Worker's Compensation premiums at a New Jersey school district had risen 131% in only three years, and the insurance carrier informed the district that coverage would be dropped. A plan to reduce worker's compensation costs evolved on three fronts--administrative direction, rules concerning compensation claims, and safety issues. (MLF)

Questionnaire was submitted to 1,145 Licensed Professional Counselors (LPCs) in Michigan with 67% response rate. Found majority of LPCs waiting to use license at later date, 59% were women, and most undergraduate degrees were in education or the social sciences. Very few LPCs have requested reimbursement, reporting difficulty receiving third-party…

In terms of employment, the best performer over the last decade was health services. The industry added nearly 3 million jobs, accounting for 1 of every 6 new jobs in the economy since 1980. (Author)

Planning for and implementing the Financial Accounting and Standards Board's Statement of Financial Accounting Standards for nonpension retirement benefits gives colleges and universities an opportunity to assess and revise their retiree health benefit plans. However, assessment of the current plan, objectives of changes, projected impact, and…

With health insurance costs soaring for both current employees and retirees, governing boards of institutions of higher education must contain costs. Possible strategies include shifting some expenses from employer to employee, establishing flexible-benefit or cafeteria plans, using managed care to reduce unnecessary medical procedures,…

Discussion of college faculty retirement benefits looks at trends in early and delayed retirement among faculty and the general population, public policy affecting retirement, a study of college pension plans, and a survey on retiree health benefits. Development of organizational climate where retirement is viewed as normal and attractive is…

"Managed competition," a purchasing strategy to obtain maximum value, is recommended as a method for limiting costs in college and university employees' health benefits plans. Models used at Stanford University (California) and the University of California are offered as illustrations, and considerations in implementing managed…

In this Gerontological Society of America-sponsored Congressional Briefing Seminar, authorities from several disciplines summarize history, rationale, strengths, weaknesses, and future challenges of Medicare program. In current arena of health care reform, role of Medicare is far from certain, and it is crucial to understand and confront multitude…

Risk transfer is the process of finding an entity to assume the burden of liability. Opportunities for risk transfer agreements for school districts include outside contractors, use of facilities, rental of buildings and equipment, and school trips. Figures show two sample hold-harmless agreements and basic types and levels of coverage. (MLF)

Carroll County Public Schools (Maryland) implemented a computerized telephone employee health insurance enrollment program. The system provides its users with personalized enrollment information prior to the call and sends immediate confirmation letters. Telephone enrollment offers an ideal pairing of available electronic technology to the…

Increasingly, college administrators are trying to pass fringe benefits costs off onto employees to relieve financial pressures. The result is an accelerated but often unacknowledged drain on faculty incomes. Faculty in a contributory health insurance plan should seek to cap faculty contributions at a fixed dollar amount. (MSE)

Presents the perspectives of a parent and a pediatrician on managed health care for children. The parent's experience in obtaining care for her disabled child demonstrates many pitfalls in the system. The pediatrician stresses that advocacy for child health should promote child health through managed care, rather than protect children from managed…

This article discusses implications of the movement toward managed health care models for long-term health care services for people with disabilities, especially people with developmental disabilities. It notes possible advantages of managed care but raises issues concerning consumer choice, management and financial capacity of managed care…

This article addresses the lack of access to low-vision rehabilitation services by individuals needing them, due to lack of coverage by public or private health insurance. Improved insurance coverage would result in improved access as well as more direct referrals by ophthalmologists, more consumer choice, more timely rehabilitation, reduced…

In the process of restructuring its debt and taking on additional debt, Franklin Pierce College (New Hampshire) accepted the consequences of a downgrade in its investment-grade rating. This resulted in a successful bond sale, with bonds carrying an insured single-A rating. Events leading up to the restructuring and credit issues considered by the…