A nationwide survey of 604 families living with multiple sclerosis found average duration of the disease was 10 years; family income was above the national median; in 28 percent of the families, health insurance was inadequate to cover illness costs; and, overall, factors other than income and amount of health insurance determined the economic…

A study used data from the Employee Benefits Surveys conducted by the Bureau of Labor Statistics to examine the influence of employer-provided retiree health insurance on retirement decisions. The analysis found that most coverage is similar to that of active workers but takes Medicare into consideration, and requires retiring workers to meet…

Presents a relatively simple costs/benefits analysis problem perfectly suited for an introductory economics course. Reveals that neither the health insurer (which bears only the hospitalization costs of acute care) nor the patient (who incurs lost earnings and psychological costs) has an adequate incentive to pay for preventive care. (MJP)

This publication consists of 73 figures correlated to short summaries that present an overview of employment in the health care field from 1993 to 1998. Most of the information is from public sources. The statistics focus on registered nurses, but also include laboratory technicians, licensed practical nurses, medical scientists, occupational…