making and many other elements to create an atmosphere conducive to adult learning. Results from Smart Choice indicate the program is successful in reducing confusion and increasing confidence. Furthermore, feedback from participants and trained educators indicates that adults were engaged in the program and found the materials useful. Based on program success, creation of new health insurance literacy programs grounded in adult education principles is under way.

  15. Disability Insurance and Health Insurance Reform: Evidence from Massachusetts

    OpenAIRE

    Nicole Maestas; Kathleen J. Mullen; Alexander Strand

    2014-01-01

    As health insurance becomes available outside of the employment relationship as a result of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), the cost of applying for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI)–potentially going without health insurance coverage during a waiting period totaling 29 months from disability onset–will decline for many people with employer-sponsored health insurance. At the same time, the value of SSDI and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) participation will decline for individuals...

  16. Probabilistic Insurance

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Wakker, P.P.; Thaler, R.H.; Tversky, A.

    1997-01-01

    Probabilistic insurance is an insurance policy involving a small probability that the consumer will not be reimbursed. Survey data suggest that people dislike probabilistic insurance and demand more than a 20% reduction in premium to compensate for a 1% default risk. These observations cannot be

  17. Probabilistic Insurance

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    P.P. Wakker (Peter); R.H. Thaler (Richard); A. Tversky (Amos)

    1997-01-01

    textabstractProbabilistic insurance is an insurance policy involving a small probability that the consumer will not be reimbursed. Survey data suggest that people dislike probabilistic insurance and demand more than a 20% reduction in the premium to compensate for a 1% default risk. While these

  18. 5 CFR 891.502 - Standards for carrier of uniform plan.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... SERVICE REGULATIONS (CONTINUED) RETIRED FEDERAL EMPLOYEES HEALTH BENEFITS Standards for Uniform Plan and... available, the carrier of the uniform plan shall have made at least 1 percent of all group health insurance benefit payments in the United States. If the carrier is an insurance company, it must be licensed to...

  19. Including Internet insurance as part of a hospital computer network security plan.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Riccardi, Ken

    2002-01-01

    Cyber attacks on a hospital's computer network is a new crime to be reckoned with. Should your hospital consider internet insurance? The author explains this new phenomenon and presents a risk assessment for determining network vulnerabilities.

  20. Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) Insured Banks

    Data.gov (United States)

    Department of Homeland Security — The Summary of Deposits (SOD) is the annual survey of branch office deposits for all FDIC-insured institutions including insured U.S. branches of foreign banks. Data...

  1. Does the Availability of Parental Health Insurance Affect the College Enrollment Decision of Young Americans?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jung, Juergen; Hall, Diane M. Harnek; Rhoads, Thomas

    2013-01-01

    The present study examines whether the college enrollment decision of young individuals (student full-time, student part-time, and non-student) depends on health insurance coverage via a parent's family health plan. Our findings indicate that the availability of parental health insurance can have significant effects on the probability that a young…

  2. INFORMATION FROM THE CERN HEALTH INSURANCE SCHEME

    CERN Document Server

    Tel : 7-3635

    2002-01-01

    Please note that, from 1 July 2002, the tariff agreement between CERN and the Hôpital de la Tour will no longer be in force. As a result the members of the CERN Health Insurance Scheme will no longer obtain a 5% discount for quick payment of bills. More information on the termination of the agreement and the implications for our Health Insurance Scheme will be provided in the next issue of the CHIS Bull', due for publication in the first half of July. It will be sent to your home address, so, if you have moved recently, please check that your divisional secretariat has your current address. Tel.: 73635 The Organization's Health Insurance Scheme (CHIS) has launched its own Web pages, located on the Website of the Social & Statutory Conditions Group of HR Division (HR-SOC). The address is short and easy-to-remember www.cern.ch/chis The pages currently available concentrate on providing basic information. Over the coming months it is planned to fill out the details and introduce new topics. Please give us ...

  3. 75 FR 15603 - Common Crop Insurance Regulations; Florida Avocado Crop Insurance Provisions

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-03-30

    ... to: (1) Theft; or (2) Inability to market the avocados for any reason other than actual physical... Crop Insurance Regulations; Florida Avocado Crop Insurance Provisions AGENCY: Federal Crop Insurance... Common Crop Insurance Regulations; Florida Avocado Crop Insurance Provisions to convert the Florida...

  4. 76 FR 71276 - Common Crop Insurance Regulations; Pecan Revenue Crop Insurance Provisions

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-11-17

    ...-0008] RIN 0563-AC35 Common Crop Insurance Regulations; Pecan Revenue Crop Insurance Provisions AGENCY... Corporation (FCIC) proposes to amend the Common Crop Insurance Regulations, Pecan Revenue Crop Insurance... Regulations (7 CFR part 457) by revising Sec. 457.167 Pecan Revenue Crop Insurance Provisions, to be effective...

  5. Plan selection in Medicare Part D: Evidence from administrative data

    Science.gov (United States)

    Heiss, Florian; Leive, Adam; McFadden, Daniel; Winter, Joachim

    2014-01-01

    We study the Medicare Part D prescription drug insurance program as a bellwether for designs of private, non-mandatory health insurance markets, focusing on the ability of consumers to evaluate and optimize their choices of plans. Our analysis of administrative data on medical claims in Medicare Part D suggests that fewer than 25 percent of individuals enroll in plans that are ex ante as good as the least cost plan specified by the Plan Finder tool made available to seniors by the Medicare administration, and that consumers on average have expected excess spending of about $300 per year, or about 15 percent of expected total out-of-pocket cost for drugs and Part D insurance. These numbers are hard to reconcile with decision costs alone; it appears that unless a sizeable fraction of consumers place large values on plan features other than cost, they are not optimizing effectively. PMID:24308882

  6. [Prevalence of risk health behavior among members of private health insurance plans: results from the 2008 national telephone survey Vigitel, Brazil].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Malta, Deborah Carvalho; Oliveira, Martha Regina de; Moura, Erly Catarina de; Silva, Sara Araújo; Zouain, Cláudia Soares; Santos, Fausto Pereira Dos; Morais Neto, Otaliba Libanio de; Penna, Gerson de Oliveira

    2011-03-01

    This article aims at estimating the prevalence of adults engaging in protective and risk health behaviors among members of private health insurance plans. It was used a random sample of individuals over the age of 18 living in the Brazilian state capitals collected on 28,640 telephone interviews in 2008. The results showed that among males there was a high prevalence of the following risk factors: tobacco, overweight, low fruit and vegetable consumption, high meat with fat consumption and alcohol drinking. Among females we found a high prevalence of high blood pressure, diabetes, dyslipidemia and osteoporosis. Men were generally more physically active and women consumed more fruit and vegetables. As more educated males were lower was the prevalence of tobacco, high blood pressure, but also a higher prevalence of overweight, consumption of meat with fat, dyslipidemia and lower number of yearly check-ups done. For females, tobacco smoking, overweight, obesity, decreasing with schooling, and consumption of fruit and vegetables, physical activity, mammography and PAP test, increased with schooling. The health insurance user population constitutes about 26% of Brazilian people and the current study aims to accumulate evidence for health promotion actions by this public.

  7. What drives insurer participation and premiums in the Federally-Facilitated Marketplace?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abraham, Jean Marie; Drake, Coleman; McCullough, Jeffrey S; Simon, Kosali

    2017-12-01

    We investigate determinants of market entry and premiums within the context of the Affordable Care Act's Marketplaces for individual insurance. Using Bresnahan and Reiss (1991) as the conceptual framework, we study how competition and firm heterogeneity relate to premiums in 36 states using Federally Facilitated or Supported Marketplaces in 2016. Our primary data source is the Qualified Health Plan Landscape File, augmented with market characteristics from the American Community Survey and Area Health Resource File as well as insurer-level information from federal Medical Loss Ratio annual reports. We first estimate a model of insurer entry and then investigate the relationship between a market's predicted number of entrants and insurer-level premiums. Our entry model results suggest that competition is increasing with the number of insurers, most notably as the market size increases from 3 to 4 entrants. Results from the premium regression suggest that each additional entrant is associated with approximately 4% lower premiums, controlling for other factors. An alternative explanation for the relationship between entrants and premiums is that more efficient insurers (who can price lower) are the ones that enter markets with many entrants, and this is reflected in lower premiums. An exploratory analysis of insurers' non-claims costs (a proxy for insurer efficiency) reveals that average costs among entrants are rising slightly with the number of insurers in the market. This pattern does not support the hypothesis that premiums decrease with more entrants because those entrants are more efficient, suggesting instead that the results are being driven mostly by price competition.

  8. Health insurance exchanges bring potential opportunities.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jacobs, M Orry; Eggbeer, Bill

    2012-11-01

    The introduction of the state health insurance exchanges, as provided for in the Affordable Care Act, has many strategic implications for healthcare providers: Unprecedented transparency; The "Walmart Effect", with patients playing a greater role as healthcare consumers; A rise in narrow networks spurred by low prices and narrow geographies; The potential end of the cross subsidy of Medicare and Medicaid by commercial plans; The possible end of not-for-profit status for hospitals

  9. Does trust of patients in their physician predict loyalty to the health care insurer? The Israeli case study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gabay, Gillie

    2016-01-01

    This pioneer study tests the relationship between patients' trust in their physicians and patients' loyalty to their health care insurers. This is a cross-sectional study using a representative sample of patients from all health care insurers with identical health care plans. Regression analyses and Baron and Kenny's model were used to test the study model. Patient trust in the physician did not predict loyalty to the insurer. Loyalty to the physician did not mediate the relationship between trust in the physician and loyalty to the insurer. Satisfaction with the physician was the only predictor of loyalty to the insurer.

  10. Differences in utilization of dental procedures by children enrolled in Wisconsin Medicaid and Delta Dental insurance plans.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bhagavatula, Pradeep; Xiang, Qun; Szabo, Aniko; Eichmiller, Fredrick; Okunseri, Christopher

    2017-12-01

    Few studies have directly compared dental procedures provided in public and private insurance plans for enrollees living in dental health professional shortage areas (DHPSAs). We examined the rates for the different types of dental procedures received by 0-18-year-old children living in DHPSAs and non-DHPSAs who were enrolled in Medicaid and those enrolled under Delta Dental of Wisconsin (DDW) for years 2002 to 2008. Medicaid and DDW dental claims data for 2002 to 2008 was analyzed. Enrollees were divided into DDW-DHPSA and non-DHPSA and Medicaid-DHPSA and non-DHPSA groups. Descriptive and multivariable analyses using over-dispersed Poisson regression were performed to examine the effect of living in DHPSAs and insurance type in relation to the number of procedures received. Approximately 49 and 65 percent of children living in non-DHPSAs that were enrolled in Medicaid and DDW received at least one preventive dental procedure annually, respectively. Children in DDW non-DHPSA group had 1.79 times as many preventive, 0.27 times fewer complex restorative and 0.51 times fewer endodontic procedures respectively, compared to those in Medicaid non-DHPSA group. Children enrolled in DDW-DHPSA group had 1.53 times as many preventive and 0.25 times fewer complex restorative procedures, compared to children in Medicaid-DHPSA group. DDW enrollees had significantly higher utilization rates for preventive procedures than children in Medicaid. There were significant differences across Medicaid and DDW between non-DHPSA and DHPSA for most dental procedures received by enrollees. © 2016 American Association of Public Health Dentistry.

  11. Wujiang's service-oriented family planning programme.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhu, H

    1995-08-01

    Wujiang City in south Jiangsu Province is a county-level city, well known for its economic development and effective family planning program. Family planning is practiced voluntarily by the people. The growth rate of the city's population has decreased to 5.47/1000; the proportion of planned births has increased to 98%; and the total fertility rate has declined to 1.5. There are 34 towns (and townships) and 883 administrative villages under the jurisdiction of the city. The living standard has improved significantly. The successful implementation of family planning is largely due to the quality services delivered to farmers, especially women of reproductive age. In an interview, Mme. Ji and Mme. Shen, chiefs of the Wujiang Family Planning Committee, describe the services they deliver. The information, education, and communication (IEC) program is focused on population schools (city, town, township, and village), which deliver information to middle school students, premarital youth, and women who are pregnant, lying-in, or menopausal. Pamphlets on marriage and reproductive health are published by the county population school. Family planning service centers, which deliver contraceptive and technical services, were established in every town and township in 1993. Ultrasound scans are available and have been used to diagnose diseases, including cancer. Over 3000 women have been helped. Misuse of fetal sex identification is banned. The Family Planning Committee and the technical service centers in the city provide counselling services on fewer, healthier births; maternal and child health care; reproductive health; and treatment of infertility. There are several kinds of insurance related to family planning; these include old age support for the parents of only-children, safety insurance for only-children, and old age insurance for newlyweds. The insurance premium is shared by the couple (100 yuan) and the township (400 yuan). Only-child couples, two-daughter families

  12. Do self-insurance and disability insurance prevent consumption loss on disability?

    OpenAIRE

    Steffan G. Ball; Hamish W. Low

    2009-01-01

    In this paper we show the extent to which public insurance and self-insurance mitigate the cost of health shocks that limit the ability to work. We use consumption data from the UK to estimate the insurance provided by the government disability programme and account for the effectiveness of alternative self-insurance mechanisms. Individuals with a work-limiting health condition, but in receipt of disability insurance, have 7 percent lower consumption than those without such a condition. Self-...

  13. Policy Design of Multi-Year Crop Insurance Contracts with Partial Payments.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ying-Erh Chen

    Full Text Available Current crop insurance is designed to mitigate monetary fluctuations resulting from yield losses for a specific year. However, yield realization tendency can vary from year to year and may depend on the correlation of yield realizations across years. When the current single-year Yield Protection (YP and Area Risk Protection Insurance (ARPI contracts are extended to multiple periods, actuarially fair premium rate is expected to decrease as poor yield realizations in a year can be offset by another year's better yield realizations. In this study, we first use simulations to demonstrate how significant premium savings are possible when coverage is based on the sum of yields across years rather than on a year-by-year basis. We then describe the design of a multi-year framework of crop insurance and model the insurance using a copula approach. Insurance terms are extended to more than a year and the premium, liability, and indemnity are determined by a multi-year term. Moreover, partial payment is provided at the end of each term to offset the possibility of significant loss in a single term. County-level data obtained from the U.S. Department of Agriculture are used to demonstrate the implementations of the proposed multi-year crop insurance. The proposed multi-year plan would benefit farmers by offering insurance guarantees across years for significantly lower costs.

  14. INSURANCE MARKET. GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS OF INSURANCES IN ROMANIA

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    MARINEL NEDELUŢ

    2013-10-01

    Full Text Available Insurance is a contract made by a company or society, or by the state, to provide a guarantee for loss, damage, illness, death etc in return for regular payments. In other words it is a means by which one pays a relatively small known cost for protection against an uncertain and much larger cost. Still, this contract (insurance policy makes it possible for the insured to cover only losses that are measurable in terms of money and caused strictly by hazardous events, independent from own doing. If no such events should happen, the benefits won’t exist in a tangible, material form, but will take the shape of security against ruin. Since the insurance industry has developed more during the last decade due to the powerful players that have entered the market, the services provided by the insurance companies, and not only their products have evolved a lot in order to meet the requirements of the consumers, and to make them familiar with this type of investments. Therefore all the means of advertising became essential in this process of implementation and familiarization with this area of activity: mass-media advertising, insurance brokerage companies, the internet are all parts of this process.

  15. INSURANCE INTERMEDIARIES

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Andreea Stoican

    2013-11-01

    Full Text Available The actual Civil code regulates for the first time in the Romanian legislation the intermediation contract, until its entering into force existing multiple situations that lent themselves to this legal operation, but did not benefit of such particular legal rules. Yet, the case law has shown that the situations that arise in the activity of the legal or natural persons are much more complex, this leading, in time, to the reglementation of such particular rules. Such a case is that found in the matter of insurance contracts, the position of the insurance intermediaries being regulated especially by Law no. 32/2000, according to which they represent the natural or legal persons authorized in the conditions of the above mentioned legal document, that perform intermediation activities in the insurance field, in exchange of a remuneration, as well as the intermediaries from the EU member states that perform such an activity on the Romanian territory, in accordance with the freedom in performing services. Therefore, the present paper aims to analyze the conclusion of such insurance contracts and to underline the particular position of the insurance brokers, having the following structure: 1 Introduction; 2 The reglementation of the intermediation contract/brokerage agreement in the Romanian Law; 3 The importance of the intermediaries in the insurance contracts; 4 The conclusion of the insurance contracts; 5 Conclusions.

  16. Message from the CERN Health Insurance Supervisory Board (CHISB)

    CERN Multimedia

    2007-01-01

    At the end of 2006, the Management of Clinique La Colline canceled its 2005 tariff agreement with the health insurance schemes of international organizations (CERN, ILO-ITU, WHO, UNOG). The proposed 2007 tariffs were unacceptable to these schemes as they included an average increase of 12%. No agreement was found and therefore this clinic is no longer approved by the CHIS, according to the definition given in the Rules of the CERN Health Insurance Scheme. Our Administrator, UNIQA, will no longer act as paying third party for any hospitalisation which has not already been planned and agreed. More information will appear in the next issue of the CHISBull'. Tel.74484

  17. What is Clean Cities? October 2011 (Brochure)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    2011-10-01

    Brochure describes the Clean Cities program and includes the contact information for its 85 coalitions. Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Vehicle Technologies Program (VTP), Clean Cities is a government-industry partnership that reduces petroleum consumption in the transportation sector. Clean Cities contributes to the energy, environmental, and economic security of the United States by supporting local decisions to reduce our dependence on imported petroleum. Established in 1993 in response to the Energy Policy Act (EPAct) of 1992, the partnership provides tools and resources for voluntary, community-centered programs to reduce consumption of petroleum-based fuels. In nearly 100 coalitions, government agencies and private companies voluntarily come together under the umbrella of Clean Cities. The partnership helps all parties identify mutual interests and meet the objectives of reducing the use of petroleum, developing regional economic opportunities, and improving air quality. Clean Cities deploys technologies and practices developed by VTP. These include idle-reduction equipment, electric-drive vehicles, fuel economy measures, and renewable and alternative fuels, such as natural gas, liquefied petroleum gas (propane), electricity, hydrogen, biofuels, and biogas. Idle-reduction equipment is targeted primarily to buses and heavy-duty trucks, which use more than 2 billion gallons of fuel every year in the United States while idling. Clean Cities fuel economy measures include public education on vehicle choice and fuel-efficient driving practices.

  18. [Occupational health services as the insurance product and insurance economic instruments].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rydlewska-Liszkowska, Izabela

    2014-01-01

    One of the most controversial issues in restructuring the Polish health insurance system is the implementation of private voluntary insurance and creation within it a new insurance product known as occupational health services (OHS). In this article some opportunities and dilemmas likely to be faced by providers and employers/employees, when contracting with insurance institutions, are considered as a contribution to the discussion on private insurance in Poland. The basic question is how private insurance institutions could influence the promotion of different preventive activities at the company level by motivating both OHS providers and employers. The descriptive qualitative method has been applied in the analysis of legal acts, scientific publications selected according to keywords (Pubmed), documents and expert evaluations and research project results. Taking into account the experiences of European countries, described in publications, international experts' opinions and results of research projects the solution proposed in Poland could be possible under the following several prerequisites: inclusion of a full scope of occupational health services into the insurance product, constant supervision of occupational medicine professionals, monitoring of the health care quality and the relations between private insurers and OHS provider and implementation of the economic incentives scheme to ensure an adequate position of OHS providers on the market. The proposed reconstruction of the health insurance system, comprising undoubtedly positive elements, may entail some threats in the area of health, organization and economy. Private voluntary health insurance implementation requires precisely defined solutions concerning the scope of insurance product, motivation scheme and information system.

  19. BUSINESS PROCESS MANAGEMENT IN INSURANCE CASE OF JADRANSKO INSURANCE COMPANY

    OpenAIRE

    Sanja Coric; Danijel Bara

    2014-01-01

    Selling insurance products in conditions of today’s modern technological solutions is faced with numerous challenges. Business processes in insurance as well as the results of these business processes are the real interface to policyholders. Modeling and analysis of business process in insurance ensure organizations to focus on the customer and increase the efficiency and quality of work. Managing critical business processes in every single organization, likewise in insurance is a key factor ...

  20. Promoting flood risk reduction: The role of insurance in Germany and England

    Science.gov (United States)

    Surminski, Swenja; Thieken, Annegret H.

    2017-10-01

    Improving society's ability to prepare for, respond to and recover from flooding requires integrated, anticipatory flood risk management (FRM). However, most countries still focus their efforts on responding to flooding events if and when they occur rather than addressing their current and future vulnerability to flooding. Flood insurance is one mechanism that could promote a more ex ante approach to risk by supporting risk reduction activities. This paper uses an adapted version of Easton's System Theory to investigate the role of insurance for FRM in Germany and England. We introduce an anticipatory FRM framework, which allows flood insurance to be considered as part of a broader policy field. We analyze if and how flood insurance can catalyze a change toward a more anticipatory approach to FRM. In particular we consider insurance's role in influencing five key components of anticipatory FRM: risk knowledge, prevention through better planning, property-level protection measures, structural protection and preparedness (for response). We find that in both countries FRM is still a reactive, event-driven process, while anticipatory FRM remains underdeveloped. Collaboration between insurers and FRM decision-makers has already been successful, for example in improving risk knowledge and awareness, while in other areas insurance acts as a disincentive for more risk reduction action. In both countries there is evidence that insurance can play a significant role in encouraging anticipatory FRM, but this remains underutilized. Effective collaboration between insurers and government should not be seen as a cost, but as an investment to secure future insurability through flood resilience.

  1. ERISA and health plans.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schmidt, P; Mazo, J; Ladenheim, K

    1995-11-01

    This Issue Brief is designed to provide a basic understanding of the relationship of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) to health plans. It is based, in part, on an Employee Benefit Research Institute-Education and Research Fund (EBRI-ERF) educational briefing held in March 1995. This report includes a section by Peter Schmidt of Arnold & Porter, a section about multiemployer plans written by Judy Mazo of The Segal Company; and a section about ERISA and state health reform written by Kala Ladenheim of the Intergovernmental Health Policy Project. Starting in the late 1980s, three trends converged to make ERISA a critical factor in state health reforms: increasingly comprehensive state health policy experimentation; changes in the makeup of the insurance market (including the rise in self-insurance and the growth of managed care); and increasingly expansive interpretations of ERISA by federal courts. The changing interpretations of ERISA's relationship to three categories of state health initiatives--insurance mandates, medical high risk pools, and uncompensated care pools--illustrate how these forces are playing out today. ERISA does have a very broad preemptive effect. Federal statutes do not need to say anything about preemption in order to preempt state law. For example, if there is a direct conflict, it would be quite clear under the Supremacy Clause [of the U.S. Constitution] that ERISA, or any federal statue, would preempt a directly conflicting state statute. States can indirectly regulate health care plans that provide benefits through insurance contracts by establishing the terms of the contract. And they also raise money by imposing premium taxes. But they cannot do the same with respect to self-funded plans. That is one of the factors that has caused a great rise in the number of self-funded plans. State regulation [of employee benefits] can create three kinds of problems: cost of taxes, fees, or other charges; cost of dealing

  2. Consumer-Choice Health plan (second of two parts). A national-health-insurance proposal based on regulated competition in the private sector.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Enthoven, A C

    1978-03-30

    Medical costs are straining public finances. Direct economic regulation will raise costs, retard beneficial innovation and be increasingly burdensome to physicians. As an alternative, I suggest that the government change financial incentives by creating a system of competing health plans in which physicians and consumers can benefit from using resources wisely. Main proposals consist of changed tax laws, Medicare and Medicaid to subsidize individual premium payments by an amount based on financial and predicted medical need, as well as subsidies usable only for premiums in qualified health insurance or delivery plans operating under rules that include periodic open enrollment, community rating by actuarial category, premium rating by market area and a limit on each person's out-of pocket costs. Also, efficient systems should be allowed to pass on the full savings to consumers. Finally, incremental changes should be made in the present system to alter it fundamentally, but gradually and voluntarily. Freedom of choice for consumers and physicians should be preserved.

  3. Disparities in health insurance among children with same-sex parents.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gonzales, Gilbert; Blewett, Lynn A

    2013-10-01

    The objectives of this study were to examine disparities in health insurance coverage for children with same-sex parents and to investigate how statewide policies such as same-sex marriage and second-parent adoptions affect children's private insurance coverage. We used data from the 2008-2010 American Community Survey to identify children (aged 0-17 years) with same-sex parents (n = 5081), married opposite-sex parents (n = 1369789), and unmarried opposite-sex parents (n = 101678). We conducted multinomial logistic regression models to estimate the relationship between family type and type of health insurance coverage for all children and then stratified by each child's state policy environment. Although 77.5% of children with married opposite-sex parents had private health insurance, only 63.3% of children with dual fathers and 67.5% with dual mothers were covered by private health plans. Children with same-sex parents had fewer odds of private insurance after controlling for demographic characteristics but not to the extent of children with unmarried opposite-sex parents. Differences in private insurance diminished for children with dual mothers after stratifying children in states with legal same-sex marriage or civil unions. Living in a state that allowed second-parent adoptions also predicted narrower disparities in private insurance coverage for children with dual fathers or dual mothers. Disparities in private health insurance for children with same-sex parents diminish when they live in states that secure their legal relationship to both parents. This study provides supporting evidence in favor of recent policy statements by the American Academy of Pediatricians endorsing same-sex marriage and second-parent adoptions.

  4. Disparities in Private Health Insurance Coverage of Skilled Care

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Stacey A. Tovino

    2017-10-01

    Full Text Available This article compares and contrasts public and private health insurance coverage of skilled medical rehabilitation, including cognitive rehabilitation, physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech-language pathology, and skilled nursing services (collectively, skilled care. As background, prior scholars writing in this area have focused on Medicare coverage of skilled care and have challenged coverage determinations limiting Medicare coverage to beneficiaries who are able to demonstrate improvement in their conditions within a specific period of time (the Improvement Standard. By and large, these scholars have applauded the settlement agreement approved on 24 January 2013, by the U.S. District Court for the District of Vermont in Jimmo v. Sebelius (Jimmo, as well as related motions, rulings, orders, government fact sheets, and Medicare program manual statements clarifying that Medicare covers skilled care that is necessary to prevent or slow a beneficiary’s deterioration or to maintain a beneficiary at his or her maximum practicable level of function even though no further improvement in the beneficiary’s condition is expected. Scholars who have focused on beneficiaries who have suffered severe brain injuries, in particular, have framed public insurance coverage of skilled brain rehabilitation as an important civil, disability, and educational right. Given that approximately two-thirds of Americans with health insurance are covered by private health insurance and that many private health plans continue to require their insureds to demonstrate improvement within a short period of time to obtain coverage of skilled care, scholarship assessing private health insurance coverage of skilled care is important but noticeably absent from the literature. This article responds to this gap by highlighting state benchmark plans’ and other private health plans’ continued use of the Improvement Standard in skilled care coverage decisions and

  5. The role of product design in consumers' choices in the individual insurance market.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Marquis, M Susan; Buntin, Melinda Beeuwkes; Escarce, José J; Kapur, Kanika

    2007-12-01

    To evaluate the role of health plan benefit design and price on consumers' decisions to purchase health insurance in the nongroup market and their choice of plan. Administrative data from the three largest nongroup insurers in California and survey data about those insured in the nongroup market and the uninsured in California. We fit a nested logit model to examine the effects of plan characteristics on consumer choice while accounting for substitutability among certain groups of products. Product choice is quite sensitive to price. A 10 percent decrease in the price of a product would increase its market share by about 20 percent. However, a 10 percent decrease in prices of all products would only increase overall market participation by about 4 percent. Changes in the generosity of coverage will also affect product choice, but have only small effects on overall participation. A 20 percent decrease in the deductible or maximum out-of-pocket payment of all plans would increase participation by about 0.3-0.5 percent. Perceived information search costs and other nonprice barriers have substantial effects on purchase of nongroup coverage. Modest subsidies will have small effects on purchase in the nongroup market. New product designs with higher deductibles are likely to be more attractive to healthy purchasers, but the new benefit designs are likely to have only small effects on market participation. In contrast, consumer education efforts have a role to play in helping to expand coverage.

  6. Health insurance without provider influence: the limits of cost containment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Goldberg, L G; Greenberg, W

    1988-01-01

    In our previous paper, we showed that market forces can play a significant role in controlling health care costs and that a considerable amount of cost containment effort was pursued by third-party insurers in Oregon in the 1930s and 1940s. Although physicians were able to thwart this cost-control effort, a 1986 Supreme Court decision, FTC v. Indiana Federation of Dentists, found that a boycott of insurers by dentists violated Section 5 of the Federal Trade Commission Act. Further investigation of recent developments, including the recent Wickline v. California decision, indicates that the primary barriers to cost containment today are not obstructive tactics by providers or provider-controlled health insurance plans. Rather, the primary barriers are increases in the development and diffusion of new technology and society's apparent preference for paying for new tests and procedures regardless of economic efficiency.

  7. Insurance of nuclear risk

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lacroix, M.

    1976-01-01

    Insurance for large nuclear installations covers mainly four types of risk: third party liability which in accordance with the nuclear conventions, is borne by a nuclear operator following an incident occurring in his installation or during transport of nuclear substances; material damage to the installation itself, which precisely is not covered by third party liability insurance; machinery breakdown, i.e. accidental damage or interruption of operation. Only the first category must be insured. In view of the magnitude of the risk, nuclear insurance resorts to co-insurance and reinsurance techniques which results in a special organisation of the nuclear insurance market, based on national nuclear insurance pools and on the Standing Committee on Atomic Risk of the European Insurance Committee. Conferences of the chairmen of nuclear insurance pools are convened regularly at a worldwide level. (NEA) [fr

  8. The ophthalmologist's office: planning and practice. Getting paid and completing insurance forms.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Byron, H M

    1975-01-01

    This chapter describes a systematic approach to the art of collection for services rendered, based primarily on a pay-as-you-go philosophy. A system of internal office-controlled billing, timed so that the statements reach the patients on the last day of the billing month instead of the first day of the following month, unequivocally works more smoothly in the author's office than external computerized billing did. Suggestions to effect and maintain a collection ratio of at least 95 percent have been enumerated. The use of a new statement-and-insurance form facilitates billing, keeping ahead of insurance applications for patients, and advising the front office of other internal tasks to be performed. Finally, the importance of the general ledger, under the supervision of the ophthalmologist's accountant and in conjunction with a control procedure (employing the daily master appointment page attached to the ophthalmologist's personal worksheet) is stressed, in order to safeguard the physician's revenue.

  9. Medicare Part D: Are Insurers Gaming the Low Income Subsidy Design?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Decarolis, Francesco

    2015-04-01

    This paper shows how in Medicare Part D insurers' gaming of the subsidy paid to low-income enrollees distorts premiums and raises the program cost. Using plan-level data from the first five years of the program, I find multiple instances of pricing strategy distortions for the largest insurers. Instrumental variable estimates indicate that the changes in a concentration index measuring the manipulability of the subsidy can explain a large share of the premium growth observed between 2006 and 2011. Removing this distortion could reduce the cost of the program without worsening consumer welfare.

  10. Willingness to pay for voluntary community-based health insurance: findings from an exploratory study in the state of Penang, Malaysia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shafie, A A; Hassali, M A

    2013-11-01

    Health care in Malaysia is funded primarily through taxation and is no longer sustainable. One funding option is voluntary community-based health insurance (VCHI), which provides insurance coverage for those who are unable to benefit immediately from either a social or private health insurance plan. This study is performed to assess the willingness of Malaysians to participate in a VCHI plan. A cross-sectional study was performed in the state of Penang between August and mid-September 2009 with 472 randomly selected respondents. The respondents were first asked to select their preferred health financing plan from three plans (out-of-pocket payment, compulsory social health insurance and VCHI). The extent of the household's willingness to pay for the described VCHI plan was later assessed using the contingent valuation method in an ex-ante bidding game approach until the maximum amount they would be willing to pay to obtain such a service was agreed upon. Fifty-four per cent of the participants were female, with a mean age of 34 years (SD = 11.9), the majority of whom had a monthly income of Int$1157-2312. The results indicated that more than 63.1% of the respondents were willing to join and contribute an average of Int$114.38 per month per household towards VCHI. This amount was influenced by ethnicity, educational level, household monthly income, the presence of chronic disease and the presence of private insurance coverage (p < 0.05). In conclusion, our study findings suggest that most Malaysians are willing to join the proposed VCHI and to pay an average of Int$114.38 per month per household for the plan. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  11. THE MODEL OF INTERACTION BETWEEN INSURANCE INTERMEDIARIES AND INSURANCE COMPANIES IN THE ASSURANCE OF SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT OF THE INSURANCE MARKET

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nataliia Kudriavska

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available The purpose of this paper is the investigation of the model of interaction between insurance intermediaries and insurance companies in the assurance of sustainable development of the insurance market. The methodology is based on the new studies and books. It is underlined the importance of potency and effectiveness of this model, its influence on the insurance market stability. It is analysed the European experience and specific of Ukrainian insurance market. The main ways for improving its model and ways of its practical realization are characterized. Results. The problems that exist in the broker market in general are connected with an ineffective state policy. In particular, we can say about the absence of many laws, acts, resolutions, which explain what a broker have to do in case of different problems with insurance companies, another brokers and clients. At the same time, the problem of distrust to national brokers exists. It provokes a decline of the demand for their services and so on. However, it is possible to solve these problems. Practical implications. For this, it is necessary to do some acts. The first one is to implement resolutions that regulate relationships between insurance brokers and insurance companies, clearly regulate the model of its interaction. This model affects the stability of the insurance market in general. The second is to find methods of solving problems of the increase in insurance culture of the population (for example, by the way of advertisement. The third one is to solve problems connected with the appearance of foreign brokers in the insurance market of Ukraine. Actually, the Ukrainian market of insurance brokers is not developed enough. That is why it needs big changes and reforms. Value/originality. Among alternatives of the strategic development of insurance, the method of quick liberalization and gradual development is distinguished. According to the liberal way, it is possible to transfer to the

  12. 77 FR 25349 - Mutual Insurance Holding Company Treated as Insurance Company

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-04-30

    ..., the first mutual fire insurer was established. The first American mutual insurance company, the Philadelphia Contributionship for the Insurance of Houses from Loss by Fire, was founded in 1752.\\3\\ \\3\\ The...

  13. China's Insurance Regulatory Reform, Corporate Governance Behavior and Insurers' Governance Effectiveness.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Huicong; Zhang, Hongliang; Tsai, Sang-Bing; Qiu, Aichao

    2017-10-17

    External regulation is an important mechanism to improve corporate behavior in emerging markets. China's insurance governance regulation, which began to supervise and guide insurance corporate governance behavior in 2006, has experienced a complex process of reform. This study tested our hypotheses with a sample of 85 firms during 2010-2011, which was obtained by providing a questionnaire to all of China's shareholding insurance companies. The empirical study results generally show that China's insurance governance effectiveness has significantly improved through strict regulation. Insurance corporate governance can improve business acumen and risk-control ability, but no significant evidence was found to prove its influence on profitability, as a result of focusing less attention on governance than on management. State ownership is associated with higher corporate governance effectiveness than non-state ownership. Listed companies tend to outperform non-listed firms, and life insurance corporate governance is more effective than that of property insurers. This study not only contributes to the comprehensive understanding of corporate governance effectiveness but also to the literature by highlighting the effect of corporate governance regulation in China's insurance industry and other emerging economies of the financial sector.

  14. Poor Consumer Comprehension and Plan Selection Inconsistencies Under the 2016 Choice Architecture

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Annabel Z. Wang BA

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available Background: Many health policy experts have endorsed insurance competition as a way to reduce the cost and improve the quality of medical care. In line with this approach, health insurance exchanges, such as HealthCare.gov , allow consumers to compare insurance plans online. Since the 2013 rollout of HealthCare.gov , administrators have added features intended to help consumers better understand and compare insurance plans. Although well-intentioned, changes to exchange websites affect the context in which consumers view plans, or choice architecture, which may impede their ability to choose plans that best fit their needs at the lowest cost. Methods: By simulating the 2016 HealthCare.gov enrollment experience in an online sample of 374 American adults, we examined comprehension and choice of HealthCare.gov plans under its choice architecture. Results: We found room for improvement in plan comprehension, with higher rates of misunderstanding among participants with poor math skills ( P 0.9. Limitations: Participants were drawn from a general population sample. The study does not assess for all possible plan choice influencers, such as provider networks, brand recognition, or help from others. Conclusions: Our findings suggest two areas of improvement for exchanges: first, the remaining gap in consumer plan comprehension and, second, the apparent influence of sorting order—and likely other choice architecture elements—on plan choice. Our findings inform strategies for exchange administrators to help consumers understand and select plans that better fit their needs.

  15. Insurance Salespeople's Attitudes towards Collusion: The Case of Taiwan’s Car Insurance Industry

    OpenAIRE

    Lu-Ming Tseng; Wen-Pin Su

    2014-01-01

    Insurance researchers believe that the increase in insurance fraud may be associated with the unethical decisions made by some insurance salespeople. However, to date, research that has empirically investigated the link between insurance salespeople and collusion is scant. Using the car insurance industry in Taiwan as an example, this paper explores the impact of the opportunity to obtain the fraudulent claim and that of the size of actual loss on car insurance salespeople's attitudes towards...

  16. Long-term care insurance matures as a benefit.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Davis, Elaine; Leach, Tom

    2002-12-01

    Forty-eight percent of U.S. businesses now offer long-term care insurance (LTCI) coverage, an increase of 15% since 1998. As more organizations realize the added value of LTCI in the employee benefit package, they have also found that motivation to buy varies with employee financial standing, gender and age, and that targeted employee education as part of retirement planning is essential.

  17. A race against time: can CO-OPs and provider start-ups survive in the health insurance marketplaces?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Eggbeer, Bill

    2015-12-01

    > The Affordable Care Act's state and federal health insurance marketplaces, designed to provide affordable insurance coverage to individuals and small groups, are proving hostile territory to new market entrants. Efforts to inject competition into the marketplaces are being challenged by the wide-scale withdrawal o consumer-operated and oriented plans (CO-OPs). Meanwhile, premiums appear likely to increase for consumers as plans seek to balance medical losses. Flaws in the "Three R's" (reinsurance, risk corridors, and risk-adjustment) program are viewed as a threat to the survival of CO-OPs and start-ups.

  18. 78 FR 56583 - Deposit Insurance Regulations; Definition of Insured Deposit

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-09-13

    ... as a potential global deposit insurer, preserve confidence in the FDIC deposit insurance system, and... the United States.\\2\\ The FDIC generally pays out deposit insurance on the next business day after a... since 2001 and total approximately $1 trillion today. In many cases, these branches do not engage in...

  19. Real Decision Support for Health Insurance Policy Selection.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stein, Roger M

    2016-03-01

    We report on an ongoing project to develop data-driven tools to help individuals make better choices about health insurance and to better understand the range of costs to which they are exposed under different health plans. We describe a simulation tool that we developed to evaluate the likely usage and costs for an individual and family under a wide range of health service usage outcomes, but that can be tailored to specific physicians and the needs of the user and to reflect the demographics and other special attributes of the family. The simulator can accommodate, for example, specific known physician visits or planned procedures, while also generating statistically reasonable "unexpected" events like ER visits or catastrophic diagnoses. On the other hand, if a user provides only a small amount of information (e.g., just information about the family members), the simulator makes a number of generic assumptions regarding physician usage, etc., based on the age, gender, and other features of the family. Data to parameterize all of these events is informed by a combination of the information provided by the user and a series of specialized databases that we have compiled based on publicly available government data and commercial data as well as our own analysis of this initially very coarse and rigid data. To demonstrate both the subtlety of choosing a healthcare plan and the degree to which the simulator can aid in such evaluations, we present sample results using real insurance plans and two example policy shoppers with different demographics and healthcare needs.

  20. Insurance companies' perspectives on the orphan drug pipeline.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Handfield, Robert; Feldstein, Josh

    2013-11-01

    Rare diseases are of increasing concern to private and public healthcare insurance plans. Largely neglected by manufacturers before the 1983 passing of the Orphan Drug Act (ODA), orphan drugs have become a commercialization target of steadily increasing importance to the healthcare industry. The ODA mandates the coverage of rare diseases, which are defined in research communities as diseases that are so infrequent that there is no reasonable expectation of a drugmaker recovering the cost of developing that drug. To determine the views of leading commercial US payers regarding providing access to and coverage for orphan drugs; to assess whether and to what degree cost-effectiveness analysis (CEA) is viewed by payers as relevant to rare disease coverage. The study sample was identified through a call for action sent by America's Health Insurance Plans to its members, resulting in 4 interviews conducted and 3 completed surveys from a total of 7 companies. These 7 US health insurance companies represent approximately 75% of the US private insurance market by revenue and include approximately 157 million covered lives (using self-reported data from insurance companies). Representatives of 3 companies responded to the survey, and representatives of 4 companies were interviewed via the phone. The interviews were conducted with subject matter experts at each company and included 2 senior vice presidents of a pharmacy program, 1 chief medical director, and 1 head of pharmacoeconomics. The surveys were completed by 1 vice president of clinical pharmacy strategy, 1 chief pharmacy director, and 1 medical director. Based on the responses in this study, approximately 67% of US private insurance companies are concerned about orphan drugs, but only approximately 17% have developed meaningful strategies for addressing the cost of orphan drugs. Of the companies who do have such a strategy, 100% are unsure how to determine the best economic assessment tools to control orphan drug

  1. Nudging Leads Consumers In Colorado To Shop But Not Switch ACA Marketplace Plans.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Marzilli Ericson, Keith M; Kingsdale, Jon; Layton, Tim; Sacarny, Adam

    2017-02-01

    The Affordable Care Act (ACA) dramatically expanded the use of regulated marketplaces in health insurance, but consumers often fail to shop for plans during open enrollment periods. Typically these consumers are automatically reenrolled in their old plans, which potentially exposes them to unexpected increases in their insurance premiums and cost sharing. We conducted a randomized intervention to encourage enrollees in an ACA Marketplace to shop for plans. We tested the effect of letters and e-mails with personalized information about the savings on insurance premiums that they could realize from switching plans and the effect of generic communications that simply emphasized the possibility of saving. The personalized and generic messages both increased shopping on the Marketplace's website by 23 percent, but neither type of message had a significant effect on plan switching. These findings show that simple "nudges" with even generic information can promote shopping in health insurance marketplaces, but whether they can lead to switching remains an open question. Project HOPE—The People-to-People Health Foundation, Inc.

  2. Consolidating the social health insurance schemes in China: towards an equitable and efficient health system.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Meng, Qingyue; Fang, Hai; Liu, Xiaoyun; Yuan, Beibei; Xu, Jin

    2015-10-10

    Fragmentation in social health insurance schemes is an important factor for inequitable access to health care and financial protection for people covered by different health insurance schemes in China. To fulfil its commitment of universal health coverage by 2020, the Chinese Government needs to prioritise addressing this issue. After analysing the situation of fragmentation, this Review summarises efforts to consolidate health insurance schemes both in China and internationally. Rural migrants, elderly people, and those with non-communicable diseases in China will greatly benefit from consolidation of the existing health insurance schemes with extended funding pools, thereby narrowing the disparities among health insurance schemes in fund level and benefit package. Political commitments, institutional innovations, and a feasible implementation plan are the major elements needed for success in consolidation. Achievement of universal health coverage in China needs systemic strategies including consolidation of the social health insurance schemes. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  3. Probabilistic insurance

    OpenAIRE

    Wakker, P.P.; Thaler, R.H.; Tversky, A.

    1997-01-01

    textabstractProbabilistic insurance is an insurance policy involving a small probability that the consumer will not be reimbursed. Survey data suggest that people dislike probabilistic insurance and demand more than a 20% reduction in the premium to compensate for a 1% default risk. While these preferences are intuitively appealing they are difficult to reconcile with expected utility theory. Under highly plausible assumptions about the utility function, willingness to pay for probabilistic i...

  4. An Optional Instrument for European Insurance Contract Law

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Helmut Heiss

    2010-08-01

    Full Text Available The Principles of European Insurance Contract Law, also referred tousing the acronym PEICL, were published in September 2009. They are the result of ten years of academic work undertaken by the"Restatement of European Insurance Contract Law" Project Group. In the time since its establishment in 1999, the project has been transformed from being a stand-alone project to a part of the CoPECL (Common Principles of European Insurance Contract Law network, drafting a specific part of the Common Frame of Reference. Having continually worked under the guiding principle that "the law of insurance [in Europe] must be one," it now represents a serious option for providing Europe with a single legal framework for insurance contracts.Despite the European Council's proclamations that the Common Frame of Reference will remain a non-binding instrument, the implementation of one or more optional instruments in the future does not appear to beimprobable considering recent developments. The possibility of anoptional instrument has been expressed more than once by the European Commission in its Action Plan and Communication on European Contract Law. Other indications in favour of an optional instrument include the European Parliament's repeated references to the Common Frame of Reference as providing, at the very least, a model for a futureoptional instrument, as well as the EESC's earlier proposal of anoptional instrument as an alternative to standardising insurancecontract law. The preparation by the EESC of another (own-initiative opinion on European contract law is underway, and its presentation is anticipated in 2010. Hence, the optional instrument is evidently the subject of serious political deliberation. Using Article 1:102, the Principles of European Insurance Contract Law represent a prototype for such an instrument.

  5. An Optional Instrument for European Insurance Contract Law

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mandeep Lakhan

    2010-08-01

    Full Text Available The Principles of European Insurance Contract Law, also referred tousing the acronym PEICL, were published in September 2009. They are the result of ten years of academic work undertaken by the"Restatement of European Insurance Contract Law" Project Group. In the time since its establishment in 1999, the project has been transformed from being a stand-alone project to a part of the CoPECL (Common Principles of European Insurance Contract Law network, drafting a specific part of the Common Frame of Reference. Having continually worked under the guiding principle that "the law of insurance [in Europe] must be one," it now represents a serious option for providing Europe with a single legal framework for insurance contracts. Despite the European Council's proclamations that the Common Frame of Reference will remain a non-binding instrument, the implementation of one or more optional instruments in the future does not appear to beimprobable considering recent developments. The possibility of anoptional instrument has been expressed more than once by the European Commission in its Action Plan and Communication on European Contract Law. Other indications in favour of an optional instrument include the European Parliament's repeated references to the Common Frame of Reference as providing, at the very least, a model for a futureoptional instrument, as well as the EESC's earlier proposal of anoptional instrument as an alternative to standardising insurancecontract law. The preparation by the EESC of another (own-initiative opinion on European contract law is underway, and its presentation is anticipated in 2010. Hence, the optional instrument is evidently the subject of serious political deliberation. Using Article 1:102, the Principles of European Insurance Contract Law represent a prototype for such an instrument.

  6. Brief report: Quantifying the impact of autism coverage on private insurance premiums.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bouder, James N; Spielman, Stuart; Mandell, David S

    2009-06-01

    Many states are considering legislation requiring private insurance companies to pay for autism-related services. Arguments against mandates include that they will result in higher premiums. Using Pennsylvania legislation as an example, which proposed covering services up to $36,000 per year for individuals less than 21 years of age, this paper estimates potential premium increases. The estimate relies on autism treated prevalence, the number of individuals insured by affected plans, mean annual autism expenditures, administrative costs, medical loss ratio, and total insurer revenue. Current treated prevalence and expenditures suggests that premium increases would approximate 1%, with a lower bound of 0.19% and an upper bound of 2.31%. Policy makers can use these results to assess the cost-effectiveness of similar legislation.

  7. Women's Health Insurance Coverage

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... Women's Health Policy Women’s Health Insurance Coverage Women’s Health Insurance Coverage Published: Oct 31, 2017 Facebook Twitter LinkedIn ... that many women continue to face. Sources of Health Insurance Coverage Employer-Sponsored Insurance: Approximately 57.9 million ...

  8. Low-level waste injury: liability, insurance, and indemnification

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Merz, J.F.

    1986-01-01

    It would be worth developing compatible policies to address the issues involving third-party liabilities which remain unanswered before the different states and interstate compact agreements implementing the Low Level Radioactive Waste Policy Act develop a range of approaches. A plan that draws resources from a number of states would have economic and technological benefits, and could help ensure public confidence in the management of low level radioactive wastes. Interstate cooperation and coordination to produce such a plan would benefit from a Congressional mandate. An appendix arranged alphabetically by state illustrates the range of immunity/waiver, insurance, and limits that already exist

  9. Breastfeeding: Planning Ahead

    Medline Plus

    Full Text Available ... your breastfeeding support network How to get your family on board with breastfeeding African-American celebrity moms ... health care Get health insurance Get help with family planning Get help with mental health Find girls' ...

  10. Breastfeeding: Planning Ahead

    Medline Plus

    Full Text Available ... Easy An Interview About Breastfeeding: Lauren Sogor Taking Care of Your Health — and Your Baby's Subscribe ... topics Find Help Get breastfeeding help Get health care Get health insurance Get help with family planning ...

  11. Social insurance for dental care in Iran: a developing scheme for a developing country.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jadidfard, Mohammad-Pooyan; Yazdani, Shahram; Khoshnevisan, Mohammad-Hossein

    2012-12-01

    This study aimed to describe the current situation with regard to dental care provided under social insurance in Iran in qualitative terms and to assess it critically with regard to equity and efficiency. After a thorough review of the relevant literature, a template of topics, which included population coverage, range of treatment provided, contracting mechanisms, fees, level of co-payments and dental share of total health expenditures, was developed by a panel of Iranian health finance experts. It was used during interviews with informed persons from the different Iranian social funds. These interviews were recorded and transcribed. The transcriptions were checked for accuracy by those who had been interviewed and were then analysed. It was found that, currently, four major social funds are involved in health (including dental) insurance in Iran, under the supervision of The Supreme Council of Health Insurance, located at the newly integrated Ministry of Cooperatives, Labour & Social Welfare. Around 90% of Iranians are covered for health insurance within a Bismarckian system to which the employed, the employers, and the Government contribute. The system has developed piecemeal over the years and is characterised by a complexity of revenue-collection schemes, fragmented insurance pools, and passive purchasing of dental services. The dental sector of Iranian social insurance should establish a strategic purchasing plan for dental care with the aim of improving performance and access to care. Within the plan, there should be a basic benefit package of dental services based on the relative cost-effectiveness of interventions, educating an adequate number of allied dental professionals to provide simple services, and introducing mixed payment methods.

  12. CURRENT CHANGES ON INSURANCE MARKET

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Madalina Giorgiana MANGRA

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available The offer of insurance products is about the requirements and needs of the consumer who must always have information regarding: the type of insurance risk covered and the excluded risks, the sum insured, the payment of premiums and their duration. The accurate information of customer requires, from the commencement of contract and throughout its duration, that he or she is aware of the obligations throughout the contractual period. Most of the Romanians are turning their attention to one of the insurance companies found in the top 10 in 2016, supervised by F.S.A. (Financial Supervision Authority, preferring to have a policy of mandatory household and goods insurance, auto liability or life insurance, but are also interested in travel health insurance when going abroad, private health insurance or private pension insurance. Romanians' reluctance regarding the conclusion of an insurance comes from their distrust in insurance companies (see the situations of companies like Astra Insurance, Carpatica Insurance etc., their personal financial situation and the fear that they will not receive protection if the risk is covered but the insured sum is insufficient

  13. SERVICE QUALITY MEASUREMENT AND DEMAND FOR INSURANCE: AN EMPIRICAL STUDY FROM NIGERIAN INSURANCE INDUSTRY

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Abass, OlufemiAdebowale

    2016-11-01

    Full Text Available Insurance provides financial protection to the insured, though; its acceptance by Nigerian insuring public is still low. This can sharply be traced to low awareness of insurance service. More importantly, quality of service to the few who embraced it had been low. Therefore, insuring public perceives insurance service as defective because customers’ expectations are not met. The objective of this research is to find out whether application of service quality measurement will drive demand for insurance products. Hypothesis was tested to find out whether SERVQUAL measurement is not significantly related to demand for insurance products in Nigeria. The study adopts descriptive research design; hypothesis was tested using regression analysis. The study reveals that there is a significant relationship between application of SERVQUAL measurement and demand for insurance. It is recommended that insurance companies operating in Nigeria should adopt SERVQUAL measurement which will further increase customer retention and loyalty.

  14. Preparation of a continuative brochure as supplement to the evaluation hand-out for the assessment of study results; Erstellung einer weiterfuehrenden Broschuere als Ergaenzung zur Handreichung der Beurteilung von Studienergebnissen

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wilhelmy, S.; Gollnick, F.; Driessen, S.; Schmidt, M.; Gross, D.

    2015-08-15

    In 2013 the Federal Office for Radiation Protection gave the responsibility to the Department of History, Philosophy and Ethics of Medicine (Institut GTE Med) in Aachen for the project ''Creating a practical hand-out for the assessment of study results for employees of local governments'' (FM 8855). The manual serves as a practical way for the qualitative evaluation of texts for persons who deal with the topics Mobile Communication and Health (for example communities or government agencies) in their profession. The main objective of the manual is to aid users in performing a faster and more efficient evaluation of texts by answering the containing questions. This approach is purely functional and precludes the placement of deeper information. At this point the new project FM 8862 started by ''Creating a continuative brochure in addition to the hand-out for the assessment of study results''. It continued the previous project FM 8855 to further develop the information which was up to this point purely functional. The brochure presents the issues in an overall context and provides valuable background knowledge. As a result, possible users get in a more casual and clear manner a deeper understanding of the evaluating of texts. It should be possible for a user to better evaluate texts and by obtaining arguments, thus being better prepared to engage with interested Laymen in an objective discussion. The brochure was submitted together with the existing manual for a practical test, which was attended by 21 target group-specific subjects. The study tested in detail the intelligibility, clarity, applicability, and the support of the brochure. The feedback of the test participants were then used as basis for the final optimization of the brochure. Project participants belong to the Department of History, Philosophy and Ethics of Medicine and the Research Center for Bioelectromagnetic Interaction of the RWTH Aachen University (femu).

  15. Breastfeeding: Planning Ahead

    Medline Plus

    Full Text Available ... health care Get health insurance Get help with family planning Get help with mental health Find girls' health information Stay Connected Blog Contact us Media inquiries Social media About Us Who we are What we ...

  16. Health Care, Health Insurance, and the Relative Income of the Elderly and Nonelderly

    OpenAIRE

    Gary Burtless; Pavel Svaton

    2009-01-01

    Cash income offers an incomplete picture of the resources available to finance household consumption. Most American families are covered by an insurance plan that pays for some or all of the health care they consume. Only a comparatively small percentage of families pay for the full cost of this insurance out of their cash incomes. As health care has claimed a growing share of consumption, the percentage of care that is financed out of household incomes has declined. Because health care consu...

  17. Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Vaccination Motivators, Barriers, and Brochure Preferences Among Parents in Multicultural Hawai'i: a Qualitative Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dela Cruz, May Rose Isnec; Tsark, Jo Ann Umilani; Chen, John Jiangtian; Albright, Cheryl Lynn; Braun, Kathryn Lenzner

    2017-09-01

    The human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine can prevent cervical and other cancers. Unfortunately, according to the National Immunization Survey-Teen 2014 data, completion of the HPV vaccine was only 38 % for 13- to 17-year-old girls and 31 % for 13- to17-year-old boys in the USA, and prevalence was similar in Hawai'i. Parents' acceptability of the HPV vaccine is critical for the vaccine uptake, and this can be increased by educational materials and interventions. However, HPV materials are not widely distributed in Hawai'i. The purpose of this qualitative study was to identify HPV vaccination barriers, motivators, and brochure preferences among parents of teens in multicultural Hawai'i. Twenty parents were interviewed in person or by telephone. Four major themes emerged: (1) the physician is critical in the decision to vaccinate, (2) parental perception of the child's sexual activity guides the timing of their willingness to vaccinate, (3) HPV health education materials should be provided and discussed by the physician, and (4) parents would prefer an educational brochure that features local faces and testimonials, includes an immunization chart, and addresses barriers to vaccination. These findings informed the development of HPV health education materials tailored to Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in Hawai'i.

  18. 78 FR 33690 - Common Crop Insurance Regulations; Pecan Crop Insurance Provisions; Correction

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-06-05

    ...-0008] RIN 0563-AC35 Common Crop Insurance Regulations; Pecan Crop Insurance Provisions; Correction... FR 13454-13460). The regulation pertains to the insurance of Pecans. DATES: Effective Date: June 5...: [[Page 33691

  19. Health Insurance

    Science.gov (United States)

    Health insurance helps protect you from high medical care costs. It is a contract between you and your ... Many people in the United States get a health insurance policy through their employers. In most cases, the ...

  20. Health insurance basic actuarial models

    CERN Document Server

    Pitacco, Ermanno

    2014-01-01

    Health Insurance aims at filling a gap in actuarial literature, attempting to solve the frequent misunderstanding in regards to both the purpose and the contents of health insurance products (and ‘protection products’, more generally) on the one hand, and the relevant actuarial structures on the other. In order to cover the basic principles regarding health insurance techniques, the first few chapters in this book are mainly devoted to the need for health insurance and a description of insurance products in this area (sickness insurance, accident insurance, critical illness covers, income protection, long-term care insurance, health-related benefits as riders to life insurance policies). An introduction to general actuarial and risk-management issues follows. Basic actuarial models are presented for sickness insurance and income protection (i.e. disability annuities). Several numerical examples help the reader understand the main features of pricing and reserving in the health insurance area. A short int...

  1. Insuring Care: Paperwork, Insurance Rules, and Clinical Labor at a U.S. Transgender Clinic.

    Science.gov (United States)

    van Eijk, Marieke

    2017-12-01

    What is a clinician to do when people needing medical care do not have access to consistent or sufficient health insurance coverage and cannot pay for care privately? Analyzing ethnographically how clinicians at a university-based transgender clinic in the United States responded to this challenge, I examine the U.S. health insurance system, insurance paperwork, and administrative procedures that shape transgender care delivery. To buffer the impact of the system's failure to provide sufficient health insurance coverage for transgender care, clinicians blended administrative routines with psychological therapy, counseled people's minds and finances, and leveraged the prestige of their clinic in attempts to create space for gender nonconforming embodiments in gender conservative insurance policies. My analysis demonstrates that in a market-based health insurance system with multiple payers and gender binary insurance rules, health care may be unaffordable, or remain financially challenging, even for transgender people with health insurance. Moreover, insurance carriers' "reliance" on clinicians' insurance-related labor is problematic as it exacerbates existing insurance barriers to the accessibility and affordability of transgender care and obscures the workings of a financial payment model that prioritizes economic expediency over gender nonconforming health.

  2. 76 FR 20298 - Insurer Reporting Requirements; List of Insurers; Required To File Reports

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-04-12

    ... vehicle insurers that are required to file reports on their motor vehicle theft loss experiences. An... the agency. Each insurer's report includes information about thefts and recoveries of motor vehicles... more vehicles not covered by theft insurance policies issued by insurers of motor vehicles, other than...

  3. 75 FR 34966 - Insurer Reporting Requirements; List of Insurers Required To File Reports

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-06-21

    ... vehicle insurers that are required to file reports on their motor vehicle theft loss experiences. An... the agency. Each insurer's report includes information about thefts and recoveries of motor vehicles... vehicles not covered by theft insurance policies issued by insurers of motor vehicles, other than any...

  4. Policy Watch: The Federal Employees Health Benefits Plan

    OpenAIRE

    Roger Feldman; Kenneth E. Thorpe; Bradley Gray

    2002-01-01

    This short feature describes the Federal Employees Health Benefits Plan (FEHBP), which provides health insurance benefits to active and retired federal employees and their dependents. The article discusses the FEHBP as a touchstone for research on employment-based health insurance and as a touchstone for health policy reform.

  5. Planning and Implementing Immunization Billing Programs at State and Local Health Departments: Barriers and Possible Solutions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Corriero, Rosemary; Redmon, Ginger

    Before participating in a project funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, most state and local health departments (LHDs) were not seeking reimbursement or being fully reimbursed by insurance plans for the cost of immunization services (including vaccine costs and administration fees) they provided to insured patients. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Billables Project was designed to enable state and LHDs to bill public and private insurance plans for immunization services provided to insured patients. Identify and describe key barriers state and LHDs may encounter while planning and implementing a billing program, as well as possible solutions for overcoming those barriers. This study used reports from Billables Project participants to explore barriers they encountered when planning and implementing a billing program and steps taken to address those barriers. Thirty-eight state immunization programs. Based on project participants' reports, barriers were noted in 7 categories: (1) funding and costs, (2) staff, (3) health department characteristics, (4) third-party payers and insurance plans, (5) software, (6) patient insurance status, and (7) other barriers. Possible solutions for overcoming those barriers included hiring or seeking external help, creating billing guides and training modules, streamlining workflows, and modifying existing software systems. Overcoming barriers during planning and implementation of a billing program can be challenging for state and LHDs, but the experiences and suggestions of past Billables Project participants can help guide future billing program efforts.

  6. Public Insurance and Equality

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Landes, Xavier; Néron, Pierre-Yves

    2015-01-01

    Heath (among other political theorists) considers that the principle of efficiency provides a better normative explanation and justification of public insurance than the egalitarian account. According to this view, the fact that the state is involved in the provision of specific insurance (primarily......Public insurance is commonly assimilated with redistributive tools mobilized by the welfare state in the pursuit of an egalitarian ideal. This view contains some truth, since the result of insurance, at a given moment, is the redistribution of resources from the lucky to unlucky. However, Joseph...... surrounding public insurance as a redistributive tool, advancing the idea that public insurance may be a relational egalitarian tool. It then presents a number of relational arguments in favor of the involvement of the state in the provision of specific forms of insurance, arguments that have been overlooked...

  7. Social Health Insurance in Nigeria: Policy Implications in A Rural ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Social health insurance was introduced in Nigeria in 1999 and had since been restricted to workers in the formal public sector. There are plans for scaling up to include rural populations in a foreseeable future. Information on willingness to participate and pay a premium in the programme by rural populations is dearth.

  8. 75 FR 32468 - Farm Credit System Insurance Corporation Board; Regular Meeting

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-06-08

    ... Minutes March 25, 2010 (Open and Closed) B. Business Reports FCSIC Financial Report Report on Insured Obligations Quarterly Report on Annual Performance Plan C. New Business Policy Statement Concerning Appraisals..., from 1 p.m. until such time as the Board concludes its business. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT...

  9. Solar technology and the insurance industry: Issues and applications

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Deering, A.; Thornton, J. P.

    1999-07-01

    Today's insurance industry strongly emphasizes developing cost-effective hazard mitigation programs, increasing and retaining commercial and residential customers through better service, educating customers on their exposure and vulnerabilities to natural disasters, collaborating with government agencies and emergency management organizations, and exploring the use of new technologies to reduce the financial impact of disasters. Solar technology can be used in underwriting, claims, catastrophe response, loss control, and risk management. This report will address the above issues, with an emphasis on pre-disaster planning and mitigation alternatives. It will also discuss how energy efficiency and renewable technologies can contribute to reducing insurance losses and offer suggestions on how to collaborate with the utility industry and how to develop educational programs for business and consumers.

  10. 76 FR 41138 - Insurer Reporting Requirements; List of Insurers Required To File Reports

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-07-13

    ... passenger motor vehicle insurers that are required to file reports on their motor vehicle theft loss... information about thefts and recoveries of motor vehicles, the rating rules used by the insurer to establish... companies with a fleet of 20 or more vehicles not covered by theft insurance policies issued by insurers of...

  11. Sum Insured Determination for Cereal, Citrus and Vineyards in the Spanish Agricultural Insurance System

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lozano, C.; Tarquis, A. M.; Gómez-Barona, J. A.

    2012-04-01

    In general, insurance is a form of risk management used to hedge against a contingent loss. The conventional definition is the equitable transfer of a risk of loss from one entity to another in exchange for a premium or a guaranteed and quantifiable small loss to prevent a large and possibly devastating loss being agricultural insurance a special line of property insurance. Agriculture insurance, as actually are designed in the Spanish scenario, were established in 1978. At the macroeconomic insurance studies scale, it is necessary to know a basic element for the insurance actuarial components: sum insured. When a new risk assessment has to be evaluated in the insurance framework, it is essential to determinate venture capital in the total Spanish agriculture. In this study, three different crops (cereal, citrus and vineyards) cases are showed to determinate sum insured as they are representative of the cases found in the Spanish agriculture. Crop sum insured is calculated by the product of crop surface, unit surface production and crop price insured. In the cereal case, winter as spring cereal sowing, represents the highest Spanish crop surface, above to 6 millions of hectares (ha). Meanwhile, the four citrus species (oranges, mandarins, lemons and grapefruits) occupied an extension just over 275.000 ha. On the other hand, vineyard target to wine process shows almost one million of ha in Spain. A new method has been applied to estimate crop sum insured in these three cases. Under the maximum economic impact assumption, the maximum market price has been used to insurance each species. Depending on crop and reliability of the data base available, the insured area or insured production has been used in this estimation. When for a certain crop varieties or type of varieties show different insurance prices a geometric average was used as average insurance price for that particular crop. One extreme difficult case was vineyards, where differentiate prices based on

  12. Death spiral or euthanasia? The demise of generous group health insurance coverage.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pauly, Mark V; Mitchell, Olivia S; Zeng, Yuhui

    Employers must determine the types of health care plans to offer and also set employee premiums for each plan provided. Depending on the structure of the employee share of premiums across different health insurance plans, the incentives to choose one plan over another are altered. If employees know premiums do not fully reflect the risk differences among workers, such pricing can give rise to a so-called "death spiral" due to adverse selection. This paper uses longitudinal information from a natural experiment in the management of health benefits for a large employer to explore the impact of moving from a fixed-dollar contribution policy to a partially risk-adjusted employer contribution policy. Our results show that implementing a significant risk adjustment had no discernable effect on adverse selection against the most generous indemnity insurance policy. This stands in stark contrast to previous studies, which have tended to estimate large impacts attributed to selection when employers move to a fixed-dollar policy from one with some risk adjustment. Further analysis suggests that previous studies, which appeared to detect plans in the throes of a death spiral, may instead have been reflecting an inexorable movement away from a non-preferred product, one that would have been inefficient for nearly all workers even in the absence of adverse selection.

  13. 30 CFR 77.1500 - Auger mining; planning.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Auger mining; planning. 77.1500 Section 77.1500 Mineral Resources MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR COAL MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH... § 77.1500 Auger mining; planning. Auger mining shall be planned and conducted by the operator to insure...

  14. 32 CFR 220.11 - Special rules for automobile liability insurance and no-fault automobile insurance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... and no-fault automobile insurance. 220.11 Section 220.11 National Defense Department of Defense... insurance and no-fault automobile insurance. (a) Active duty members covered. In addition to Uniformed.... 1095 and this part. (c) Exclusion of automobile liability insurance and no-fault automobile insurance...

  15. Alternative health insurance schemes

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Keiding, Hans; Hansen, Bodil O.

    2002-01-01

    In this paper, we present a simple model of health insurance with asymmetric information, where we compare two alternative ways of organizing the insurance market. Either as a competitive insurance market, where some risks remain uninsured, or as a compulsory scheme, where however, the level...... competitive insurance; this situation turns out to be at least as good as either of the alternatives...

  16. 78 FR 52780 - National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP); Assistance to Private Sector Property Insurers...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-08-26

    ...] National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP); Assistance to Private Sector Property Insurers, Availability of FY... Assistance/Subsidy Arrangement (Arrangement), 85 (as of June 2013) private sector property insurers sell... Financial Assistance/ Subsidy Arrangement (Arrangement) to notify private insurance companies (Companies...

  17. 77 FR 36566 - National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP); Assistance to Private Sector Property Insurers...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-06-19

    ...] National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP); Assistance to Private Sector Property Insurers, Availability of FY... Assistance/Subsidy Arrangement (Arrangement), 82 (as of April, 2012) private sector property insurers sell... Financial Assistance/ Subsidy Arrangement (Arrangement) to notify private insurance companies (Companies...

  18. Perceived discrimination against diabetics in the workplace and in work-related insurances in Switzerland.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nebiker-Pedrotti, Piera M; Keller, Ulrich; Iselin, Hans-Ulrich; Ruiz, Juan; Pärli, Kurt; Caplazi, Alexandra; Puder, Jardena J

    2009-02-21

    To investigate the prevalence and risk factors of perceived diabetes-related discrimination in the workplace and in work-related insurances in persons with diabetes mellitus in Switzerland. 509 insulin-treated diabetic subjects representative of the northwestern Swiss population responded to a self-report questionnaire on perceived diabetes-related discrimination in the workplace and in work-related insurances (salary loss insurance, supplementary occupational plan). Discrimination was defined as being treated differently at least once in relation to diabetes. The reported rates of different aspects of discrimination in the workplace and in work-related insurances ranged between 5-11% and 4-15% respectively. Risk factors that independently increased the risk of not being hired due to diabetes were the presence of at least two severe hypoglycaemic events/year and relevant diabetic complications (OR 5.6 and OR 2.6 respectively; bothdiscrimination in work-related insurances (OR for denial 2.1-2.4; OR for reserve 3.9-4.4; alldiscrimination in the workplace and by work-related insurances is a common problem. In the light of our findings the introduction of effective non-discrimination legislation for patients with chronic illnesses appears to be desirable.

  19. Insurance: Accounting, Regulation, Actuarial Science

    OpenAIRE

    Alain Tosetti; Thomas Behar; Michel Fromenteau; Stéphane Ménart

    2001-01-01

    We shall be examining the following topics: (i) basic frameworks for accounting and for statutory insurance rules; and (ii) actuarial principles of insurance; for both life and nonlife (i.e. casualty and property) insurance.Section 1 introduces insurance terminology, regarding what an operation must include in order to be an insurance operation (the legal, statistical, financial or economic aspects), and introduces the accounting and regulation frameworks and the two actuarial models of insur...

  20. Risk Management in Insurance Companies

    OpenAIRE

    Yang, Xufeng

    2006-01-01

    Insurance is the uncertain business in uncertain society. Today, insures face more complex and difficult risks. Efficient risk management mechanisms are essential for the insurers. The paper is set out initially to explore UK insurance companies risk management and risk disclosure by examining companies annual report after all the listed insurance companies are required to disclose risk information in their annual report, which seeks to reflect the recent development in UK insurance companies...

  1. 48 CFR 1602.170-9 - Health benefits plan.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-01

    ... EMPLOYEES HEALTH BENEFITS ACQUISITION REGULATION GENERAL DEFINITIONS OF WORDS AND TERMS Definitions of FEHBP Terms 1602.170-9 Health benefits plan. Health benefits plan means a group insurance policy, contract... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 6 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 true Health benefits plan. 1602...

  2. Marketing in life insurance

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Njegomir Vladimir

    2006-01-01

    Full Text Available Insurance industry has traditionally been oriented on sale of its products i.e. at the stage which from the aspect of marketing theory can be characterized as sales phase, phase which proceeds the marketing orientation. However, faced with numerous challenges of modern business environment such as globalization, deregulation and sophisticated information technology insurance companies must change their way of doing business. Competition is becoming fierce as insurance companies are faced with competition not only from insurance industry but also from other competitors, such as banks, that are in position to offer product substitutes for life insurance products. In this new environment information about customers and their education are becoming critical factors. Insurance companies must know their customers what influences their demand for life insurance, what is the amount of their income, what is inflation rate, their expenditures on other goods i.e. opportunity costs, etc. Those are factors that force insurance companies to concentrate more on present and potential buyers and their needs and force them to give their best to satisfy those needs in a way that will produce delighted customers.

  3. 77 FR 35384 - Farm Credit System Insurance Corporation Board; Regular Meeting

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-06-13

    ... Performance Open Session A. Approval of Minutes April 24, 2012 (Regular Meeting) B. Business Reports FCSIC Financial Reports Report on Insured Obligations Quarterly Report on Annual Performance Plan C. New Business..., 2012, from 1:00 p.m. until such time as the Board concludes its business. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION...

  4. Supplementary insurance as a switching cost for basic health insurance: Empirical results from the Netherlands.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Willemse-Duijmelinck, Daniëlle M I D; van de Ven, Wynand P M M; Mosca, Ilaria

    2017-10-01

    Nearly everyone with a supplementary insurance (SI) in the Netherlands takes out the voluntary SI and the mandatory basic insurance (BI) from the same health insurer. Previous studies show that many high-risks perceive SI as a switching cost for BI. Because consumers' current insurer provides them with a guaranteed renewability, SI is a switching cost if insurers apply selective underwriting to new applicants. Several changes in the Dutch health insurance market increased insurers' incentives to counteract adverse selection for SI. Tools to do so are not only selective underwriting, but also risk rating and product differentiation. If all insurers use the latter tools without selective underwriting, SI is not a switching cost for BI. We investigated to what extent insurers used these tools in the periods 2006-2009 and 2014-2015. Only a few insurers applied selective underwriting: in 2015, 86% of insurers used open enrolment for all their SI products, and the other 14% did use open enrolment for their most common SI products. As measured by our indicators, the proportion of insurers applying risk rating or product differentiation did not increase in the periods considered. Due to the fear of reputation loss insurers may have used 'less visible' tools to counteract adverse selection that are indirect forms of risk rating and product differentiation and do not result in switching costs. So, although many high-risks perceive SI as a switching cost, most insurers apply open enrolment for SI. By providing information to high-risks about their switching opportunities, the government could increase consumer choice and thereby insurers' incentives to invest in high-quality care for high-risks. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  5. Serbian insurance market: Select issues

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Obadović Mirjana M.

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available Every day insurance companies face a number of risks arising from the insurance industry itself, as well as risks arising from insurance company operations. In this constant fight against risks insurance companies use different models and methods that help them better understand, have a more comprehensive view of, and develop greater tolerance towards risks, in order to reduce their exposure to these risks. The model presented in this paper has been developed for implementation in insurance risk management directly related to insurance company risk, i.e. it is a model that can reliably determine the manner and intensity with which deviations in the initial insurance risk assessment affect insurance company operations, in the form of changes in operational risks and consequently in insurance companies’ business strategies. Additionally we present the implementation of the model in the Serbian market for the period 2005-2010.

  6. Catastrophes and Climate Change. Concerns and Possible Countermeasures of the Insurance Industry

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Berz, G.A. [Geoscience Research, Munich Reinsurance Company, D-80791 Munich (Germany)

    1999-07-01

    In the last few decades, the international insurance industry has been confronted with a drastic increase in the scope and frequency of great natural disasters. The trend is primarily attributable to the continuing steady growth of the world population and the increasing concentration of people and economic values in urban areas. An additional factor is the global migration of populations and industries into areas such as coastal regions, which are particularly exposed to natural hazards. The natural hazards themselves, on the other hand, are showing a change for the worse as many atmospheric extremes are strongly influenced by global warming. In addition to the problems the insurance industry has with regard to pricing, capacity and loss reserves, the assessment of insured liabilities, preventive planning and the proper adjustment of catastrophe losses are gaining importance. The present problems will be dramatically aggravated if the greenhouse predictions come true. The changing probability distributions of many processes in the atmosphere will force up the frequency and severity of heat waves, droughts, bush fires, tropical and extratropical cyclones, tornados, hailstorms, floods and storm surges in many parts of the world with serious consequences for all types of property insurance, apart from the consequences of the stratospheric ozone destruction for health and life insurance. Rates will have to be raised and in certain areas insurance cover will only be available after considerable restrictions have been imposed, as for example significant deductibles and low liability or loss limits. In areas of high insurance density the loss potential of individual catastrophes can reach a level at which the national and international insurance industries will run into serious capacity problems. Recent disasters showed the disproportionately high participation of reinsurers in extreme disaster losses and the need for more risk transparency if the insurance industry is

  7. Catastrophes and Climate Change. Concerns and Possible Countermeasures of the Insurance Industry

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Berz, G.A.

    1999-01-01

    In the last few decades, the international insurance industry has been confronted with a drastic increase in the scope and frequency of great natural disasters. The trend is primarily attributable to the continuing steady growth of the world population and the increasing concentration of people and economic values in urban areas. An additional factor is the global migration of populations and industries into areas such as coastal regions, which are particularly exposed to natural hazards. The natural hazards themselves, on the other hand, are showing a change for the worse as many atmospheric extremes are strongly influenced by global warming. In addition to the problems the insurance industry has with regard to pricing, capacity and loss reserves, the assessment of insured liabilities, preventive planning and the proper adjustment of catastrophe losses are gaining importance. The present problems will be dramatically aggravated if the greenhouse predictions come true. The changing probability distributions of many processes in the atmosphere will force up the frequency and severity of heat waves, droughts, bush fires, tropical and extratropical cyclones, tornados, hailstorms, floods and storm surges in many parts of the world with serious consequences for all types of property insurance, apart from the consequences of the stratospheric ozone destruction for health and life insurance. Rates will have to be raised and in certain areas insurance cover will only be available after considerable restrictions have been imposed, as for example significant deductibles and low liability or loss limits. In areas of high insurance density the loss potential of individual catastrophes can reach a level at which the national and international insurance industries will run into serious capacity problems. Recent disasters showed the disproportionately high participation of reinsurers in extreme disaster losses and the need for more risk transparency if the insurance industry is

  8. Connecticut's Value-Based Insurance Plan Increased The Use Of Targeted Services And Medication Adherence.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hirth, Richard A; Cliff, Elizabeth Q; Gibson, Teresa B; McKellar, M Richard; Fendrick, A Mark

    2016-04-01

    In 2011 Connecticut implemented the Health Enhancement Program for state employees. This voluntary program followed the principles of value-based insurance design (VBID) by lowering patient costs for certain high-value primary and chronic disease preventive services, coupled with requirements that enrollees receive these services. Nonparticipants in the program, including those removed for noncompliance with its requirements, were assessed a premium surcharge. The program was intended to curb cost growth and improve health through adherence to evidence-based preventive care. To evaluate its efficacy in doing so, we compared changes in service use and spending after implementation of the program to trends among employees of six other states. Compared to employees of other states, Connecticut employees were similar in age and sex but had a slightly higher percentage of enrollees with chronic conditions and substantially higher spending at baseline. During the program's first two years, the use of targeted services and adherence to medications for chronic conditions increased, while emergency department use decreased, relative to the situation in the comparison states. The program's impact on costs was inconclusive and requires a longer follow-up period. This novel combination of VBID principles and participation requirements may be a tool that can help plan sponsors increase the use of evidence-based preventive services. Project HOPE—The People-to-People Health Foundation, Inc.

  9. The Dynamics of Market Insurance, Insurable Assets, and Wealth Accumulation

    OpenAIRE

    Koeniger, Winfried

    2002-01-01

    We analyze dynamic interactions between market insurance, the stock of insurable assets and liquid wealth accumulation in a model with non-durable and durable consumption. The stock of the durable is exposed to risk against which households can insure. Since the model does not have a closed form solution we first provide an analytical approximation for the case in which households own abundant liquid wealth. It turns out that precautionary motives still matter because of fluctuations of the p...

  10. Insurance dictionary

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mueller-Lutz, H.L.

    1984-01-01

    Special technical terms used in the world of insurance can hardly be found in general dictionaries. This is a gap which the 'Insurance dictionary' now presented is designed to fill. In view of its supplementary function, the number of terms covered is limited to 1200. To make this dictionary especially convenient for ready reference, only the most commonly used translations are given for each key word in any of the four languages. This dictionary is subdivided into four parts, each containing the translation of the selected terms in the three other languages. To further facilitate the use of the booklet, paper of different colours was used for the printing of the German, English, French and Greek sections. The present volume was developed from a Swedish insurance dictionary (Fickordbok Foersaekring), published in 1967, which - with Swedish as the key language- offers English, French and German translations of the basic insurance terms. (orig./HP) [de

  11. Breastfeeding: Planning Ahead

    Medline Plus

    Full Text Available ... Popular Topics Autoimmune diseases Breastfeeding Carpal tunnel syndrome Depression HIV and AIDS Menstruation Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) Pregnancy Thyroid disease All A-Z health topics Find Help Get breastfeeding help Get health care Get health insurance Get help with family planning ...

  12. Compensating wage differentials and the impact of health insurance in the public sector on wages and hours.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Qin, Paige; Chernew, Michael

    2014-12-01

    This paper examines the trade-off between wages and employer spending on health insurance for public sector workers, and the relationship between coverage and hours worked. Our primary approach compares trends in wages and hours for public employees with and without state/local government provided health insurance using individual-level micro-data from the 1992-2011 CPS. To adjust for differences between insured and uninsured public sector employees, we create a matched sample based on an employee's propensity to receive health insurance. We assess the relationship between state contribution to the health plan premium, state-level healthcare spending, and the wages and hours of state and local government employees. We find modest reductions in wages are associated with having employer-sponsored health insurance (ESHI), although this effect is not precisely measured. The reduction in wages associated with having ESHI is larger among non-unionized workers. Further, we find little evidence that provision of health insurance increases hours worked. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  13. The commercial health insurance industry in an era of eroding employer coverage.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Robinson, James C

    2006-01-01

    This paper analyzes the commercial health insurance industry in an era of weakening employer commitment to providing coverage and strengthening interest by public programs to offer coverage through private plans. It documents the willingness of the industry to accept erosion of employment-based enrollment rather than to sacrifice earnings, the movement of Medicaid beneficiaries into managed care, and the distribution of market shares in the employment-based, Medicaid, and Medicare markets. The profitability of the commercial health insurance industry, exceptionally strong over the past five years, will henceforth be linked to the budgetary cycles and political fluctuations of state and federal governments.

  14. Defining Motivational Intensity of Need for Family Planning in Africa

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    AJRH Managing Editor

    Keywords: Unmet need, contraceptive use, intention to use family planning. Résumé ... not using family planning because of health concerns or ..... insurance plans cover contraception as an employee right and/or as a means of reducing.

  15. Health insurance reform: labor versus health perspectives.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ammar, Walid; Awar, May

    2012-01-01

    The Ministry of Labor (MOL) has submitted to the Council of Ministers a social security reform plan. The Ministry of Public Health (MOPH) considers that health financing should be dealt with as part of a more comprehensive health reform plan that falls under its prerogatives. While a virulent political discussion is taking place, major stakeholders' inputs are very limited and civil society is totally put away from the whole policy making process. The role of the media is restricted to reproducing political disputes, without meaningful substantive debate. This paper discusses health insurance reform from labor market as well as public health perspectives, and aims at launching a serious public debate on this crucial issue that touches the life of every citizen.

  16. The Role of Public and Private Insurance Expansions and Premiums for Low-income Parents: Lessons From State Experiences.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guy, Gery P; M Johnston, Emily; Ketsche, Patricia; Joski, Peter; Adams, E Kathleen

    2017-03-01

    Numerous states have implemented policies expanding public insurance eligibility or subsidizing private insurance for parents. To assess the impact of parental health insurance expansions from 1999 to 2012 on the likelihood that parents are insured; their children are insured; both the parent and child within a family unit are insured; and the type of insurance. Cross-sectional analysis of the 2000-2013 March supplements to the Current Population Survey, with data from the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey-Insurance Component and the Area Resource File. Cross-state and within-state multivariable regression models estimated the effects of health insurance expansions targeting parents using 2-way fixed effect modeling and difference-in-difference modeling. All analyses controlled for household, parent, child, and local area characteristics that could affect insurance status. Expansions increased parental coverage by 2.5 percentage points, and increased the likelihood of both parent and child being insured by 2.1 percentage points. Substantial variation was observed by type of expansion. Public expansions without premiums and special subsidized plan expansions had the largest effects on parental coverage and increased the likelihood of jointly insuring both the parent and child. Higher premiums were a substantial deterrent to parents' insurance. Our findings suggest that premiums and the type of insurance expansion can have a substantial impact on the insurance status of the family. These findings can help inform states as they continue to make decisions about expanding Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act to cover all family members.

  17. Preferences of Informal Carers on Technology Packages to Support Meal Production by People Living with Dementia, Elicited from Personalised AT and ICT Product Brochures

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Maria Laura De Filippis

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Assistive technology (AT can help support the continued independence of people living with dementia, supported by informal carers. Opinions and preferences of informal carers towards a range of assistive and digital information and communication technologies (ICT to support food purchase and menu selection, including navigation and online shopping, and safe meal-making by individuals living with dementia were investigated. General attitudes and experiences with assistive technologies were first probed by means of a focus group with carers (n = 6, organised through the Alzheimer’s Society in Nottingham, England. A series of AT/ICT product brochures were then produced, describing packages of technologies to enable meal production. Task-specific questions were asked of carers (n = 10 at local Memory Cafés as to the perceived capabilities of each individual for shopping and meal-making. Carers were asked to make pair-wise choices in order to select a personalised brochure and to complete a questionnaire to elicit the practicality, desirability and affordability of specific products and to probe for preferences amongst key features. Opinions on ease-of-use, aesthetics, expected safety-in-use, independence of use and stigma related to the technology packages were also collected. Results showed that carers are able to make detailed choices and express preferences about assistive and digital technologies for the individuals in their care, and customise their enabler package. Most believed that having an enabler package would improve safety. Greater exposure of carers to newer digital products would be beneficial. The brochure method could be employed on consumer websites and by AT assessors.

  18. Long Dated Life Insurance and Pension Contracts

    OpenAIRE

    Aase, Knut K.

    2011-01-01

    We discuss the "life cycle model" by first introducing a credit market with only biometric risk, and then market risk is introduced via risky securities. This framework enables us to find optimal pension plans and life insurance contracts where the benefits are state dependent. We compare these solutions both to the ones of standard actuarial theory, and to policies offered in practice. Two related portfolio choice puzzles are discussed in the light of recent research, one is the horizon prob...

  19. The insurance of nuclear installations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Francis, H.W.

    1977-01-01

    A brief account is given of the development of nuclear insurance. The subject is dealt with under the following headings: the need for nuclear insurance, nuclear insurance pools, international co-operation, nuclear installations which may be insured, international conventions relating to the liability of operators of nuclear installations, classes of nuclear insurance, nuclear reactor hazards and their assessment, future developments. (U.K.)

  20. Regulated Medicare Advantage And Marketplace Individual Health Insurance Markets Rely On Insurer Competition.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Frank, Richard G; McGuire, Thomas G

    2017-09-01

    Two important individual health insurance markets-Medicare Advantage and the Marketplaces-are tightly regulated but rely on competition among insurers to supply and price health insurance products. Many local health insurance markets have little competition, which increases prices to consumers. Furthermore, both markets are highly subsidized in ways that can exacerbate the impact of market power-that is, the ability to set price above cost-on health insurance prices. Policy makers need to foster robust competition in both sectors and avoid designing subsidies that make the market-power problem worse. Project HOPE—The People-to-People Health Foundation, Inc.

  1. 78 FR 34660 - Farm Credit System Insurance Corporation Board; Regular Meeting

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-06-10

    ... Performance Open Session A. Approval of Minutes April 11, 2013 B. Business Reports FCSIC Financial Report Report on Insured and Other Obligations Quarterly Report on Annual Performance Plan C. New Business Mid... June 13, 2013, from 1:00 p.m. until such time as the Board concludes its business. FOR FURTHER...

  2. Group Life Insurance

    CERN Multimedia

    2013-01-01

    The CERN Administration would like to remind you that staff members and fellows have the possibility to take out a life insurance contract on favourable terms through a Group Life Insurance.   This insurance is provided by the company Helvetia and is available to you on a voluntary basis. The premium, which varies depending on the age and gender of the person insured, is calculated on the basis of the amount of the death benefit chosen by the staff member/fellow and can be purchased in slices of 10,000 CHF.    The contract normally ends at the retirement age (65/67 years) or when the staff member/fellow leaves the Organization. The premium is deducted monthly from the payroll.   Upon retirement, the staff member can opt to maintain his membership under certain conditions.   More information about Group Life Insurance can be found at: Regulations (in French) Table of premiums The Pension Fund Benefit Service &...

  3. Nuclear insurance fire risk

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dressler, E.G.

    2001-01-01

    Nuclear facilities operate under the constant risk that radioactive materials could be accidentally released off-site and cause injuries to people or damages to the property of others. Management of this nuclear risk, therefore, is very important to nuclear operators, financial stakeholders and the general public. Operators of these facilities normally retain a portion of this risk and transfer the remainder to others through an insurance mechanism. Since the nuclear loss exposure could be very high, insurers usually assess their risk first-hand by sending insurance engineers to conduct a nuclear insurance inspection. Because a serious fire can greatly increase the probability of an off-site release of radiation, fire safety should be included in the nuclear insurance inspection. This paper reviews essential elements of a facility's fire safety program as a key factor in underwriting nuclear third-party liability insurance. (author)

  4. Risks and nuclear insurance

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Debaets, M.; Springett, G.D.; Luotonen, K.; Virole, J.

    1988-01-01

    When analysing the nuclear insurance market, three elements must be taken into account: the nuclear operator's liability is regulated by national laws and/or international Conventions, such operators pay large premiums to insure their nuclear installations against property damage and finally, the nuclear insurance market is made up of pools and is mainly a monopoly. This report describes the different types of insurance coverage, the system governing nuclear third party liability under the Paris Convention and the Brussels Supplementary Convention and several national laws in that field. The last part of the report deals with liability and insurance aspects of international transport of nuclear materials [fr

  5. 46 CFR 308.403 - Insured amounts.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-01

    ... total amount of war risk insurance obtainable from companies authorized to do an insurance business in a... MARITIME ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION EMERGENCY OPERATIONS WAR RISK INSURANCE War Risk Builder's Risk Insurance § 308.403 Insured amounts. (a) Prelaunching period. The amount insured during...

  6. Clinical Impact of Education Provision on Determining Advance Care Planning Decisions among End Stage Renal Disease Patients Receiving Regular Hemodialysis in University Malaya Medical Centre.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hing Wong, Albert; Chin, Loh Ee; Ping, Tan Li; Peng, Ng Kok; Kun, Lim Soo

    2016-01-01

    Advance care planning (ACP) is a process of shared decision-making about future health-care plans between patients, health care providers, and family members, should patients becomes incapable of participating in medical treatment decisions. ACP discussions enhance patient's autonomy, focus on patient's values and treatment preferences, and promote patient-centered care. ACP is integrated as part of clinical practice in Singapore and the United States. To assess the clinical impact of education provision on determining ACP decisions among end-stage renal disease patients on regular hemodialysis at University Malaya Medical Centre (UMMC). To study the knowledge and attitude of patients toward ACP and end-of-life issues. Fifty-six patients were recruited from UMMC. About 43 questions pretest survey adapted from Lyon's ACP survey and Moss's cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) attitude survey was given to patients to answer. An educational brochure is then introduced to these patients, and a posttest survey carried out after that. The results were analyzed using SPSS version 22.0. Opinion on ACP, including CPR decisions, showed an upward trend on the importance percentage after the educational brochure exposure, but this was statistically not significant. Seventy-five percent of participants had never heard of ACP before, and only 3.6% had actually prepared a written advanced directive. The ACP educational brochure clinically impacts patients' preferences and decisions toward end-of-life care; however, this is statistically not significant. Majority of patients have poor knowledge on ACP. This study lays the foundation for execution of future larger scale clinical trials, and ultimately, the incorporation of ACP into clinical practice in Malaysia.

  7. Effects of exercise intervention in breast cancer patients: is mobile health (mHealth) with pedometer more effective than conventional program using brochure?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Uhm, Kyeong Eun; Yoo, Ji Sung; Chung, Seung Hyun; Lee, Jong Doo; Lee, Ilkyun; Kim, Joong Il; Lee, Se Kyung; Nam, Seok Jin; Park, Yong Hyun; Lee, Ji Youl; Hwang, Ji Hye

    2017-02-01

    To investigate and compare the effects of mobile health (mHealth) and pedometer with conventional exercise program using a brochure on physical function and quality of life (QOL). The study was a prospective, quasi-randomized multicenter trial where 356 patients whose cancer treatment had been terminated were enrolled. All patients were instructed to perform a 12-week regimen of aerobic and resistance exercise. The mHealth group received a pedometer and a newly developed smartphone application to provide information and monitor the prescribed exercises. Those in the conventional group received an exercise brochure. Physical measurements were conducted at baseline, 6 weeks, and 12 weeks. Self-reported physical activity (international physical activity questionnaire-short form), general QOL (European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire Core 30), and breast cancer-specific QOL (Quality of Life Questionnaire Breast Cancer Module 23) were assessed at baseline and 12 weeks. A user satisfaction survey was assessed in the mHealth group. Basic characteristics were not different between the two groups except for age and previous radiotherapy. Physical function, physical activity, and QOL scores were significantly improved regardless of the intervention method, and changes were not significantly different between the two groups. Additionally, the mean Likert scale response for overall satisfaction with the service was 4.27/5 in the mHealth group. Overall, both the mHealth coupled with pedometer and conventional exercise education using a brochure were effective in improving physical function, physical activity, and QOL. This study provides a basis of mHealth research in breast cancer patients for progressing further developing field, although superiority of the mHealth over the conventional program was not definitely evident.

  8. Service quality effect on satisfaction and word of mouth in insurance industry

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Masoud Pourkiani

    2014-08-01

    Full Text Available Quality tends to play an essential role in service industries such as banking and insurance services, as quality of service is crucial to count for the survival and profitability of the organization. Today, customer satisfaction and service quality is critical in most service industries. Taking into consideration the competitive issues from observing services quality, the subject also in the insurance industry is important based on administrative reform plan, which is required to provide quality services and meet customers' demands. This study aims to assess the factors influencing the positive words of mouth in the insurance services market. The population is Iran insurance company's customers in Guilan and 409 individuals were selected by simple random sampling. To collect data, a questionnaire was used and structural equation SEM and LISREL software was used to analyze the data. The findings indicate a significant positive relationship between all aspects of service quality and customer satisfaction. The results indicate that there was a significant positive relationship between customer satisfaction and customer words of mouth. Therefore, we can conclude that there were significant positive relationships between the dimensions of service quality with customer satisfaction and customer words of mouth in Iran insurance company in Guilan province.

  9. Narrow Networks On The Health Insurance Marketplaces: Prevalence, Pricing, And The Cost Of Network Breadth.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dafny, Leemore S; Hendel, Igal; Marone, Victoria; Ody, Christopher

    2017-09-01

    Anecdotal reports and systematic research highlight the prevalence of narrow-network plans on the Affordable Care Act's health insurance Marketplaces. At the same time, Marketplace premiums in the period 2014-16 were much lower than projected by the Congressional Budget Office in 2009. Using detailed data on the breadth of both hospital and physician networks, we studied the prevalence of narrow networks and quantified the association between network breadth and premiums. Controlling for many potentially confounding factors, we found that a plan with narrow physician and hospital networks was 16 percent cheaper than a plan with broad networks for both, and that narrowing the breadth of just one type of network was associated with a 6-9 percent decrease in premiums. Narrow-network plans also have a sizable impact on federal outlays, as they depress the premium of the second-lowest-price silver plan, to which subsidy amounts are linked. Holding all else constant, we estimate that federal subsidies would have been 10.8 percent higher in 2014 had Marketplaces required all plans to offer broad provider networks. Narrow networks are a promising source of potential savings for other segments of the commercial insurance market. Project HOPE—The People-to-People Health Foundation, Inc.

  10. In Second Year Of Marketplaces, New Entrants, ACA 'Co-Ops,' And Medicaid Plans Restrain Average Premium Growth Rates.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gabel, Jon R; Whitmore, Heidi; Green, Matthew; Stromberg, Sam T; Weinstein, Daniel S; Oran, Rebecca

    2015-12-01

    Premiums for health insurance plans offered through the federally facilitated and state-based Marketplaces remained steady or increased only modestly from 2014 to 2015. We used data from the Marketplaces, state insurance departments, and insurer websites to examine patterns of premium pricing and the factors behind these patterns. Our data came from 2,964 unique plans offered in 2014 and 4,153 unique plans offered in 2015 in forty-nine states and the District of Columbia. Using descriptive and multivariate analysis, we found that the addition of a carrier in a rating area lowered average premiums for the two lowest-cost silver plans and the lowest-cost bronze plan by 2.2 percent. When all plans in a rating area were included, an additional carrier was associated with an average decline in premiums of 1.4 percent. Plans in the Consumer Operated and Oriented Plan Program and Medicaid managed care plans had lower premiums and average premium increases than national commercial and Blue Cross and Blue Shield plans. On average, premiums fell by an appreciably larger amount for catastrophic and bronze plans than for gold plans, and premiums for platinum plans increased. This trend of low premium increases overall is unlikely to continue, however, as insurers are faced with mounting medical claims. Project HOPE—The People-to-People Health Foundation, Inc.

  11. THE IMPACT OF COOPERATION BETWEEN INSURERS AND BANKS ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE INSURANCE SYSTEM

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nataliya Prikazyuk

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available The article highlights how the cooperation of insurance companies and banks affects the insurance system. Defined the concept of bancassurance, provided a brief description of the main bancassurance models in the context of their impact on the insurance system. Defined the main benefits and risks that accompany cooperation of insurance companies and banks within different models of association. It is noted that despite the generally accepted benefits of cooperation between insurers and banks, financial intermediaries’ unions often carry significant risks. Benefits from the cooperation of insurance companies and banks are disclosed with operational, marketing and financial aspects. The purpose of the article is to study the forms of cooperation between financial intermediaries and their impact on the insurance system. Methodology. The study is based on theoretical methods to study this problem. The theoretical and methodological basis of the study is works of scientists on the models of cooperation between insurers and banks. The dialectical method of cognition as well as such methods as logical generalization, structural and systematic analysis are used to study the methodological foundations of banks’ impact on the insurance companies and insurance system. Results. Banking activity has a significant impact on the insurance system. This impact is noticeable at the micro-level: insurers and banks can be clients of each other as well as they can sign cooperation agreements. A significant positive impact of the bancassurance on the activities of both financial institutions within the synergy that appears during their cooperation is highlighted in the article. Respectively, the insurance company and the bank are experiencing the benefits of cooperation along with savings on fixed, variable costs and obtaining additional profits; simplifying and optimization of the process of collecting and processing information; savings on advertising and

  12. Medicaid and Children's Health Insurance Programs: essential health benefits in alternative benefit plans, eligibility notices, fair hearing and appeal processes, and premiums and cost sharing; exchanges: eligibility and enrollment. Final rule.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-07-15

    This final rule implements provisions of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 (collectively referred to as the Affordable Care Act. This final rule finalizes new Medicaid eligibility provisions; finalizes changes related to electronic Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) eligibility notices and delegation of appeals; modernizes and streamlines existing Medicaid eligibility rules; revises CHIP rules relating to the substitution of coverage to improve the coordination of CHIP coverage with other coverage; and amends requirements for benchmark and benchmark-equivalent benefit packages consistent with sections 1937 of the Social Security Act (which we refer to as ``alternative benefit plans'') to ensure that these benefit packages include essential health benefits and meet certain other minimum standards. This rule also implements specific provisions including those related to authorized representatives, notices, and verification of eligibility for qualifying coverage in an eligible employer-sponsored plan for Affordable Insurance Exchanges. This rule also updates and simplifies the complex Medicaid premium and cost sharing requirements, to promote the most effective use of services, and to assist states in identifying cost sharing flexibilities. It includes transition policies for 2014 as applicable.

  13. Counseling as an Insured Benefit: Perspectives from the Insurance Industry

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fulton, Wallace C.

    1974-01-01

    Article discusses the feasibility of marriage counseling as an insurance benefit in the future. It is suggested that the physician be used as a marriage counselor in that insurance companies will pay for medical services. (EK)

  14. The Best Laid Plans: Access to the Rajiv Aarogyasri community health insurance scheme of Andhra Pradesh

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    H. Narasimhan

    2014-05-01

    Full Text Available This paper is a qualitative assessment of a public health insurance scheme in the state of Andhra Pradesh, south India, called the Rajiv Aarogyasri Community Health Insurance Scheme (or Aarogyasri, using the case-study method. Focusing on inpatient hospital care and especially on surgical treatments leaves the scheme wanting in meeting the health care needs of and addressing the impoverishing health expenditure incurred by the poor, especially those living in rural areas. Though well-intentioned, people from vulnerable sections of society may find the scheme ultimately unhelpful for their needs. Through an in-depth qualitative approach, the paper highlights not just financial difficulties but also the non-financial barriers to accessing health care, despite the existence of a scheme such as Aarogyasri. Narrative evidence from poor households offers powerful insights into why even the most innovative state health insurance schemes may not achieve their goals and systemic corrections needed to address barriers to health care.

  15. THE ROLE OF REINSURANCE IN INSURANCE

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    VĂDUVA MARIA

    2018-02-01

    Full Text Available Insurance companies carry out risk spreading through the co-insurance and reinsurance mechanism, consisting of the participation of more companies in the provision of high-value assets. Reinsurance is a form of insurance whereby an insurance organization can transfer to another reinsurer, partly or fully, its payment obligations arising from the insurance contracts that it has concluded. In the reinsurance ratios, the insurance companies appear in a double position - giving other insurance companies some of the risks assumed under direct insurance, being reinsured, but receiving different risks to reinsurance, acquiring the quality of reinsurers. Reinsurance intends to satisfy some multiple needs of the direct insurer and can provide means to counteract the risks associated with the fluctuations in compensation costs, the reinsurer will contribute to the payment of compensations on behalf of the reinsurer. Life insurance has characteristics that influence reinsurance: the average life of the insurance, the insurance is concluded for a fixed amount insured, the capital accumulation. In life reinsurance, almost all reinsurance arrangements are proportional agreements, and the largest share have the "surplus" agreements. Reinsurance plays an important role because it fulfills the following functions: it confers capacity, creates stability, helps to consolidate financial strength. The adjustment of the client portfolio in terms of the changes of reinsurance agreement, required by the reinsurer, can only be done by concluding the insurance contracts. In life insurance, reinsurance contracts contain provisions that meet the need of the insurer to have long-term protection.

  16. Regulating a health insurance exchange: implications for individuals with mental illness.

    Science.gov (United States)

    McGuire, Thomas G; Sinaiko, Anna D

    2010-11-01

    Under the newly enacted health reform law, millions of lower- and middle-income Americans will purchase individual or family health insurance through state-based markets for private health insurance called insurance "exchanges," which consolidate and regulate the market for individual and small-group health insurance. The authors consider options for structuring choice and pricing of health insurance in an exchange from the perspective of efficiently and fairly serving persons with mental illness. Exchanges are intended to foster choice and competition. However, certain features-open enrollment, individual choice, and imperfect risk adjusters-create incentives for "adverse selection," especially in providing coverage for persons with mental illness, who have higher overall health care costs. The authors review the experience of persons with mental illness in insurance markets similar to the exchanges, such as the Massachusetts Connector and the Federal Employees Health Benefit Program, and note that competition among health plans for enrollees who are "good risks" can undermine coverage and efficiency. They review the possible approaches for contending with selection-related incentives, such as carving out all or part of mental health benefits, providing reinsurance for some mental health care costs, or their preferred option, running the exchange in the same way that an employer runs its employee benefits and addressing selection and cost control issues by choice of contractor. The authors also consider approaches an exchange could use to promote effective consumer choice, such as passive and active roles for the exchange authority. Regulation will be necessary to establish a foundation for success of the exchanges.

  17. Rules regarding the health insurance premium tax credit. Final and temporary regulations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2014-07-28

    This document contains final and temporary regulations relating to the health insurance premium tax credit enacted by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010, as amended by the Medicare and Medicaid Extenders Act of 2010, the Comprehensive 1099 Taxpayer Protection and Repayment of Exchange Subsidy Overpayments Act of 2011, and the Department of Defense and Full-Year Continuing Appropriations Act of 2011 and the 3% Withholding Repeal and Job Creation Act. These regulations affect individuals who enroll in qualified health plans through Affordable Insurance Exchanges (Exchanges) and claim the premium tax credit, and Exchanges that make qualified health plans available to individuals. The text of the temporary regulations in this document also serves as the text of proposed regulations set forth in a notice of proposed rulemaking (REG-104579-13) on this subject in the Proposed Rules section in this issue of the Federal Register.

  18. Health plans and selection: formal risk adjustment vs. market design and contracts.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Frank, R G; Rosenthal, M B

    2001-01-01

    In this paper, we explore the demand for risk adjustment by health plans that contract with private employers by considering the conditions under which plans might value risk adjustment. Three factors reduce the value of risk adjustment from the plans' point of view. First, only a relatively small segment of privately insured Americans face a choice of competing health plans. Second, health plans share much of their insurance risk with payers, providers, and reinsurers. Third, de facto experience rating that occurs during the premium negotiation process and management of coverage appear to substitute for risk adjustment. While the current environment has not generated much demand for risk adjustment, we reflect on its future potential.

  19. School Insurance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    1964

    The importance of insurance in the school budget is the theme of this comprehensive bulletin on the practices and policies for Texas school districts. Also considered is the development of desirable school board policies in purchasing insurance and operating the program. Areas of discussion are: risks to be covered, amount of coverage, values,…

  20. Health Insurance and Health Care among the Mid-Aged and Older Chinese: Evidence from the National Baseline Survey of CHARLS.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Chuanchuan; Lei, Xiaoyan; Strauss, John; Zhao, Yaohui

    2017-04-01

    We document the recent profile of health insurance and health care among mid-aged and older Chinese using data from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study conducted in 2011. Overall health insurance coverage is about 93%. Multivariate regressions show that respondents with lower income as measured by per capita expenditure have a lower chance of being insured, as do the less-educated, older, and divorced/widowed women and rural-registered people. Premiums and reimbursement rates of health insurance vary significantly by schemes. Inpatient reimbursement rates for urban people increase with total cost to a plateau of 60%; rural people receive much less. Demographic characteristics such as age, education, marriage status, per capita expenditure, and self-reported health status are not significantly associated with share of out-of-pocket cost after controlling community effects. For health service use, we find large gaps that vary across health insurance plans, especially for inpatient service. People with access to urban health insurance plans are more likely to use health services. In general, Chinese people have easy access to median low-level medical facilities. It is also not difficult to access general hospitals or specialized hospitals, but there exists better access to healthcare facilities in urban areas. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  1. Comparison of Specialty Medication Use for Common Chronic Inflammatory Diseases Among Health Exchange and Other Commercially Insured Members.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Xiaoxue; Gautam, Santosh; Ruggieri, Alexander; Richards, Thomas; Devries, Andrea; Sylwestrzak, Gosia

    2018-01-01

    The Affordable Care Act of 2010 allows the purchase of health insurance through special marketplaces called "health exchanges." The majority of individuals enrolling in the exchanges were previously uninsured, older, and sicker than other commercially insured members. Early evidence also suggests that exchange plan members use more costly specialty drugs compared with other commercially insured members. To (a) examine patient characteristics and specialty drug use for common chronic inflammatory diseases (CIDs) among exchange plan members compared with other commercially insured members and (b) explore variations in specialty drug use within exchange plans by metal tiers (bronze, silver, gold, and platinum), as well as across local markets. This analysis included adults aged ≥ 18 years who were enrolled in exchange plans (exchange population) and other commercial health plans (nonexchange population). The primary outcome was the likelihood of using specialty drugs prescribed to treat common CIDs, such as rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, psoriatic arthritis, and psoriasis. The adjusted likelihood of using CID specialty drugs was calculated from logistic regression controlling for prevalence of CIDs and other health risk factors. A total of 931,384 exchange plan members and 2,682,855 nonexchange plan members were included in the analysis. Compared with the nonexchange population, the exchange population was older, more likely to be female, had more comorbid conditions, but filled fewer prescriptions. The 2 groups were similar in terms of CID prevalence. The observed likelihood of CID specialty drug use was 20.0% lower in the exchange versus the nonexchange populations (341 users per 100,000 exchange members vs. 427 users per 100,000 nonexchange members; P exchange population, the observed likelihood of CID specialty drug use was 132 per 100,000 bronze plan members (69.1% lower than nonexchange); 326 per 100

  2. Effects of supplementary private health insurance on physician visits in Korea.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kang, Sungwook; You, Chang Hoon; Kwon, Young Dae; Oh, Eun-Hwan

    2009-12-01

    The coverage of social health insurance has remained limited, despite it being compulsory in Korea. Accordingly, Koreans have come to rely upon supplementary private health insurance (PHI) to cover their medical costs. We examined the effects of supplementary PHI on physician visits in Korea. This study used individual data from 11,043 respondents who participated in the Korean Labor and Income Panel Survey in 2001. We conducted a single probit model to identify the relationship between PHI and physician visits, with adjustment for the following covariates: demographic characteristics, socioeconomic status, health status, and health-related behavior. Finally, we performed a bivariate probit model to examine the true effect of PHI on physician visits, with adjustment for the above covariates plus unobservable covariates that might affect not only physician visit, but also the purchase of PHI. We found that about 38% of all respondents had one or more private health plans. Forty-five percent of all respondents visited one or more physicians, and 49% of those who were privately insured had physician visits compared with 42% of the uninsured. The single probit model showed that those with PHI were about 14 percentage points more likely to visit physicians than those who do not have PHI. However, this distinction disappears in the bivariate probit model. This result might have been a consequence of the nature of private health plans in Korea. Private insurance companies pay a fixed amount directly to their enrollees in case of illness/injury, and the individuals are responsible subsequently for purchasing their own healthcare services. This study demonstrated the potential of Korean PHI to address the problem of moral hazard. These results serve as a reference for policy makers when considering how to finance healthcare services, as well as to contain healthcare expenditure.

  3. Determinants of health insurance ownership among South African women

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mwabu Germano M

    2005-02-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Studies conducted in developed countries using economic models show that individual- and household- level variables are important determinants of health insurance ownership. There is however a dearth of such studies in sub-Saharan Africa. The objective of this study was to examine the relationship between health insurance ownership and the demographic, economic and educational characteristics of South African women. Methods The analysis was based on data from a cross-sectional national household sample derived from the South African Health Inequalities Survey (SANHIS. The study subjects consisted of 3,489 women, aged between 16 and 64 years. It was a non-interventional, qualitative response econometric study. The outcome measure was the probability of a respondent's ownership of a health insurance policy. Results The χ2 test for goodness of fit indicated satisfactory prediction of the estimated logit model. The coefficients of the covariates for area of residence, income, education, environment rating, age, smoking and marital status were positive, and all statistically significant at p ≤ 0.05. Women who had standard 10 education and above (secondary, high incomes and lived in affluent provinces and permanent accommodations, had a higher likelihood of being insured. Conclusion Poverty reduction programmes aimed at increasing women's incomes in poor provinces; improving living environment (e.g. potable water supplies, sanitation, electricity and housing for women in urban informal settlements; enhancing women's access to education; reducing unemployment among women; and increasing effective coverage of family planning services, will empower South African women to reach a higher standard of living and in doing so increase their economic access to health insurance policies and the associated health services.

  4. Breastfeeding: Planning Ahead

    Medline Plus

    Full Text Available ... health care Get health insurance Get help with family planning Get help with mental health Find girls' health information Stay Connected Blog Contact us Media inquiries Social media About Us Who we are What we do Work with us Our vision and mission Programs and ...

  5. 7 CFR 407.13 - Group risk plan for forage.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... acres of hay in the county, as specified in the actuarial documents. The actuarial documents will... a period for forage regrowth. 2. Crop Insured The insured crop will be the forage types shown on the... the Group Risk Plan Common Policy, acreage seeded to forage after July 1 of the previous crop year...

  6. The future of health insurance for children with special health care needs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Newacheck, Paul W; Houtrow, Amy J; Romm, Diane L; Kuhlthau, Karen A; Bloom, Sheila R; Van Cleave, Jeanne M; Perrin, James M

    2009-05-01

    Because of their elevated need for services, health insurance is particularly important for children with special health care needs. In this article we assess how well the current system is meeting the insurance needs of children with special health care needs and how emerging trends in health insurance may affect their well-being. We begin with a review of the evidence on the impact of health insurance on the health care experiences of children with special health care needs based on the peer-reviewed literature. We then assess how well the current system meets the needs of these children by using data from 2 editions of the National Survey of Children With Special Health Care Needs. Finally, we present an analysis of recent developments and emerging trends in the health insurance marketplace that may affect this population. Although a high proportion of children with special health care needs have insurance at any point in time, nearly 40% are either uninsured at least part of the year or have coverage that is inadequate. Recent expansions in public coverage, although offset in part by a contraction in employer-based coverage, have led to modest but significant reductions in the number of uninsured children with special health care needs. Emerging insurance products, including consumer-directed health plans, may expose children with special health care needs and their families to greater financial risks. Health insurance coverage has the potential to secure access to needed care and improve the quality of life for these children while protecting their families from financially burdensome health care expenses. Continued vigilance and advocacy for children and youth with special health care needs are needed to ensure that these children have access to adequate coverage and that they fare well under health care reform.

  7. ENDOWMENT LIFE INSURANCE

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zeljko Sain

    2013-06-01

    Full Text Available The aim of the paper that treats the actuarial model of insurance in case of survival or early death is to show the actuarial methods and methodology for creating a model and an appropriate number of sub-models of the most popular form of life insurance in the world. The paper applies the scientific methodology of the deductive character based on scientific, theoretical knowledge and practical realities. Following the basic theoretical model’s determinants, which are at the beginning of the paper, the basic difference between models further in this paper was carried out according to the character of the premium to be paid. Finally, the financial repercussions of some models are presented at examples in insurance companies. The result of this paper is to show the spectrum of possible forms of capital endowment insurance which can be, without major problems, depending on the financial policy of the company, applied in actual practice. The conclusion of this paper shows the theoretical and the practical reality of this model, life insurance, and its quantitative and qualitative guidelines.

  8. 42 CFR 457.150 - CMS review of State plan material.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-01

    ... 42 Public Health 4 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false CMS review of State plan material. 457.150 Section... Introduction; State Plans for Child Health Insurance Programs and Outreach Strategies § 457.150 CMS review of State plan material. (a) Basis for action. CMS reviews each State plan and plan amendment to determine...

  9. Variation in type and frequency of diagnostic imaging during trauma care across multiple time points by patient insurance type

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bell, Nathaniel; Repáraz, Laura; Fry, William R.; Smith, R. Stephen; Luis, Alejandro

    2016-01-01

    Research has shown that uninsured patients receive fewer radiographic studies during trauma care, but less is known as to whether differences in care are present among other insurance groups or across different time points during hospitalization. Our objective was to examine the number of radiographic studies administered to a cohort of trauma patients over the entire hospital stay as well as during the first 24-hours of care. Patient data were obtained from an American College of Surgeons (ACS) verified Level I Trauma Center between January 1, 2011 and December 31, 2012. We used negative binomial regression to construct relative risk (RR) ratios for type and frequency of radiographic imaging received among persons with Medicare, Medicaid, no insurance, or government insurance plans in reference to those with commercial indemnity plans. The analysis was adjusted for patient age, sex, race/ethnicity, injury severity score, injury mechanism, comorbidities, complications, hospital length of stay, and Intensive Care Unit (ICU) admission. A total of 3621 records from surviving patients age > =18 years were assessed. After adjustment for potential confounders, the expected number of radiographic studies decreased by 15 % among Medicare recipients (RR 0.85, 95 % CI 0.78–0.93), 11 % among Medicaid recipients (0.89, 0.81–0.99), 10 % among the uninsured (0.90, 0.85–0.96) and 19 % among government insurance groups (0.81, 0.72–0.90), compared with the reference group. This disparity was observed during the first 24-hours of care among patients with Medicare (0.78, 0.71–0.86) and government insurance plans (0.83, 0.74–0.94). Overall, there were no differences in the number of radiographic studies among the uninsured or among Medicaid patients during the first 24-hours of care compared with the reference group, but differences were observed among the uninsured in a sub-analysis of severely injured patients (ISS > 15). Both uninsured and insured patients treated at a

  10. THE IMPACT OF COOPERATION BETWEEN INSURERS AND BANKS ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE INSURANCE SYSTEM

    OpenAIRE

    Nataliya Prikazyuk; Ganna Oliynik

    2017-01-01

    The article highlights how the cooperation of insurance companies and banks affects the insurance system. Defined the concept of bancassurance, provided a brief description of the main bancassurance models in the context of their impact on the insurance system. Defined the main benefits and risks that accompany cooperation of insurance companies and banks within different models of association. It is noted that despite the generally accepted benefits of cooperation between insurers and banks,...

  11. The spillover effects of health insurance benefit mandates on public insurance coverage: Evidence from veterans.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Xiaoxue; Ye, Jinqi

    2017-09-01

    This study examines how regulations in private health insurance markets affect coverage of public insurance. We focus on mental health parity laws, which mandate private health insurance to provide equal coverage for mental and physical health services. The implementation of mental health parity laws may improve a quality dimension of private health insurance but at increased costs. We graphically develop a conceptual framework and then empirically examine whether the regulations shift individuals from private to public insurance. We exploit state-by-year variation in policy implementation in 1999-2008 and focus on a sample of veterans, who have better access to public insurance than non-veterans. Using data from the Current Population Survey, we find that the parity laws reduce employer-sponsored insurance (ESI) coverage by 2.1% points. The drop in ESI is largely offset by enrollment gains in public insurance, namely through the Veterans Affairs (VA) benefit and Medicaid/Medicare programs. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  12. Nonlife Insurance Pricing:

    Science.gov (United States)

    Darooneh, Amir H.

    We consider the insurance company as a physical system which is immersed in its environment (the financial market). The insurer company interacts with the market by exchanging the money through the payments for loss claims and receiving the premium. Here, in the equilibrium state, we obtain the premium by using the canonical ensemble theory, and compare it with the Esscher principle, the well-known formula in actuary for premium calculation. We simulate the case of car insurance for quantitative comparison.

  13. Nuclear energy and insurance

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dow, J.C.

    1989-01-01

    It was the risk of contamination of ships from the Pacific atmospheric atomic bomb tests in the 1940's that seems first to have set insurers thinking that a limited amount of cover would be a practical possibility if not a commercially-attractive proposition. One Chapter of this book traces the early, hesitant steps towards the evolution of ''nuclear insurance'', as it is usually called; a term of convenience rather than exactitude because it seems to suggest an entirely new branch of insurance with a status of its own like that of Marine, Life or Motor insurance. Insurance in the field of nuclear energy is more correctly regarded as the application of the usual, well-established forms of cover to unusual kinds of industrial plant, materials and liabilities, characterised by the peculiar dangers of radioactivity which have no parallel among the common hazards of industry and commerce. It had, and still has, the feature that individual insurance underwriters are none too keen to look upon nuclear risks as a potential source of good business and profit. Only by joining together in Syndicates or Pools have the members of the national insurance markets been able to make proper provision for nuclear risks; only by close international collaboration among the national Pools have the insurers of the world been able to assemble adequate capacity - though still, even after thirty years, not sufficient to provide complete coverage for a large nuclear installation. (author)

  14. 7 CFR 407.17 - Group risk plan for wheat.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... 7 Agriculture 6 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Group risk plan for wheat. 407.17 Section 407.17..., DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE GROUP RISK PLAN OF INSURANCE REGULATIONS § 407.17 Group risk plan for wheat. The provisions of the Group Risk Plan for Wheat for the 2000 and succeeding crop years are as follows: 1...

  15. 7 CFR 407.11 - Group risk plan for corn.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... 7 Agriculture 6 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Group risk plan for corn. 407.11 Section 407.11..., DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE GROUP RISK PLAN OF INSURANCE REGULATIONS § 407.11 Group risk plan for corn. The provisions of the Group Risk Plan for Corn for the 2000 and succeeding crop years are as follows: 1...

  16. Forecasting Fire Insurance Loss Ratio in Misr Insurance Company

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tarek TAHA

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available Loss ratio is one of the most important indicator that has many strategic decisions applications, such as pricing, underwriting, investment, reinsurance and reserving decisions. It serves as an early warning of financial solvency of insurance companies and it can be judged on the strength of the financial position of these companies. The aim of this study is to identify the reliable time series-forecasting model to forecast loss ratio estimates of fire segment in Misr insurance company. Box-Jenkins Analysis is applied on actual reported loss ratios data for Misr insurance company for the period 1980/1981– 2013/2014. The study concludes that the best forecasting model is ARMA(1,1.

  17. Modern problems in insurance mathematics

    CERN Document Server

    Martin-Löf, Anders

    2014-01-01

    This book is a compilation of 21 papers presented at the International Cramér Symposium on Insurance Mathematics (ICSIM) held at Stockholm University in June, 2013. The book comprises selected contributions from several large research communities in modern insurance mathematics and its applications. The main topics represented in the book are modern risk theory and its applications, stochastic modelling of insurance business, new mathematical problems in life and non-life insurance, and related topics in applied and financial mathematics. The book is an original and useful source of inspiration and essential reference for a broad spectrum of theoretical and applied researchers, research students and experts from the insurance business. In this way, Modern Problems in Insurance Mathematics will contribute to the development of research and academy–industry co-operation in the area of insurance mathematics and its applications.

  18. Simulation Of Premi Calculation Claims Insurance Base On Web; Case Study PT. Sinarmas Insurance Padang

    OpenAIRE

    Rohendi, Keukeu; Putra, Ilham Eka

    2016-01-01

    Sinarmas currently has several insurance services featured. To perform its function as a good insurance company is need for reform in terms of services in the process of calculating insurance premiums of insurance carried by marketing to use a calculator which interferes with the activities of marketing activities, slow printing insurance policies, automobile claims process that requires the customer to come to the office ASM, slow printing of Work Order (SPK) and the difficulty recap custome...

  19. Implementing Automotive Telematics for Fleet Insurance

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marika Azzopardi

    2013-12-01

    Full Text Available The advantages of Usage-Based Insurance for automotive covers over conventional rating methods have been discussed in literature for over four decades. Notwithstanding their adoption in insurance markets has been slow. This paper seeks to establish the viability of introducing fleet Telematics-Based Insurance by investigating the perceptions of insurance operators, tracking service providers and corporate fleet owners. At its core, the study involves a SWOT-analysis to appraise Telematics-Based Insurance against conventional premium rating systems. Twenty five key stakeholders in Malta, a country with an insurance industry that represents others in microcosm, were interviewed to develop our analysis. We assert that local insurers have interests in such insurance schemes as enhanced fleet management and monitoring translate into an improved insurance risk. The findings presented here have implications for all stakeholders as we argue that telematics enhance fleet management, TBI improves risk management for insurers and adoption of this technology is dependent on telematics providers increasing the perceived control by insurers over managing this technology.

  20. 77 FR 28343 - Insurer Reporting Requirements; List of Insurers Required To File Reports

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-05-14

    ... vehicle insurers that are required to file reports on their motor vehicle theft loss experiences. An... vehicles not covered by theft insurance policies issued by insurers of motor vehicles, other than any... than any governmental entity) used for rental or lease whose vehicles are not covered by theft...

  1. Health Insurance – Affiliation to LAMal insurance for families of CERN personnel

    CERN Multimedia

    Staff Association

    2017-01-01

    On May 16, the HR department published in the CERN Bulletin an article concerning cross-border workers (“frontaliers”) and the exercise of the right of choice in health insurance: « In view of the Agreement concluded on 7 July 2016 between Switzerland and France regarding the choice of health insurance system* for persons resident in France and working in Switzerland ("frontaliers"), the Swiss authorities have indicated that those persons who have not “formally exercised their right to choose a health insurance system before 30 September 2017 risk automatically becoming members of the Swiss LAMal system” and having to “pay penalties to their insurers that may amount to several years’ worth of contributions”. Among others, this applies to spouses of members of the CERN personnel who live in France and work in Switzerland. » But the CERN Health Insurance Scheme (CHIS), provides insuranc...

  2. Forest insurance

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ellis T. Williams

    1949-01-01

    Standing timber is one of the few important kinds of property that are not generally covered by insurance. Studies made by the Forest Service and other agencies have indicated that the risks involved in the insurance of timber are not unduly great, provided they can be properly distributed. Such studies, however, have thus far failed to induce any notable development...

  3. Role of nuclear insurance in US

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bardes, C.R.

    2000-01-01

    Private insurance companies developed means to provide first-tier nuclear coverage to operators of power plants and other nuclear facilities; US Government initially provided second tier. US insurance companies chose 'pooling' technique as means to provide large amounts of insurance capacity by spreading the risk over a number of insurance companies. Classic example of nuclear risk that presents low frequency, high severity loss potential. Insurers usually spread their risk over a large, fairly stable premium base, as with automobile insurance. The American Nuclear Insurers (ANI) and its roles are introduced in this article

  4. Insurance Accounts: The Cultural Logics of Health Care Financing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mulligan, Jessica

    2016-03-01

    The financial exuberance that eventually culminated in the recent world economic crisis also ushered in dramatic shifts in how health care is financed, administered, and imagined. Drawing on research conducted in the mid-2000s at a health insurance company in Puerto Rico, this article shows how health care has been financialized in many ways that include: (1) privatizing public services; (2) engineering new insurance products like high deductible plans and health savings accounts; (3) applying financial techniques to premium payments to yield maximum profitability; (4) a managerial focus on shareholder value; and (5) prioritizing mergers and financial speculation. The article argues that financial techniques obfuscate how much health care costs, foster widespread gaming of reimbursement systems that drives up prices, and "unpool" risk by devolving financial and moral responsibility for health care onto individual consumers. © 2015 by the American Anthropological Association.

  5. FACILITATORS OF INTERNET PROMOTION (E-BROCHURE ADOPTION BY NON-PROFIT ORGANISATIONS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nelson Oly Ndubisi

    2005-01-01

    Full Text Available Internet promotion, otherwise e-brochure (EB or partial e-commerce adoption by non-profit organisations denotes the use of the Internet to provide business and service related information by academic institutions (as in the present study, non-profit organisations, religious organisations, and government agencies to reduce their expenses or to improve their operations and customer service. A field survey of Malaysian universities was conducted to determine the key factors that facilitate the adoption of non-business EB. Since EB adoption decision is a strategic one, a comprehensive list of potential facilitators for the strategic use of information technology (IT was derived from extant literature and used in collecting data from 65 schools and centres in five public universities in Kota Kinabalu and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The data were factor-analysed to determine the key underlying dimensions of facilitators. On the basis of the resulting five dimensions namely, relative advantage orientation, network orientation, information efficiency orientation, innovativeness orientation, and competitiveness orientation, regression analysis was done to determine the impact of the five dimensions on non-business EB adoption.

  6. Financial management of insurance companies in the context of the new regime Solvency II

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Istrate Costin

    2017-07-01

    Full Text Available The new solvency regime Solvency II represents a solid and harmonized prudential framework applicable by insurance companies in the European area. Solvency II was implemented in the European Union by adopting Directives 2009/138/EC respectively 2014/51/EU, replacing existing directives regulating solvency former regime, known as Solvency I. Thus, the new European legislation in insurance, applicable from 1 January 2016, was aimed at unifying the main European insurance market and ensuring consumer protection. The responsible authority at EU level with the implementation of the new solvency regime is EIOPA - European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority, which dealt in previous periods of testing the European market insurance through organizing quantitative impact studies (last exercise - QIS5, organized in 2011. The main standards derived from Solvency II and also the new IFRS accounting provisions, intended to increase the transparency of risk management and investment, in order to pricing insurance products and profitability of the different classes of insurance rates. Solvency II brings both challenges and opportunities for companies, changing the concept of building protection programs for insured and generating additional concerns about capital requirements in the determination of own funds (basic, auxiliary and surplus that can be used to meet this requirement. Also estimate realistic and prudent risk assumed by insurance contracts concluded transposed to the insurance companies by recording every technical reserves represent a very important element in order to establish an optimal balance of financial resources. Given the significant overlap between IFRS and Solvency II, insurers will have to improve disclosure requirements of additional information and adjust planning and forecasting. All these measures will increase the efficiency of financial management, a series of operational measures and by providing documented and tested

  7. 75 FR 54041 - Insurer Reporting Requirements; List of Insurers Required To File Reports

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-09-03

    .... Each insurer's report includes information about thefts and recoveries of motor vehicles, the rating... state and; (3) Rental and leasing companies with a fleet of 20 or more vehicles not covered by theft...) used for rental or lease whose vehicles are not covered by theft insurance policies issued by insurers...

  8. 48 CFR 28.308 - Self-insurance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-01

    ... REQUIREMENTS BONDS AND INSURANCE Insurance 28.308 Self-insurance. (a) When it is anticipated that 50 percent or... risks, limits of coverage, assignments of safety and loss control, and legal service responsibilities... projected average loss; and (10) A disclosure of all captive insurance company and re-insurance agreements...

  9. Enterprise risk management and firm value within China’s insurance industry

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Qiuying Li

    2014-02-01

    Research purpose: The purpose of the study is to empirically examine the relationship between ERM and firm value. The study is undertaken within the context of the Chinese insurance industry. Motivation for the study: Recent attempts to link ERM with firm value have been undertaken primarily in the USA and Europe and have produced ambiguous and inconclusive findings. Research design, approach and method: Data was obtained from the China Insurance Regulatory Commission, a government body responsible for regulating insurance products and services in China. The data sample consisted of 135 insurance companies operating in China (in 2010. Regression modelling is employed to analyse the data. Main findings: The results show the relationship between ERM and firm value at first appears statistically significant within a Pearson correlation matrix but then falls below statistical significance on closer scrutiny through regression analysis. Accordingly, it is recommended that insurers in China should not look to aggressive investment in ERM as a strategy for producing quick gains in firm value. Practical/managerial implications: Risk managers should plan ERM development from a risk management maturity perspective, which equates the highest level of ERM development with ERM’s capacity to improve firm resilience to the unknown and serve as a mechanism for strategic decision-making. Contribution/value-add: The study employed return on equity as a proxy for firm value, utilising ordinary least squares regression modelling to test propositions of the relationships between variables.

  10. 7 CFR 457.128 - Guaranteed production plan of fresh market tomato crop insurance provisions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... the insured crop directly to consumers without the intervention of an intermediary such as a... Special Provisions. The price election you choose for each type must have the same percentage relationship...: (A) Grown fresh market tomatoes for commercial sales; or (B) Participated in the management of a...

  11. Insurance of nuclear power stations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Debaets, M.

    1992-01-01

    Electrical utility companies have invested large sums in the establishment of nuclear facilities. For this reason it is normal for these companies to attempt to protect their investments as much as possible. One of the methods of protection is recourse to insurance. For a variety of reasons traditional insurance markets are unable to function normally for a number of reasons including, the insufficient number of risks, an absence of meaningful accident statistics, the enormous sums involved and a lack of familiarity with nuclear risks on the part of insurers, resulting in a reluctance or even refusal to accept such risks. Insurers have, in response to requests for coverage from nuclear power station operators, established an alternative system of coverage - insurance through a system of insurance pools. Insurers in every country unite in a pool, providing a net capacity for every risk which is a capacity covered by their own funds, and consequently without reinsurance. All pools exchange capacity. The inconvenience of this system, for the operators in particular, is that it involves a monopolistic system in which there are consequently few possibilities for the negotiation of premiums and conditions of coverage. The system does not permit the establishment of reserves which could, over time, reduce the need for insurance on the part of nuclear power station operators. Thus the cost of nuclear insurance remains high. Alternatives to the poor system of insurance are explored in this article. (author)

  12. Consumer in insurance law

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Čorkalo Milena

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available The paper analyses the notion of consumer in the European Union law, and, in particular, the notion of consumer in insurance law. The author highligts the differences between the notion of consumer is in aquis communautaire and in insurance law, discussing whether the consumer can be defined in both field in the same way, concerning that insurance services differ a lot from other kind of services. Having regarded unequal position of contracting parties and information and technical disadvantages of a weaker party, author pleads for broad definition of consumer in insurance law. In Serbian law, the consumer is not defined in consistent way. That applies on Serbian insurance law as well. Therefore, the necessity of precise and broad definition of consumes is underlined, in order to delimit the circle of subject who are in need for protection. The author holds that the issue of determination of the circle of persons entitled to extended protection as consumers is of vital importance for further development of insurance market in Serbia.

  13. The National Insurance Academy: Serving India's Insurance Professionals and Researchers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sane, Bhagyashree

    2011-01-01

    This article discusses how a special library can meet the needs of a specific industry. The author focuses on India's National Insurance Academy (NIA) Library, which serves the insurance industry of India and some neighboring countries. It is where the author serves as the chief librarian.

  14. 75 FR 42766 - National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP); Assistance to Private Sector Property Insurers...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-22

    ...] National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP); Assistance to Private Sector Property Insurers, Availability of... Financial Assistance/Subsidy Arrangement (Arrangement), (90 as of June 1, 2010) private sector property... Financial Assistance/ Subsidy Arrangement (Arrangement) to notify private insurance companies (Companies...

  15. 76 FR 45281 - National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP); Assistance to Private Sector Property Insurers...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-07-28

    ...] National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP); Assistance to Private Sector Property Insurers, Availability of... Financial Assistance/Subsidy Arrangement (Arrangement), 87 (as of July 1, 2011) private sector property... Financial Assistance/ Subsidy Arrangement (Arrangement) to notify private insurance companies (Companies...

  16. Disposition of Insurance Allotment Payments

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Young, Shelton

    2001-01-01

    .... The request was prompted by action taken by the Florida Department of Insurance against two life insurance companies that had received large numbers of insurance allotments from Service members...

  17. Health Insurance without Single Crossing

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Boone, Jan; Schottmüller, Christoph

    2017-01-01

    Standard insurance models predict that people with high risks have high insurance coverage. It is empirically documented that people with high income have lower health risks and are better insured. We show that income differences between risk types lead to a violation of single crossing...... in an insurance model where people choose treatment intensity. We analyse different market structures and show the following: If insurers have market power, the violation of single crossing caused by income differences and endogenous treatment choice can explain the empirically observed outcome. Our results do...

  18. Fire protection requirements of the insurance industry and their impact on nuclear power plant design and construction

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Deitchman, J.V.; King, W.T. Jr.; Nashman, T.A.

    1976-01-01

    The insurance industry, with its wealth of knowledge and experience in the fire protection area and with preservation of its funds at stake, has always been heavily involved in the fire protection programs of nuclear power plants. Since it was concerned with property preservation in addition to nuclear safety, the insurance industry placed more detailed emphasis on fire protection requirements than did the nuclear regulatory bodies. Since the Browns Ferry fire, however, the insurance industry, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards and the utilities themselves have re-examined their approaches to fire protection. A more coordinated approach seems to have emerged, which is based largely upon insurance industry specifications and guidelines. The paper briefly summarizes the fire protection requirements of the insurance industry as they apply to nuclear power plants. Some of the ways these requirements affect project planning, plant design, and construction timing are reviewed, as well as some of the more controversial fire protection areas

  19. Family Planning in the Context of Latin America's Universal Health Coverage Agenda.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fagan, Thomas; Dutta, Arin; Rosen, James; Olivetti, Agathe; Klein, Kate

    2017-09-27

    Countries in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) have substantially improved access to family planning over the past 50 years. Many have also recently adopted explicit declarations of universal rights to health and universal health coverage (UHC) and have begun implementing UHC-oriented health financing schemes. These schemes will have important implications for the sustainability and further growth of family planning programs throughout the region. We examined the status of contraceptive methods in major health delivery and financing schemes in 9 LAC countries. Using a set of 37 indicators on family planning coverage, family planning financing, health financing, and family planning inclusion in UHC-oriented schemes, we conducted a desk review of secondary sources, including population surveys, health financing assessments, insurance enrollment reports, and unit cost estimates, and interviewed in-country experts. Findings: Although the modern contraceptive prevalence rate (mCPR) has continued to increase in the majority of LAC countries, substantial disparities in access for marginalized groups remain. On average, mCPR is 20% lower among indigenous women than the general population, 5% lower among uninsured women than insured, and 7% lower among the poorest women than the wealthiest. Among the poorest quintile of women, insured women had an mCPR 16.5 percentage points higher than that of uninsured women, suggesting that expansion of insurance coverage is associated with increased family planning access and use. In the high- and upper-middle-income countries we reviewed, all modern contraceptive methods are typically available through the social health insurance schemes that cover a majority of the population. However, in low- and lower-middle-income countries, despite free provision of most family planning services in public health facilities, stock-outs and implicit rationing present substantial barriers that prevent clients from accessing their preferred method

  20. 75 FR 30106 - Terrorism Risk Insurance Program; Recordkeeping Requirements for Insurers Compensated Under the...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-05-28

    ... DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY Terrorism Risk Insurance Program; Recordkeeping Requirements for... Budget. The Terrorism Risk Insurance Program Office within the Department of the Treasury is soliciting... original and two copies) to: Terrorism Risk Insurance Program, Public Comment Record, Suite 2100...