Health Care Systems Essay

Abstract The primary objective of any health care system is to provide adequate and effective medical care to the population. Health care systems may vary due to political and other factors. Factors may include location, access to care, basic needs of the populations as well as economic status. However, the primary goal remains the same. Because of the ongoing need for government to allocate funds to the medical budget their involvement in health care cannot be discounted. This paper introduces two major health care systems. First that of the Netherlands and secondly, the United States. The pros and cons will be discussed, as well as the role and function of the government as it relates to health care. A compare and contrast of the differences and similarities of both systems will be made. Health Care Systems The Netherlands The health care system in the Netherlands is comprised of three distinct compartments and is mandatory for all residents and non-resident who pay Dutch income tax. They are required to purchase health insurance coverage, except for those with conscious objections and active members of the armed forces. Coverage is mandatory under the health insurance act provided by private insurance companies and regulated under private law. One percent of the Dutch population were uninsured in 2009 and approximately sixteen percent between the ages of twenty and thirty years. Those who failed to pay premiums for at least six months are also known as defaulters. (Westert & Klazinga, 2011, p. 1) Insurance companies are forbidden to perform â€Å"risk assessment† that deny coverage based on pre-existing conditions, risk factors based on age, gender, or health profile. Tax credits make the package affordable for those who have low income while those who have no income receive coverage as part of their social assistance package. (Daley & Gubb, 2011) The government provides health care allowances also known as premium subsidies for low-income families if their premium exceeds five percent of the household income. (Westert & Klazinga, 2011, p. 80) Individuals who do not sign up for health care coverage are subject to a tax fine of one hundred and thirty percent of the premium. (Daley & Gubb, 2011) The Exceptional Medical Expenses Act regulates the first compartment. (Daley & Gubb, 2011) Contributions were taken as a 12.55% salary deduction and further supplemented by a government grant. (Daley & Gubb, 2011) Basic insurance packages include General Practitioner, Hospital specialists, Midwives, as well as hospitalization, dental coverage up to the age of eighteen after which only specialist dental care is covered (dentures e.g); medical aides such as home health care and medical equipment pharmaceutical care, maternity, ambulance and patient transport services, paramedical care, mental health and limited lifestyle improvement (smoking cessation programs e.g.). In vetro fertilization is also covered for the first three attempts. (Westert & Klazinga, 2011, p. 1-2) The second compartment deals with basic and essential needs. These medical needs are first treated by a General Practitioner. Every resident and non-resident must be registered with a General Practitioner who oversees basic care including, physicals and common illnesses. In the event specialized care is needed, patients are referred to a Nurse Specialist who is responsible for giving medical treatment. This may include information pertaining to prevention, education, social and psychological support. (â€Å"Nursing,† n.d) For example if a patient is diagnosed with Diabetes Mellitus their first encounter is with the General Practitioner who makes the diagnosis, and puts together a team consisting of the Diabetic Nurse Specialist and an Endocrinologist. The Endocrinologist supervises the Nurse Specialist who in turn acts as a supervisor or consultant to the General Practitioner. Members of the team must meet on a regular basis to discuss the patient’s needs and progress. Based on the severity of the patient’s illness (which could be deemed as low, moderate or severe) determined by the patients’ test results one of the three care givers will in fact manage follow-up care. However, all three practitioners will continue to be involved. The Nurse Specialist acts a liaison between both the Practitioner and the Specialist. (â€Å"Nursing,† n.d) The third is an optional supplemental coverage and is paid for by the individual or as part of an employer/employee contract. Care can include, dental after the age of 18 years, physiotherapy and cosmetic procedures. The focus on overcoming disparities such as obesity and smoking cessation do not exist in the Netherlands, as it is believed that it is the responsibility of the individual to seek treatment, which is covered under the basic package. Before the 2006 Reform, there were long waiting lines to see the General Practitioner. There are forty Dutch health insurers across the country and individuals are free to choose the company of their choice based on their personal needs and preferences. At the time of annual open enrollment, patients are allowed to change their insurance company to one of their own choosing. (Westert & Klazinga, 2011, p. 84) Every insured individual age 18 and over must pay a deductible ranging from â‚ ¬170 to â‚ ¬ 670 referred to as cost sharing. General practitioner care and children health care are exempt from cost sharing. (Westert & Klazinga, 2011, p. 80) How is the health system financed? – The first â‚ ¬ 32,369 are taxed at a rate of 6.9 %. The employer is required to reimburse this contribution while the employee must pay taxes on the reimbursement. For those who do not have an employer or do not receive unemployment benefits the contribution is 4.8% while the self-employed is individually assessed by the Department of Revenue. (Westert & Klazinga, 2011, p. 80) Organization – The General Practitioner is the considered to be the gate- keeper. The General Practitioner must refer hospitalization or specialized health care and the only exception is for emergency care. The General Practitioner gets a capitation fee for each registered patient and is further compensated for after hours care on an hourly basis. Consultation fees including phone consults are also accrued and an additional amount is paid to the General Practitioner for managing the patients care without having to make a referral. Bundled payments are made for chronic diseases such as Diabetes Mellitus, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary disease, Congestive Heart Failure etc. If the General Practitioner hires a private nurse to assist in his practice, the insurance company makes full reimbursement to the General Practitioner for nurses’ salary. The population of the Netherlands is 16.7 million people (â€Å"One World Nations Online†) of which only one percent is uninsured. The reason for this is not due to an inability to pay but rather a default for greater than six months. The health care system in the Netherlands is Universal and does not depend on employment status. (Westert & Klazinga, 2011, p. 78) Although the government mandates heath insurance, private insurance companies are allowed to provide coverage. With five insurance companies that dominate the market the government has created a market environment for healthy competition that also benefits the consumer. (Westert & Klazinga, 2011, p. 80) The triangle between the Insurer, the Provider and the Insured requires that quality and efficient care remains consistent. There are five non-governmental entities that regulate care. The Health Council advises the government on health care issues (e.g. public health); The Health Insurance Board (advises what should be included in the basic health insurance packet). The Medical Evaluation Board is responsible for efficiency, safety and quality are always taken into account; The Dutch Health Care sAuthority, which ensures that the market is functioning while the Dutch Competition Authority ensures there, is fair competition among insurers and providers. (Westert & Klazinga, 2011, p. 83) The United States In the United States government is heavily intertwined with health care at many different levels. Laws have been created by both the federal and state legislative bodies. Health care policies have been shaped through a combination of the arenas that make decisions at the local, state and federal levels. The United States health care system is comprised of two separate entities identified as the private and public sectors. First, the private sector is made up of private health insurance companies and employer sponsored insurance coverage. Beginning in 2014, the Affordable Care Act of 2010 will require employers who have fifty or more employees to provide health insurance coverage or pay a financial penalty to the federal government. Medicaid program will be expanding and will be required to cover those who fall above the level of poverty.. (Kaovner & Knicman, 2011, p. 36) This like the health care system in the Netherlands tries to cover a greater amount of the population The public s ector is made up of Medicaid and Medicare. Medicaid is a welfare initiative that is not a single national program, but a collection of fifty state-administered programs. (Kaovner & Knicman, 2011, p. 29) Medicaid is designed to cover low-income families. It is jointly funded by the state and federal government. The poorer the state the larger the federal contribution however, each state has specific eligibility rules, benefits and payment schedules. A little known fact about Medicaid is that it can be given free to those who cannot afford it, or it can be given at a low cost depending on one’s income. (Social Security†) Medicare on the other hand is a social as well as a federal insurance program designed to cover people aged 65 and older as well as the disabled regardless of age or income. There are four parts to Medicare. Part A also known as hospital insurance covers inpatient hospital stays, care in a skilled nursing facilities, hospice and some home health care. Part B also known as medical insurance covers certain doctor’s services, outpatient care, medical supplies and preventative services. Part C also known as the medical advantage plan is a type of medical health care plan offered by a private company that contracts with Medicare to provide Part A and Part B benefits. Part D, also known as the prescription drug coverage, can be added onto the original Medicare plan. The aforementioned plans, are offered by insurance companies and other private companies approved by Medicare. (medicare.gov). The public sector is designed to cover the segment of the population that is not covered by employer-sponsored insurance. The United States highest annual health care spending per capita in terms of purchasing power parity is $7,538 is significantly higher than the Netherlands, which spends $4, 063 per capita. This trend has remained constant for the past forty years. (Kaovner & Knicman, 2011, p. 68) It is reported that the United States has the largest proportion of adults who have the hardest time seeing a specialist, however other countries have reported the same difficulties with low-income levels having a greater difficulty than those with higher income. (Kaovner & Knicman, 2011, p. 69) The life expectancy in the United States for male was 75.64 years while women was 80.78 years. In the Netherlands on the other hand, life expectancy for a male is 81.4 years and for female 85.3 years a significant difference and is believed to be due to the quality and access to health care. The quality of life in the Netherlands is assumed to be much better because of preventative care and education. Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010, children in the United States will now be covered up to the age of 26. (Kaovner & Knicman, 2011, p. 25) In the Netherlands children are only covered until the age of 18 at which time they are expected to be contributing members of society. Approximately 16% of the United States population is uninsured, which is a significant disparity between that of the Netherlands. Americans are uninsured primarily because of high out-of-pocket medical expenses and considerable amounts of medical debt. Most of those uninsured are families with full- or part-time jobs or those who are self-employed will not be able to afford or access health care. (Kaovner & Knicman, 2011, p. 32-33) Health care provisions are adequately satisfied in the Netherlands, which make provision for all Citizens while still leaving room for healthy competition among insurance carriers. Although guidelines are set up by the government to ensure universal health care it is the responsibility of insurance companies and non-governmental agencies to ensure that these guidelines are followed. On the other hand, while the United States supports those with low income and disabilities there remains the 17% of the population that contribute to the Medicaid and Medicare funds but are still unable to afford health insurance coverage. I believe it is to the detriment of the United States health care system to pull certain aspects from many different health care systems such as the Netherlands and Switzerland that do not always work to our benefit. (Kaovner & Knicman, 2011, p. 79) The absence of a body to oversee making checks and balances in the systems leaves the door open for fraud and fraudulent activities within the system. If these aspects were to be imported it must be modified and carefully monitored to ensure there is no conflict with existing programs that have been proven effective. If the average household income per year is $40,000 of which 30% is spent on heath care it leaves a family with insufficient funds to provide for basic needs. In effect, health care becomes the â€Å"basic need†, creating further health care needs due to the inability to cover food, clothing and shelter. In conclusion, it is my opinion that the health care system in the Netherlands is by far more advanced in terms of organization and effectiveness. The ability for all residents to access health care contributes to the longer life expectancy and overall quality of life which in together ensures that the people will be valuable contributors to society. References Daley, C., & Gubb, J. (2011). Health Care Systems: The Netherlands. Civitas. Retrieved from http://www.civitas.org.uk/nhs/download/netherlands.pdf Kaovner, A., & Knicman, J. (2011). Health Care Delivery in the United States (10th ed.). New Yor, NY: Springer Publishing Company LLC. Nursing in the Netherlands. (n.d). Retrieved from http://ec.europa.eu/internal_market/qualifications/docs/nurses/2000-study/nurses_nederland_en.pdf Westert, G., & Klazinga, N. (2011). International Profiles of Health Care Systems, 2011 [Entire issue]. The Common Wealth Fund. Retrieved from http://www.commonwealthfund.org/~/media/Files/Publications/Fund%20Report/2011/Nov/1562_Squires_Intl_Profiles_2011_11_10.pdf

Fdi in Automobile Essay

Foreign direct investment (FDI) is a direct investment into production or bus iness in a country by a company in another country, either by buying a company in the target country or by expanding operations of an existing business in that country. Foreign direct investment is in contrast to portfolio investment which is a passive investment in the securities of another country such as stocks and bonds. Foreign direct investment has many forms. Broadly, foreign direct investment includes â€Å"mergers and acquisitions, building new facilities, reinvesting profits earned from overseas operations and intracompany loans†. [1] In a narrow sense, foreign direct investment refers just to building new facilities. FDI Inflows to Automobile Industry have been at an increasing rate as India has witnessed a major economic liberalization over the years in terms of various industries. The automobile sector in India is growing by 18 percent per year. The Automobile Sector in India- The automobile sector in the Indian industry is one of the high performing sectors of the Indian economy. This has contributed largely in making India a prime destination for many international players in the automobile industry who wish to set up their businesses in India. The automobile industry in India is growing by 18 percent per year. The automobile sector in India was opened up to foreign investments in the year 1991. 100% Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) is allowed in the automobile industry in India. The production level of the automobile sector has increased from 2 million in 1991 to 9. 7 million in 2006 after the participation of global players in the sector. FDI IN AUTOMOBILE †¢ The automobile industry in India is growing by 18 percent per year. The automobile sector in India was opened up to foreign investments in the year 1991. †¢ 100%Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) is allowed in the automobile industry in India. †¢ The production level of the automobile sector has increased from 2 million in 1991 to 9. 7 million in 2006 after the participation of global players in the sector. †¢ Import of components is allowed without any restrictions and also encouraged. Advantages of FDI in the Automobile Sector in India The basic advantages provided by India in the automobile sector include, advanced technology, cost-effectiveness, and efficient manpower. Besides, India has a well-developed and competent Auto Ancillary Industry along with automobile testing and R&D centers. The automobile sector in India ranks third in manufacturing three wheelers and second in manufacturing of two wheelers. Opportunities of FDI in the Automobile Sector in India Opportunities of FDI in the Automobile Sector in India exist in * Establishing Engineering Centers * Two Wheeler Segment * Exports * Establishing Research and Development Centers * Heavy truck Segment * Passenger Car Segment. Important Aspects of FDI in Automobile Industry * FDI up to 100 percent, has been permitted under automatic route to this sector, which has led to a turn over of USD 12 billion in the Indian auto industry and USD 3 billion in the auto parts industry * The manufacturing of automobiles and components are permitted 100 percent FDI under automatic route * The automobile industry in India does not belong to the licensed agreement * Import of components is allowed without any restrictions and also encouraged. The FDI or Foreign Direct Investment in Indian Automobile Industry has opened up new avenues for the development of this important sector of Indian industries. The liberalization of government policies regarding FDI in the automobile industry of India has increased the scope of this industry. Initially, the automobile industry of India was ruled by national vehicle manufacturers like Premier Automobile and Hindustan Motors. The entrance of foreign automobile companies in the market was restricted by the imposition of high import tariffs and other policies and measures. The first FDI player in the Indian automobile industry was Suzuki. In 1980s this company entered into a joint venture with Maruti Udyog, a state run enterprise. The then Indian government permitted this company to enter the Indian automobile market in 1983. In 1991, the government of India liberalized its policies regarding the automobile industry of India Foreign Direct Investment in the automotive industry of India was permitted. In 1993, FDI was also allowed in the passenger car segment of Indian automobile industry. | The liberalization of governance policies with regard to FDI in Indian automobile industry has resulted in the rapid growth of this industrial sector post 1993. The major global players in the automobile industry have invested in the Indian vehicle manufacture as well as auto component part manufacture. The major foreign players who have a significant role in the development of Indian automobile industry include the following: Ford from USA. DaimlerChrysler AG from Germany General Motors from USA Suzuki from Japan BMW from Germany Honda from Japan Renault from France Hyundai from South Korea Toyota from Japan Foreign Direct Investment in the automobile industry of India has helped in the growth of this sector in terms of production, domestic sales and export. FDI is also permitted in the manufacture of auto components in India.

American Literature Essay

?American literature is any written work of art that is created in the United States. American literature is like all literature, it has literary experiences and contextual history of America. It depicts how America has changed is still changing today. American literature has changed over time just like most canons of literary works. The uniqueness of American literature is that America from its beginning had a special philosophy of life and freedom. The special philosophy of life and freedom that made American literature so unique was reflected in its writings. Americans believed and had faith that God was and is the given of all our rights and freedom. We as Americans had faith in ourselves that we could succeed in anything that we try doing. The literature that we Americans wrote made life worth living because it was displayed for the world to read and understand that life was what we made it. Also by Americans having the ability to spring back from diversity made life worth living and George Washington was a perfect example of this. Literary canon is basically a suggested list of readings that belongs to a country or a certain period in time. Literary canon contains literary works that is mainly by authors who are accepted as an authority in their field and their writings constituting a serious body of literature in any given language. The works that are collected that is included in a literary canon is approved largely by cultural and academic institutions and is observed as literature of that language. Literary work’s popularity is not based only on the quality, but on the relevance of what matters to the context historically, socially, and artistically. Literary canon relate very well to what is going on in society because of what is most important at that time work is being written. The context of the society, whether it is historical, social, or artistic, that is basically the topic. Ethnic writers express the special challenges of realism, naturalism, and regionalism within the American literary experiences. Realism labels a movement in English, European, and American literature that gathered force from the 1930s to the end of the century. Realism attempted to record life as it was lived rather than life as it ought to be lived or had been lived in times past. William Dean Howells stated that realism â€Å"is nothing more and nothing less than the truthful treatment of material. † Present-day literary theorists are probably more aware of what may be called â€Å"the crisis of representation†-the difference between representation and the thing represented-than were these realists of the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. Naturalism is understood by some as an extension or intensification of realism. It introduces characters from the fringes and depths of society whose fates are determined by degenerate heredity, a sordid environment, and/or a good deal of bad luck. Regionalism writing, another expression of the realist impulse, resulted from the desire both to preserve a record of distinctive ways of life before industrialization dispersed or homogenized them and to come to terms with the harsh realities that seemed to be replacing these early and allegedly happier times. By the end of the twentieth century, every region of the country had a â€Å"local colorist† to immortalize its natural, social, and linguistic features. Ethnic writers define literature as literature that is written by people of a different culture, language, religion, or race. It differs from the canon of traditional American literature because literary canon is a list of work from American instead of from a different race or religion. The historical, socio-political, and cultural topics that might be covered by ethnic writers would be slavery and how the slaves were treated during that time. Slavery is a topic that can be covered under all three. Government issues are a topic that could be covered under socio-political. The debate against government issues such as health care and taxes could be something that ethnic writers could write about. It does not differ from the canon of traditional American literature because the writings have to be by authors who are accepted as an authority in their field and their writings of literature in any given language.

Report on the Barnhouse Effect Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Report on the Barnhouse Effect - Essay Example Dynamopsychism may be defined as the impact produced by the force of the human mind. It works with the help of energy released from the human mind. Firstly it requires a special talent or composition of the brain for a person to be potential to master this power of dynamopsychism. However every person with such talent needs at least ten years to master this art. Also this would require specific training about the technique used by the professor. As described in the report the professor initially began applying this power by trying to roll sevens with a dice. When he was successful he managed to roll ten sevens in a row. The professor realized that the same train of thought has occurred to him immediately before he managed to roll a seven. He focused on that thought train. The basic idea lies in concentration and deep thinking. When the focus is on a specific object or an action expected to be produced on the object, then human mind releases a train of energy, which finally executes t he function as desired. I think such forces are possible but offcourse special kind of training might be required for that. For instance sometimes many of might have experienced that while thinking about rain very deeply, the weather might actually become cloudy and it starts raining. Again, when something negative pricks the mind for long the ill fate might actually take place. Many individuals believe a particular dress is lucky for his or her interviews or exams because it tends to produce the same good effect in a row. If such minor effects are possible in our daily life a larger concentration of energy might lead to a greater exertion of psychic power. Aligning one’s thoughts to focus on a single object or issue is most important aspect for which human mind needs to be self-trained for sometime. Several philosphical notions have been brought forth in the report by

The reality of work and how this is similar to or differs from the Essay

The reality of work and how this is similar to or differs from the conventional image portrayed in management texts - Essay Example Specifically, the latter is a reaction to the first two theories developed by Taylor and Weber. Some popular names like Michel Foucault also surfaced in that era. His emphasis on surveillance and power made the employees â€Å"knowable, calculable and administrable object† (Findlay, 1996). This paper particularly tackles the subject of work: how it is portrayed in the management theories and how it is done in real life. With learnings from various seminars, it is our goal to come up with a comparison of theoretical and realistic notion of work. The topic will be dealt with balance on different perspectives. The concept of economies of scale gave rise to large organizations. During the Ford era, there was a transformation from â€Å"craft production to mass production† (http://www.willamette.edu). Two important economic theories became the foundation of efficiency: specialization and division of labor. We can trace these concepts to Adam Smith, known as the Father of modern economics. In reality, these concepts were applied through â€Å"combining specialized functional units† so that it would be â€Å"less costly to produce several products than a single specialized one† (http://www.willamette.edu). Frederick Taylor believed that scientific method can greatly increase productivity (Internet Center for Management and Business Administration). Anchored on the economic principle of achieving the optimum, jobs are simplified so that workers can perform them at the best way (Internet Center for Management and Business Administration). Taylor believed that workers should be taught the scientific way of performing the tasks rather than just motivating them and giving them incentives. He believes that the most basic tasks can even be planned out so as to achieve greater productivity (Internet Center for Management and Business Administration). Taylor’s idea of productivity necessitates extracting the

Reflection of learning experiences in elmentary ,middle ,high school, Essay

Reflection of learning experiences in elmentary ,middle ,high school, and college attended - Essay Example At first, it was unbearable for me but with time, I adjusted to the strange and dynamic environment. The most memorable moments in elementary school involve the use of cubes. The teacher distributed cubes to all the students to perform simple routines. To me this was an amazing phenomenon although by then it was it was very complex. This was meant to develop the cognitive aspect. However, accomplishing the task was more important at that very moment rather than understanding psychological development and the learning concepts. In addition to that, we had the opportunity to go to the playground. We played different games and sung happily, as we waited for the delicious food that I have not forgotten the smell even today. I am very sure that it was during these times that the aspect of individuality was implanted into me because I would interact freely with others and learned to say no or yes. My social aspect of life was also developed at this point in time. The world of science became so real to me. I enjoyed and envied the much that my science teacher new. They would just teach chemistry and physics without necessarily referring to their books. I thought I was not smart and that my teachers were geniuses, but I letter on came to learn that experience was their main weapon. The next level was so adventurous that I realized I was lying to myself when I thought I would make the best doctor in the world. It was at this point that learning took another dimension and I realized my potentials not as a doctor but as a Lawyer. I was greatly inspired by the way, the teachers were narrating events that happened many years ago with exact dates, gave me the desire to make the best barrister in the world. During the debates, I would make sure I argue my point as a lawyer. The outside learning events were so fascinating that I wished at one point that such period should be

Understand the sources of finance available to a business Assignment

Understand the sources of finance available to a business - Assignment Example External sources of funds are of two categories based on nature of the find like debt finance and equity finance. Internal sources of finance are owner’s personal savings, retained profits, working capital, suppliers’ credit and sale of assets. External sources of finance are debt finance and equity finance. Under debt finance, important sources are debentures, bank loan, bank overdraft, fire-purchase, grant, lease, venture capital, invoice discounting, factoring, and angle investors. Sources of finance under equity finance category are ordinary shares and preference share. Again, various sources under internal and external categories can also be categorized by another important parameter i.e. tenure or duration. These are long term, medium term and short term sources of finance. Long term sources of finance are equity shares, preference shares, retained profit, debentures or bonds, loan from private and public institutions, venture capital, asset selling etc. Medium te rm sources of finance are preference shares, debentures or bonds, loan from term deposits, loan from financial institutions, lease financing or hire purchase financing, foreign currency bonds and commercial borrowings. Short term sources of finance are trade credit, differed income, suppliers’ credit, customers’ advances, certificate of deposits and public deposits etc. Assessment the implications of the different sources Internal sources of fund: These are the most preferable sources of finance of any business. Internal sources are used at start up or even for expansion of business. Businesses do not have obligation to pay any interest or refund of this sources as internal sources belongs the businesses only. Therefore risk is less in these categories of sources. The businesses... Understand the sources of finance available to a business This paper will qualitatively address different sub-areas of this topic like assessing various source of finance; control, bankruptcy and legal implications of those sources; in-depth analysis of financial implications and tax effects; selection of appropriate source of finance for various projects. This paper mainly consists of qualitative discussion on these four areas. Identifying different sources of finance available to a business Finance is very much essential for a new as well as an existing business. Efficient financing is also essential in all stages of a business. Finance is required for business development, business operation and business expansion. Finance is core limiting factor to any business and hence, it is crucial a business to manage its financial resources strategically and efficiently. There are various sources of finance available to a business at different benefit and cost. Therefore, it is important for a company to choose most suitable source of finance base d on its requirement and potential to optimally utilize the resources to generate adequate return. Financing for short term projects should be done from medium term financing like bank loan, issuing of preference shares, debentures etc. Long term projects or business acquisitions can be done from issuing ordinary shares. Debt financing should be neglected for long term investments.