Describes the components of a self-funded long-term disability program at East Allen County Schools, Indiana, and the risk management principles used to guide the decision to self-fund. (MLF)

Suggests possible responses for summer camp operators facing insurance rate increases and other insurance industry changes. Examines areas of risk in summer camping and suggests general ways that camps can become more desirable to the insurance industry as "insurable groups." (TES)

Presents an empirical case study of the use of ITS, a software development environment designed by IBM, by Continental Insurance for underwriting applications. Use of a rule-based user interface style that made electronic forms look like standard insurance industry paper forms and worked according to Continental's guidelines is described.…

Currently 59 bills are awaiting Congressional action. Meanwhile, a national coalition of economists and medical specialists (the National Leadership Coalition for Health Care Reform) are circulating a sensible consensus health reform plan proposing national practice guidelines; universal health care access; and efficient cost control, delivery,…

Presents case of man who died suddenly on morning of his fifty-sixth birthday and whose death was ruled to be from natural causes. Describes wife's handling of situation, victim's past medical history, and allegations and facts concerning his business and financial affairs. Comments are included from Timothy Michaels, MD, and Robert Litman, MD.…

Discusses the emotional, financial, and structural reasons that health care costs in the United States, and therefore for colleges, continue to rise at staggering rates. Asserts that colleges must build health care cost reality into budget strategy, and level with constituents that there will not be a solution for the cost explosion any time soon.…

Includes four articles that discuss a distributed architecture for managing metadata that promotes interoperability between digital libraries; the use of electronic print (e-print) by physicists; the development of digital libraries; and a collaborative project between two library consortia in Ohio to provide digital versions of Sanborn Fire…

The 2004 Gold Medal Award for Life Achievement in the Practice of Psychology is awarded to Arthur L. Kovacs. He is recognized for making outstanding contributions to achieving statutory recognition and securing insurance reimbursement, and as a pioneer in the professional school movement, having trained several generations of practitioners.

American universities are turning to captive companies, a highly specialized form of self-insurance, in an effort to cope with ever-increasing premiums. Indiana University formed the Old Crescent Insurance Company in 2005 to provide coverage for the institution's eight campuses, a move that gives it more control over costs while allowing the…

The greater New Orleans area has yet to fully recover from the effects of Hurricane Katrina, which made landfall on August 29, 2005. One issue of concern in the recovery is the availability of mental health services for children. It is estimated that in 2008 about 187,000 children were living in the greater New Orleans area. Many children in the…

Very little research has been conducted on insurance type (private vs. public funded) and costs, accessibility, and use of services of children with autism. Analysis of five parent reported outcomes: (a) out-of-pocket expenditures, (b) variety of services used, (c) access to services, (d) child and family service outcomes, and (e) satisfaction…

New Jersey children are in some important ways better off than five years ago. More 3- and 4-year-olds are enrolled in high-quality, publicly funded preschool, for example. On some other measures, children are worse off. The proportion with no health insurance has risen, despite increased enrollment in government-subsidized insurance programs. But…

This paper presents the annual report of the Association for Children of New Jersey (ACNJ) for 2008. In 2008, ACNJ wrote a better ending for children by: (1) Advancing universal health care for children. ACNJ's assistant director chaired a state task force charged with getting more uninsured children enrolled in New Jersey's child health insurance…

The Idaho Rural Education Task Force was formed in July 2007 with the goal of proposing and examining solutions to challenges facing rural schools. The task force's work this year has focused on three areas: recruitment and retention of highly qualified teachers, funding shortages related to insurance costs and staff allowances, and the technology…

Context: Due to various barriers to health care access in the rural setting, there is concern that rural older adults might have lower access to prescribed medications than their urban counterparts. Purpose: To review published research reports to determine prevalence and mean medication use in rural, noninstitutionalized older adults and assess…