Research Topics: Dissertation Proposal Outline

How far can we say UK protection policies and regulations for unfair trading tackle the needs and demands of the consumers and the trend of the latest development?

TITLE: How far can we say UK protection policies and regulations for unfair trading tackle the needs and demands of the consumers and the trend of the latest development?   Executive Summary or Abstract             The executive summary contains a synopsis of the contents of the paper including the topic of the study, research questions, objectives, methods used in collecting and analyzing data, and results of the study in concise form. This chapter provides readers with an idea of the details and information they expect to find in the research paper. Chapter 1 Introduction               The first chapter contains the background of the study to provide a context on why the study is being conducted, particularly the issues (i.e. rise in the number of complaints lodged with the Office of Fair Trading or delays in complaint settlement due to implementation problems) that spurred the need to investigate the effectiveness of UK protection policies and regulations on unfair trading and track recent trends. This chapter also contains the statement of the problem, research questions, objectives of the study, and significance and rationale of the study as guide in conducting the research and to justify the importance of the investigation. Chapter 2 Review of Literature               The second chapter covers a summary and synthesis of existing secondary information related to the research topic. This chapter discusses concepts and principles on UK protection policies and regulations for unfair trading including the reasons for the development of these regulations and the application of these regulations in governing unfair trading practices. The chapter also contains the results of previous studies made on the subject to determine research gaps that the investigation attempts to fill. Chapter 3 Research Design and Methodology             The third chapter discusses the integrative approach of the study in combining quantitative and qualitative research to collect and analyze both measurable and non-measurable data from key respondents from the Office of Fair Trading and the Department of Trade and Industry. Data collection methods are interview of the key respondents and review of documents and reports issued by these offices to obtain statistics on unfair trading complaints and compliant resolution. Chapter 4 Effectiveness of UK Protection Policies and Regulations             The fourth chapter constitutes the first part of data presentation and analysis and provides a discussion on the effectiveness of UK protection policies and regulations by presenting and analyzing statistics on unfair trading complaints and complaint resolution together with recounts of the interviews. This chapter describes the manner and the extent that existing protection policies serve their purpose of ensuring the welfare of consumers together with problems emerging from the implementation of UK protection policies. Chapter 5 Trends in Recent Developments of Unfair Trading Regulations             The fifth chapter constitutes the second part of the data presentation and analysis and discusses the efforts of the government and private sector in improving protection policies in the UK together with the direction that unfair trading regulations would likely take in the next five to ten years. This chapter discusses what improvements are in place and what future improvements should the UK market expect in the future by considering recounts of interviews and analysis of reports from the Office of Fair Trading and Department of Trade and Industry. Chapter 6 Conclusion and Recommendations             The conclusion contains a summary and implications of the results together with an objective assessment of the extent that the research questions have been answered and the research objectives have been met. The recommendations contain the limitations of the study and suggestions for areas of future research. Bibliography             This part lists all the resources used in the study in alphabetical order.   Appendices             This part contains all the tables, charts and figures generated from the collected and analyzed data to ensure organization and readability of the paper. Project Timetable             Although the timetable would form part of the research design and methodology chapter in the actual write-up of the research paper, this constitutes a separate section for purposes of the proposal.  The research timetable spans six continuous months with the finalization of the proposal planned for the first 2-3 weeks, secondary data collection during the next month, primary data collection during the next 2 months, analysis of data and draft in the next month, and finalization of the paper in the last month. Activities 1st month 2nd month 3rd month 4th month 5th month 6th month Research Proposal Finalization               Secondary Data Collection               Primary Data Collection             Data Analysis               Draft Paper               Final Paper               Credit:ivythesis.typepad.com

How far can we say UK protection policies and regulations for unfair trading tackle the needs and demands of the consumers and the trend of the latest development?

TITLE: How far can we say UK protection policies and regulations for unfair trading tackle the needs and demands of the consumers and the...

Marketing Planning Implementation

“Strategy is not the same as Strategic Planning”( 2002). Critically assess what is meant by this statement.     I. Introduction   A global business environment involves high levels of competition so that the driving force for business firms is the achievement of a competitive edge over similar businesses in the market. According to (2003), competitive advantage pertains to the situation where “a firm successfully formulates and implements a value-creating strategy” ().  Two forms of competitive advantage exist, which are cost advantage and differentiation advantage. Cost advantage exists when the business firm is able to sell its products at a lower price relative to firms selling the same product (1998). Dell incorporated is an excellent example of a firm, which has achieved cost advantage over its closest competitors, Hewlett-Packard, Gateway and IBM, by selling its products at a price almost half the price of its competitors (2003). Differentiation advantage pertains to the delivery of product and service value exceeding competing products and services. This implies that the business firms develop superior value for customers and superior profit for itself. ( 1998)   To achieve competitive advantage, the business firm should identify relevant strategies and incorporate these into its strategic plan to direct its operations towards the creation of value for customers and for the organization. However, before an organization can start to implement its strategic plan and manage its progress, it is imperative that the organization is able to differentiate strategy from strategic plan in order to distinguish their respective roles in its capability optimization and resource maximization targets.    II. Definition   Strategy   The definition of strategy has evolved through time. Strategy is “the unique and sustainable ways by which organizations create value” as a competitive advantage (2000). This definition developed from the evolution of the perception of strategy.               Definition of strategy changed throughout history according to the  (1996). The initial rise of strategy was in the beginning of the 1960s when Harvard professors came up with the definition of strategy as “a tool to link together functions of a business and assess a company’s strengths and weaknesses against competitors (). During this time, General Electric was at the head of strategic operations by seeking the assistance of consultants in perceiving the organization as a strategic business unit, identifying its competitors, and evaluating the company’s relative position in the market.   This definition remained even up to the 1980s when  (1980) developed the technique of managing strategy through economic models, supporting the experience curve and growth/market-share matrix in the 1960s. In 1983, General Electric changed its strategy from depending upon the assistance of consultants to developing a strategy unit from the various operations of the firm. Despite the persistence of the definition, there was a shift from strategy and strategic planning to operational management giving rise to the concept of total quality management. In the late 1980s, reorganization became the winning strategy with companies reengineering their operations to achieve efficiency in production. It was during this decade that  (1996) attributes the fall of strategy and the rise of operations management concepts.   The fall of strategy, according to  (1996) was due to the shift in the understanding of strategy. First shift is the diminished importance of strategy in the organization. This pertains to the perception of strategy as mainly management practices and placement of strategy as subordinate to total quality management even if this not possible since strategy and total quality management belong to polar opposites, with strategy referring to new systems while total quality management refers to the perfection of existing systems. Second shift is the minimization of the scope of strategy to cover only external forces. This implied that strategy became concerned only with external market factors despite the need for holistic strategy fro the efficient achievement of the goals of the company.     In the late 1990s until the present, strategists are again reintroducing strategy as a potent tool for business firms by developing strategy creation in the modern context. This led to the definitions encompassing the entire operations of the company with a long-term approach and a clear direction such as the definition given by  (2002). It was during this time that strategy was taking its place again as a tool for value creation, as competitive advantage, in the contemporary market context of fierce competition.   Due to the redirection of strategy, detailed explorations of the concept emerged. (1998) described strategy with three different formulations capturing the holistic nature of the organization, which are corporate level, business unit level and functional/departmental level strategies. Textron exemplifies diversified strategy since the firm comprise of production in various unrelated industries, which are aircraft, automotive, industrial and finance. By having diversified strategy, the business firm is able to achieve efficient production in its various production operations.               Corporate level strategy covers the identification and selection of the market where the company should compete and the portfolio development of the firm. This strategy level involves consideration of several factors. First is reach that covers the determination of corporate responsibility, type of business, and integration and management of the business. Second is competitive contact or the identification of the local area or unit for localizing competition. Third is management of business relations and activities or the coordination of resources and capabilities. Fourth are management practices involving overall governance and centralization or decentralization. (1998)                Business unit level strategy focuses on the development and maintenance of the competitive advantage of the goods and services offered by the organization. This strategy level involves the phases of firm positioning in the market, anticipation and adjustment to demand and technology changes, and swaying competition through strategic techniques. (1998)   (1998) also identified cost leadership, differentiation and as focus three generic strategies applicable in this level to create competitive advantage. First two concepts have been previously while focus pertains to the goal directed strategies of the organizations.               Functional level refers to the units and divisions of the business firm while functional level strategy centers on value chain and business processes for the creation of operations, marketing, human resource, finance, research and development with the coordinated use of resources so that business unit level strategies may be executed effectively. (1998)    Strategic Planning   Strategic planning, a concept closely related but different from strategy, also has various definitions depending upon the organization applying it. However, according to (2000) strategic planning should be viewed through the sole definition of being “the method by which a community continuously creates artifactual systems to serve extraordinary purposes” () if the concept should stay true to its initial conceptualization and purpose. Strategic planning is a method because it is not end but a means to an end so that its relevance is based on the achieved results. It operates in the community because it affects various levels of relations. It is continuous, in anticipation of constant changes in the business environment requiring continuous adjustments. It is a tool for creation because it enables the business organization to develop new systems. Creations are artifactual because the persistence of a new system depends upon its usefulness. Extraordinary purpose involves the discovery of the business firm’s extraordinary capabilities.                  Moreover, strategic planning inevitably exists in organizations because every aspect of business operations is covered by a strategic plan so that operating without a plan is a plan in itself. Apart from this, strategic planning also involves a bold stand for the business firm because the concept implies the willingness to give up an existing system in the quest to look for an extraordinary new system. (2000)                   To elucidate on the concept of strategic planning, its aspect as a process is considered. According to ( 2000), in the modern business context firms have to apply strategic planning, clearly defining business objectives and assessing both internal and external environment and situation in the formulation, implementation, evaluation and adjustment phases to direct and redirect the actualization of the plan towards the achievement of identified objectives. The strategic planning process is shown by the figure below.                                      Mission and objectives refers to the goals and objectives of the business firm, its values, and its visions for the future. In relation to competitive advantage, the mission and objectives revolve around enhancing the firm’s position and its market share. Environmental scanning covers the assessment and analysis of the internal organization and operations of the business firm and the analysis of its external microenvironment. Environmental scanning tools include SWOT and PEST analysis. Strategy formulation means thinking of ways to optimize the strengths and opportunities and address its weaknesses and threats covering both the internal and external aspects of the business. Examples of strategy formulation are the three generic strategies by  (1998). Strategy implementation refers to the movement and interaction of resources and capabilities of the business firm to actualize the formulated strategies by using programs, procedures and budgets as tools. At this stage, it is imperative that the strategic plan and the strategies to be actualized are clearly communicated to all areas of operation to achieve a coordinated and consistent result. The last stage, evaluation and control, involves these steps: 1) defining the parameters to be measured; 2) defining the target values for these parameters; 3) performing the measurement; 4) comparing the measured results to pre-defined standards; and 5) making the necessary changes and adjustments. ( 2000)     III. Differences                Strategy and strategic planning are both key components to the business firm’s achievement of value as its competitive advantage. The two concepts is distinguishable in terms of definition, purpose and direction, scope, relation to each other, and the sequence of their manifestation in the business organization                First in relation to definition, strategy is “the unique and sustainable ways by which organizations create value” ( 2000, p.2) while strategic planning is “the unique method by which a community continuously planning is “the unique method by which a community continuously creates artifactual systems to serve extraordinary purposes” (2000). Both concepts become similar because these are both described as methods. However, the definitions also show that strategy and strategic planning differ because the former refers to a system or a way of doing things while strategic planning refers to the process or the interrelated stages or phases of actualizing strategies and creating new systems.             Chanel is a clothing line that gained competitive advantage during its beginnings by utilizing the strategy of differentiation to distinguish itself from the market. In its strategic planning, Chanel identified the objective of creating women’s clothing, covering the fabric, colour and design that would be exclusively associated with the company. Based on its analysis of the business environment it had to opportunity to use its strength of modern values to capture a larger market share and provide greater value to its customers. During the strategy formulation, Chanel sought to differentiate the firm form from its competitors. In the application of the strategy, Chanel created the ‘little black dress’ into the market targeting modern working women. After the introduction of the little black dress, the company assessed its performance and adjusted the differentiation strategy and the corresponding strategic plan to expand its clothing line to different colours usable in different occasions. The ‘little black dress’ concept was so enduring that it became part of the fashion statement of women for decades. In the recently held little black dress competition, the winners come from different generations with the first place won by Audrey Hepburn through her little black dress in Breakfast at Tiffany’s followed by Princess Diana and Elizabeth Taylor. Part of the top ten included Julia Roberts, Nicole Kidman and Cameron Diaz who wore little black dresses created by Valentino, Chanel and Roland Moret respectively. The little black dress is also a mainstay in decades of proms across the world. (2002)             Second point of difference is the purpose and direction that strategy and strategic planning are moving. Strategy is the conceptual manner of creating value while strategic planning is the process of moving and integrating resources and capabilities to actualize strategies and create systems enhancing the efficiency of the organizations such as value creation, as competitive advantage. Strategy is both a means and end because in its application the result may be a new strategy while strategic planning is a means but not an end in itself because strategic planning is a continuous process. Due to this, the efficiency of strategy is validated by the achievement of a result or the creation of a new system while the efficiency of strategic planning is dependent upon the achievement of the actual results.             In the case of Dell Incorporated, one strategy of the company is outsourcing. Its strategic planning covers the identification of the objectives the company wants to meet, particularly the minimization of production cost to significantly reduce its market price for computer products and services. Environmental scanning covers the assessment of its internal and external environment to support the choice of relevant strategy. Strategy formulation resulted to the identification of outsourcing as the best cost-minimizing move. Strategy implementation involves the establishment of assembly plants in various regions around the world at lesser cost and utilizing the automation process in assembly. Evaluation and control resulted to the increase in the number of assembly plants located near its parts suppliers and the enhancement of the automation process to speed up production. (2003)             Third point of difference is in terms of scope and the relation of both terms to each other. Strategy is general because it is an idea or concept while strategic planning is specific because it involves the development of a series of realizable details in identifying and utilizing strategy to arrive at actual results. Strategy is the concept while strategic plan is the realistic conceptual design or the guide for realizing the determined objectives.   Conclusion  (2002) is accurate in saying that strategy is not similar to strategic planning despite the close relation between the two terms. Based on the exploration of the definition and conceptualization of the two terms, differences arose in terms of the definition, the purpose and objectives, and the scope and relation to each other. Strategy refers to a system while strategic planning refers to the process of actualizing and creating new systems. Strategy is aimed at the creation of value while strategic planning consist of the detailed stages of integrating resources and capabilities to achieve the capability potentials of the organization such as value creation. Strategy is a general idea while strategic planning is the detailed process of using strategy to actualize objectives.             IV. Similarities   V. Discussion    -areas we should focused when doing strategy planning and implementation   VI. Conclusion      References   Credit:ivythesis.typepad.com

Marketing Planning Implementation

“Strategy is not the same as Strategic Planning”( 2002). Critically assess what is meant by this statement. I. Introduction ...

Outline Structure of a Dissertation

Yes __16___                           No ___4—employees not involved in CSR 6. Is there a uniform corporate social responsibility program for all restaurant chains?                         Yes ___20__                           No _____ 7. Are the different restaurant chains given room to develop its own corporate social responsibility program?                         Yes ___14                   No __6             If yes, does your restaurant apply its own CSR?                         Yes __12                     No _____ 8. Is there a corporate social responsibility program exclusively developed for China?                         Yes _____                   No __20 Application of Corporate Social Responsibility   Instructions: Choose your answer from the choices given below.   9. What segment of the population is targeted by the restaurant’s corporate social responsibility in terms of cultural background?             Local Chinese Customers _____                  International Customers _____                                                 Both__20___ 10. What segments of the population is targeted by the restaurant’s corporate social responsibility in terms of income? Check as many as applicable. Low Income __10                  Middle Class __20___                       High Income __10 11. What segments of the population is targeted by the restaurant’s corporate social responsibility? Check as many as applicable. Communities __5                   Families __10             Single Individuals 20 12. What segments of the population is targeted by the restaurant’s corporate social responsibility?             Everybody _5                        Customers Only __15___   Evaluation of the Restaurant’s Corporate Social Responsibility 13. Do you think that the restaurant’s corporate social responsibilities are effective in meeting the public relations goals of the business?                         Yes  17                        No  3 14. If Yes, what do you think is the corporate social responsibility that mostly accounts for the efficiency? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 15. If No, what recommendations do you have in changing the corporate social responsibility of the restaurant? More focused in the Chinese market   Appendix 2: Corporate Social Responsibility as Public Relations Practice   Question Answer   Yes No 1. Does the restaurant have a public relations strategy? 20 0 2. Does the restaurant have a corporate social responsibility program 20 0 3. Do these social responsibility programs address the public relations goals of the restaurant?   20   0 4. Are restaurant managers and employees informed of the corporate social responsibility of the restaurant?   20   0 5. Are restaurant managers and employees trained on the achievement of the corporate social responsibilities of the restaurant?   13   7 6. Is there a uniform corporate social responsibility program for all restaurant chains?   20   0 7. Are the different restaurant chains given room to develop its own corporate social responsibility program?   12   8 8. Is there a corporate social responsibility program exclusively developed for China?   0   20     Appendix 3: Application of Corporate Social Responsibility   <div align="center"> Questions on Target Population Segments Answer 9.  Cultural Background             Local Chinese Customers 0           International Customers 0           Both 20 10. Income             Low Income 10          Middle Income 20          High income 10 11. Interest Group            Communities 5          Families 10          Single Individuals 20 12. Market            Everybody 5         Customers Only 15 </div>   Appendix 4: Evaluation of the Restaurants Corporate Social Responsibility   <div align="center"> Question Answer   Yes No 13. Effectiveness of CSR in Meeting PR Goals 17 3 </div>   </div> Credit:ivythesis.typepad.com

Outline Structure of a Dissertation

Yes __16___ No ___4—employees not involved in CSR 6. Is there a uniform corporate socia...

How Government Policy Contributes to Social Inequality: How the introduction of employer-sponsored health insurance contributes to inequality particularly in the workforce

How Government Policy Contributes to Social Inequality: How the introduction of employer-sponsored health insurance contributes to inequality particularly in the workforce   Specific Purpose(s): I. Introduction (must be brief and concise) A.   Introductory sentence B.   Thesis statement II.  Topic 1 – The government policy initiatives of the past 25 years affects the economic and racial/ethnic disparities in health and health care A.   Discuss how people acquire health insurance §  Employer-sponsored -       employer-sponsored health insurance is voluntary, business are not legally required to provide health benefits for the employees -       some employees are ineligible, some do not sign up because of employees’ share of premium requirements -       high premiums vs. lowest wage employees -       half of the total working population of Americans are insured through employers and half are covered as a worker’s dependent -       private health insurance coverage is subsidized through the federal tax system §  Public Programs -       Medicaid – for non-elderly, provides health coverage based on income and categories of eligibility, assists low-income Medicare beneficiaries; does not cover single adults and childless adults -       State Children’s Health Insurance (SCHIP) – covers low-income children not eligible for Medicaid §  Private Non-group -       based on individual health risk, costs varies by age and health status -       can deny or limit coverage to persons in poor health or with chronic conditions §  Uninsured B.   Discuss how the health care system in the country functions §  The World health Organization (WHO) ranked the US health care system first in terms of responsiveness and expenditure but 37th in overall performance and 72nd by overall level of health in 2000 §  The CIA World Factbook ranked US 41st in the world for lowest infant mortality rate and 45th for highest total life expectancy §  In 2006, Americans without health insurance coverage totaled to 16% of the total population or 47 million people    §  The public and private health insurance -       Public Health Insurance Ø  Medicare – 1) a federal program that covers individuals aged 65 and over and some disabled individuals, 2) a single-payer program, 3) financed by federal income taxes, payroll tax shared and individual enrollee premiums, 4) covers hospital services for Part A, physician services in Part B, offers a prescription drug benefit in Part D (Part C refers to Medicare Advantage) Ø  Medicaid – 1) a program designed for low-income and disabled, 2) administered by the District of Columbia, 3) financed jointly by states and federal government through taxes, 4) offers a comprehensive set of benefits including prescription drugs, 5) low reimbursement rate Ø  Other public systems – 1) SCHIP, designed in 1997, for children that belong to low-income families 2) Veteran’s Administration, a federally administered program for veterans of the military    -       Private Health Insurance Ø  Employer-sponsored insurance – 1) provided by the employers as a part of benefits package for the employees, 2) administered by private companies both for-profit and not-for-profit, 3) financed by both employers and employees, 4) benefits vary greatly with the specified health insurance plan and the degree of cost-sharing Ø  Private non-group (individual market) – 1) covers part of the population that is self-employed or retired, 2) administered by private insurance companies, 3) individuals pay insurance premium out-of-pocket for coverage §  Financing the US health care system -       Individuals and businesses Ø  Taxes Ø  Premiums Ø  Direct or out-of-pocket payments -       Government Ø  Money generated from taxes Ø  Public employees’ premiums Ø  Tax subsidy -       Private insurers -       Health Service Providers C.   Discuss the benefits and downsides of the health care system §  Benefits -       General access to health care providers that offers best services with the inclusion of modern facilities, medical products as pharmaceuticals and medical devices and provision for medical researches -       Insurance payments in the form of cost-sharing and risk management   -       Managed care that includes the preference of choice of provider organizations, health maintenance organizations -       Provisions for health care extensions to family members     §  Downsides -       Price rationing and the presence of third parties -       Cost control mechanisms -       Delays in care-seeking and preventive services -       Shared cost for the uninsured -       Administrative costs -       Coverage gaps -       Health disparities among minorities  D.   Analyze how the health care system exacerbates health inequality §  Costs -       annual health care spending in the US exceeds .6 trillion -       overemphasis placed on competition, competition exists among provider networks to assemble bargaining power -       healthcare is treated as a commodity; hence, competition does not provide quality or create health care value instead it adds massive administrative costs and complexity into the system -       reduces transparency of transactions and the comparability of performance and cost data; thus, it undermines accountability and the capacity of the health care markets to function efficiently -       continuous increase in insurance premium rates over the years that drives expensive new drugs, medical advances that requires state-of-the-art medical equipments -       shifting of health costs from employers to employees -       high-cost and low-cost patients balance  §  Coverage -       “risks categories” -       poorer members of the minority groups will be jeopardized -       disproportionate effect on other vulnerable groups -       additional financial burdens such as high premium rates, out-of-pocket costs that includes copays, coinsurance and deductibles -       job-based coverage E.   Explain the consequences of health inequality §  Financial  consequence -       ineligibility will leave the injured or sick with no choice but to stay at home instead of liquidating savings and income to pay for medical bills -       high cost of care that could possibly lead to individual bankruptcies -       health insurance coverage, amount ceiling of care paid for in catastrophic illness §  Economic consequences -       additional costs for firms to add new workers; therefore, non-progress in job growth -       health care costs suppress wage increases due to total compensation costs -       more uncompensated medical care that subsequently results to higher costs and higher premiums -       lower productivity of the uninsured workers   F.    Identify different government policies on health and health care provisions in context of history §  Nonrefundable credit for nongroup insurance §  Deduction for nongroup insurance expenditures §  Refundable credit for nongroup insurance restricted to those not offered §  Insurance §  Refundable credit for any insurance expenditure G.   Review and analyze each policy and note specific sections that contribute to economic and social disparities H.   Discuss each section and explain the reasons why they could possibly contribute to social inequality I.      Discuss implications for policy-makers and for social workers  III. Topic 2 – How the economic benefits of health-related expenditures are distributed among individuals by income, race/ethnicity and family structure/composition, and how the distribution has change over time  A.   Discuss the distribution of tax subsidies for health B.   Discuss the general economic benefits of health-related expenditures C.   Discuss conceptual and measurement issues D.   Discuss how health-related expenditures are distributed by income E.   Discuss how health-related expenditures are distributed by race/ethnicity F.    Discuss how health-related expenditures are distributed by family structure/composition G.   Analyze the general implications of the distribution and discuss specific implications of the distribution of health-related expenditures by income, race/ethnicity and family structure/composition H.   Discuss the trends/patterns in the distribution of tax subsidies for health-related spending I.      Analyze each identified trend/pattern and draw implications of social inequality from the analyses   IV. Topic 3 – How the current system of employer-sponsored health insurance contributes to inequality       A. Explain the current system of employer-sponsored health insurance             1. Coverage                         1.1 Sponsorship                         1.2 Eligibility                         1.3 Participation             2. Employer’s Liability                         The prevailing health care system is characterized by capitation and risk-sharing contracts. Effective facilitation of health care delivery and managed care control restructures legislations in light of the patients’ rights. It includes rules and standards that govern the delivery of care and the responsibilities of payers and providers. It included, for example, the right to sue health plans whenever the standard of care is violated. For employers, the liability is more stressed on adapting to uniform benefit plans. Violating this simple rule could result to standard malpractice cases and throwing of disputes over the terms of coverage especially for ESI. In existence of this new liability, employers are threatened to wither purchase insurance against the increased risk or expand the scope of covered services to better manage the risks.                3. Trends in Cost and Access                         3.1 Factors that affect the trends 3.1.1 Premium Contributions – The general premise is that the higher the employee contribution is, the less likely employees are to enroll. There is a relationship between the influence of out-of-pocket contributions, total premiums and employer and workforce characteristics could affect the employees’ decision to enroll.   3.1.2 Wage Levels – The people insured through their employment are less sensitive to premium size compared to those in the individual market. The reason behind this is that they pay only a fraction of the full premium. Low-wage workers are more sensitive to the size of the contribution than are higher income workers.    3.1.3 Firm Size – Firms with large numbers of employees are more likely to offer their employees health insurance. The principal reasons of small employers typically points at the cost of insurance and the belief that employees have other sources of coverage. The firms that are least likely to offer coverage are those with low-wage workers, high turnovers, no unions and many part-time employees.             4. Legal and Advocacy                         4.1 Right protection under employer-sponsored health insurance 4.1.1 ERISA ERISA is a federal law that sets rules for private employer-sponsored benefit plans including health insurance plans. ERISA is administered by the Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) of the US Department of Labor. The protections that ERISA provided are as follows: 4.1.1 Accountability – Someone called a fiduciary must be named to administer the health plan in a financially responsible manner and within the best interests of the enrollees. 4.1.2 Information – You must be given written information or what is called the summary plan description. It describes what the employer-sponsored plan covers and what rules must be followed under the plan. 4.1.3 Claims procedures and appeals – A separate written rules that outline how you can file a claim and how you can appeal a denial of covered services. 4.1.4 Other protections – Employer-sponsored health plans cannot discriminate against you in case of sickness by refusing to let you in by the plan or by charging you more by coverage. It must offer a special 30-day chance to enroll in case of change in family status. 4.1.5 COBRA – Group plans sponsored by employers with 20 or more workers must offer you the chance to temporarily continue coverage after you are laid off, quit, retire or lose dependent status under the plan.             B. Discuss the cost of health care benefits and discuss the payroll dollar breakdown       The cost of health care benefits is provided by the US Chamber of Commerce. They provide evidences of the structure and cost of the typical employee health benefit packaged provided in the US. For example, a report made by the department, based on the study that was conducted in 1999, the typical benefit package was worth an average of , 060 or 36.8% of total payroll expenses.       A breakdown of typical dollar shows that, on average, only 63.2 cents was devoted to wages and salaries. The dollar breakdown also included the: time not worked, legally required benefits, medical benefits, retirement and savings plans.       C. Discuss tax treatment of both employer and employee contribution §  Federal tax treatment of employee contributions – tax-deductible for individuals. (if an employee contributes to Health savings Account) through salary reduction plans, the contributions are considered to be made by the employer). §  State tax treatment of employee contributions vary from state-to-state §  Federal tax treatment for employer contributions – employer contributions are generally excludable from employee’s gross income.      D. Analyze and discuss implications of this in workplace inequality       1. Income       2. Gender       3. Skills       4. Job security       5. Job satisfaction        6. Quality of Life   V. Topic 4 – How different approaches to health care reform and the expansion of health insurance coverage are likely to affect social inequality A. Discuss the nature of health care reform and the expansion of health insurance coverage       Health care reforms included the following rubrics: 1) broader population covered by private and public health insurance, 2) improve the access to health care specialists, 3) expand the choice among and of health care providers, 4) improve quality of health care, 5) decrease health care cost and 6) decrease the cost of health insurance.     B. Discuss on-going debates regarding health care reforms             1. Coverage expansion             2. Income redistribution             3. Social health care programs             4. Achieving equity in health C. Discuss why these health care system reforms will prove to be insufficient in the long run §  The healthcare industry is the most heavily regulated industry in the US §  Majority of the cost differential arises from medical malpractice and part of the cost sprung from regulatory requirements §  Over intervention by several political entities   Credit:ivythesis.typepad.com

How Government Policy Contributes to Social Inequality: How the introduction of employer-sponsored health insurance contributes to inequality particularly in the workforce

How Government Policy Contributes to Social Inequality: How the introduction of employer-sponsored health insurance contributes to inequa...