An insurance management system has the goal of minimizing unemployment insurance costs. Components of a model system should include general administration, claims management, and appeals process. (Author)

TIAA-CREF, the largest college and university retirement system, reversed its prior policy and announced its intention to seek approval of a "unisex" mortality table for use in annuities. The Supreme Court decision in City of Los Angeles, Department of Water and Power v Manhart and related litigation are discussed. (MLW)

School business officials should realize that achieving the Government Finance Officers Association's Certificate of Excellence in Financial Reporting will not always result in a high rating. Washington, D.C. has received this award for several years while flirting with bankruptcy. This article reviews the workings of financial markets for…

Data from the Displaced Worker Surveys appear to show that those who got advance notice are more likely to avoid unemployment, but if unemployed, they tend to remain so longer. Analysis suggests a measurement error as the cause. Although notified workers have more time to conduct a job search, their predisplacement search is not necessarily…

Offers insights on reigning in the costs of health care benefits from speakers at a two-day seminar for campus human resource professionals sponsored by TIAA-CREF Institute. Issues addressed include why chief financial officers must care, why higher education is different, drug costs, and changes in consumer behavior. (EV)

Discusses causes of library disasters and provides several examples of disasters. Emphasis is on the importance of awareness, insurance protection, a written disaster plan, cooperation with the fire marshall and insurance agent in planning, and staff training. Several elements of the written plan are listed. (22 references) (MES)

Strategies for containing the cost of providing health insurance for college employees include cost sharing with employees, cost reduction through options such and managed care, incentives for use of health maintenance organizations, offering health care alternatives, and entering into multiple-employer purchasing groups. (MSE)

Describes the New York Schools Insurance Reciprocal (NYSIR), which provides both property and liability coverage for school districts. A reciprocal is wholly owned by those insured. NYSIR insures 55 school district subscribers, providing a service that specifically accommodates school district needs and saves them money. (MLF)

Of 189 nursing homes, 83 percent reported that Medicare's hospital Prospective Payment System (PPS) affected patient needs, 53 percent said it affected patients and services provided, and 25 percent said it affected referrals to hospitals. PPS effects depended on facility factors of size, Medicare certification, tax status, and on local market…

Some problems that plague negotiators throughout the decade continue into the next and are joined by issues such as the rising cost of health insurance, family care, and health and safety concerns. (Author/JOW)

Examined joint effects of benefit coverage and costs borne by employees on multiple dimensions of compensation satisfaction among 2,925 highway patrol, state police, and department of public safety employees in eight states. Found that satisfaction with benefits increased with improved coverage and decreased with higher employee costs. Employees…

The Bureau of Labour Statistics has combined data on sick leave and sickness and accident insurance. Results show that short-term disability benefits vary by length of service and between the private and public sectors. (Author)

Updated reimbursement literature and sought to remedy some significant limitations in prior reports. Provides a model for conducting future studies of this nature. Updating of reimbursement experience through survey of Ohio counselors has yielded important success-rate data. (JBJ)

Recent case law suggests that it's unwise for college trustees to assume they are immune from personal liability. A directors' and officers' insurance policy can alleviate the adverse effects of a legal claim against an organization's resources, but its coverage is limited. Trustees must pay careful attention to the legal environment affecting…

Comments on an earlier article by Lorraine Lidoff on health insurance coverage of vision-related rehabilitation services. Urges a standard model of services involving selection of measurable outcomes that reflect treatment processes, selection of the most appropriate time to measure outcomes, and selection of the best method for collecting outcome…