Purpose: We attempt to determine whether older workers and early retirees avoid managed care plans and to explore whether health plan choices are linked to the health status of workers or their spouses. Design and Methods: We use the responses of those born between 1931 and 1941 to the 1994 and 1998 waves of the Health and Retirement Survey. We…

This investigation was a baseline study to determine if the speed of return to work could be predicted for people with psychiatric disabilities in a private sector setting. Participants with psychiatric disability claims who returned to work (N = 300) were obtained from a nationwide "Fortune 500" insurance company. The authors compared the speed…

Faculties are aging along with the rest of society. Low retirement rates and slow growth limit the number of new hiring opportunities in many institutions. Universities face a series of common challenges that will shape higher education in the 21st century. In order to maintain high quality faculties in the coming years, universities must develop…

Rural impacts of a Medicare drug benefit will ultimately depend on the number of elderly who are currently without drug coverage, new demand by those currently without coverage, the nature of the new benefit relative to current benefits, and benefit design. Purpose: To enhance understanding of drug coverage among rural elderly Medicare…

Purpose: This report examines health care rates, charges, and patterns of consumption from a comprehensive California hospitalization data set covering 1986-1995. An improved understanding of current trends in health care consumption would facilitate the development of future resource allocation models. Design and Methods: We obtained discharge…

Idling at the crossroads and faced with ever-increasing health care costs, the Louisiana State University System chose the road less traveled and instituted a consumer-driven benefits plan. In this article, the authors provide an overview of the consumer-driven programs LSU has adopted and how these programs have helped curb costs and improve the…

Using 1980/81 and 1990/91 census data from Australia, Canada, and the United States, we estimate the effects of time in the destination country on male immigrants' wages, employment, and earnings. We find that total earnings assimilation is greatest in the United States and least in Australia. Employment assimilation explains all of the earnings…

This study investigates the prevalence of medication use within a Head Start population. Parent-reported data (N = 1,397) from initial enrollment information indicated 6.8% of children were taking 34 different types of medication. More than two thirds (69%) of those on medication were prescribed more than one medication, and more than one third…

In the late 1990s, the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation made grants to study people's attitudes toward retirement and to determine what factors influenced their decisions to retire. Although faculty were not talking to college administrators or human-resources departments about health care, the researchers found to their surprise that when they…

Purpose: The study describes Oregon state policy and supply developments for licensed long-term-care settings, particularly apartment-style assisted living facilities and more traditional residential care facilities. Design and Methods: Data came from a variety of sources, including state agency administrative records, other secondary data…

Purpose: Little is known about whether an association exists between agency ownership and length of service among home care patients with different payment sources. This study investigated how for-profit and not-for-profit agencies responded to policy changes in the 1990s with respect to length of service. Design and Methods: We examined length of…

"Kids Count in Colorado!" is an annual publication of the Children's Campaign, providing state and county level data on child well-being factors including child health, education, and economic status. Since its first release 20 years ago, "Kids Count in Colorado!" has become the most trusted source for data and information on…

This report presents data from a survey of Ontario (Canada) universities concerning employment benefits offered in 1993-94. Part I covers benefits other than pensions. Tables display the information on particular benefits institution-by-institution including: administration and insurance plans, communication of benefits, proposed changes,…

This report on the changing nature of work examines developing issues and potential changes in the world of work relevant to life insurance company management. The main body of the report is divided into three sections. Topics covered in the first section are demography, women, minorities, the young worker, and blurring work roles. Challenges to…

The information provided in the bibliography is about relief-giving through government agencies with programs whose transfers are readily apparent, i.e., either in the form of a direct cash transfer to individuals, a subsidy payment benefitting a well-defined individual or group, or those payments made to local governments or groups as a result of…