Globalization of Healthcare free essay sample

However, one could draw conclusion, using Hill, Charles W. L. (2011), that several mitigating factors have enabled not only the globalization of marketable production-based goods, but also of service-related industries such as legal services and using medical diagnostics as well as surgical procedures; the case makes a compelling, if somewhat incomplete, case for globalization based upon factors such as cost reduction and improved quality of care; however, further research supports the case study’s findings. Facilitating Developments Factors such as a perceived shortage of qualified cardiologists to meet a rising demand for services is a possible explanation. Although, in the Time Magazine article by Brill, Steven (2013, March 4), he exposed the widespread practice of ordering medically unnecessary CT scans. Statistics show that the use of CT scans alone has more than quadrupled in recent decades, many times to ward off a possible malpractice lawsuit, but oftentimes to drive up profits. The demand for more skilled physicians to interpret results may be genuine, yet it is exacerbated by profit-driven hospitals eager to pay for expensive equipment within a short time. As surmised by Hill, Charles W. L. (2011), making much-needed care more accessible and affordable certainly makes outsourcing to less costly, but equally skilled, physicians in Mexico, India, and Singapore more attractive. Additionally, escalating costs of health care in the U. S. (driven mainly by hospital / pharmaceutical profits as our country’s sixth largest economy), nd technological innovations, which would allow efficient use of â€Å"outsourcing,† both contribute to the globalization of health care. As stated by Hill, Charles W. L. (2011), the assigned case cites U. S. surgical costs in the hundreds of thousands for surgeries such as hip and bypass surgeries while those same surgeries, with travel expenses included, cost much less when outsourced. Furthermore, technological advancements in the past several decades have greatly increased efficiencies with immense cost-saving and life-saving benefits. Per Hill, Charles W. L. (2011), a great argument can be made for outsourcing diagnostics to the other side of the world; while American doctors are asleep, Indian counterparts can be hard at work interpreting films or CTs, readying the results for swift treatment the next day. One of the most important factors supporting globalization, however, is the pushback of insurance companies and uninsured / underinsured consumers in an effort to reign in costs and create a more competitive health care economy. In a Time Magazine article by Brill, Steven (2013, March 4, the investigative journalist and author published several startling facts: Americans pay more per person for health care than Denmark, Australia, Japan, and Spain, yet our life expectancy is lower; we are number 50th in infant mortality, and 69% of American citizens who’ve experienced medically-related bankruptcy â€Å"were insured at the time of their filing,† meaning insurance failed to protect other valuable assets in a time of major illness or injury (p. 29). I surmised from Hill, Charles W. L. (2011) that it is no wonder that American employers, together with large insurance carriers such as Aetna, now encourage its health insurance customers to seek treatment abroad in order to reduce costs. Who Benefits? Who Loses? Given the spiraling costs of U. S. healthcare, many entities seek to benefit. Americans currently insured or underinsured will be encouraged by insurance carriers to seek treatment abroad to reduce costs, thereby saving potential out-of-pocket expenses once an insurance cap has been reached, reducing medical bankruptcy. American businesses may be able to take advantage of premium reductions offered by insurance companies should their employees agree to globalized care for major medical procedures or serious conditions which require single treatments or procedures; follow-up could be maintained in stateside facilities while the bulk of surgical procedure costs are reduced without sacrificing quality of care. Employees receiving better care will be a more productive asset to their employers. U. S. mployers, citizens, and insurance companies all stand something to gain, but it should also be noted that developing countries will also benefit; an increasing demand for their services will not only assist in honing their skills, but will also bolster their country’s economy, standard of living, and GDP. Other developing countries will also benefit as they will have more medical options as well as training centers to foster their own medical communities, thereby improving world health. The largest potential losers are still the uninsured with no obvious means to pay for out-of-pocket procedures, in spite of deep discounts. The case, Hill, Charles W. L. (2011), makes a vague reference to â€Å"recent legislation†, which one can assume refers to the â€Å"Affordable Care Act,† designed to bring coverage to millions more uninsured; however, affordability will still be an issue for privately insured/underinsured patients, according to Steven Brill, who exposed the â€Å"Chargemaster,† a driving force behind escalating healthcare costs in the U. S. It is an exhaustive list at each U. S. hospital, a listing of hospital services and corresponding charges, each charge bearing no relation to actual costs; every hospital sets the prices of its own Chargemaster; no hospital’s pricing schedule resembles that of another, nor do they seem to be based on anything objective, such as actual cost According to Brill, Steven (2013, March 4). hospitals, non-profit ones especially, have built in astronomic profits for basic procedures, laboratory tests, and have been caught padding bills which Medicare would never pay, but which are still submitted to insurance companies and private citizens after receiving treatment† (p. 22). As concluded by Brill, Steven (2013, March 4), because there is no current legislative oversight reducing what hospitals can charge those who aren’t on government-subsidized healthcare, hospitals do not participate in free-market, capitalized-based competition with one another, nor are they transpar ent about the basis for their charges. For these reasons, hospitals themselves stand to lose a great deal; they could see their profits erode as more savvy insurance agencies, employers, and citizens seek out a global market which is competitive and fair. Risks of Health Care Globalization One obvious risk of globalization is to the U. S. health care market and the arrogance fostered by the lack of regulation. Once again, U. S. hospitals are not transparent about how charges are determined as they bear little relation to actual costs. For example, according to Brill, Steven (2013, March 4), excerpts were used from actual hospital invoices; free from price regulations, patients are routinely charged $18 each for diabetes test strips (consumers can purchase for 55 cents each), $24 for a niacin tablet (in drug stores for about a nickel a piece) and CT scans for $6,538 (Medicare would pay that same hospital $825 for three scans based on actual costs). As stated by Hill, Charles W. L. (2011): Should U. S. hospitals be required to reign in domestic costs and succumb to regulation to remain competitive globally? Or do we hope that globalization alone levels the playing field? If they outsource services to India or Singapore for diagnostics, would U. S. hospitals or physicians ethically pass on those cost savings to patients or insurers? Or simply pad their profit margins? And although the text does assert studies which demonstrate quality care is already available in Mexico, India, and Singapore. (p. 42) There are dangers inherent in rapidly expanding where U. S. insurers send patients; subpar facilities may be utilized in order to curb costs; regulation and oversight must be included to facilitate safe, responsible implementation of health care, both home and abroad. Is Globalization Worthwhile? For many reasons previously discussed, globalization of healthcare, with proper oversight and some crucial regulation, is a breakthrough. No longer would patients or insurance companies (only Medicare is immune) be forced to pay exorbitant â€Å"Chargemaster† rates for U. S. healthcare, which has already been proven to be lacking in many areas. No longer would patients view treatment options as limited by geography; the increasing hospital conglomerates in the U. S. which are systematically reducing competition, would have genuine global competition. For the first time since Medicare’s inception, there’s a genuine opportunity to stem the tide of skyrocketing medical costs, increase care efficiency, and foster real competition for complacent domestic health care providers who’ve long viewed their services as geographical monopolies: for too long health care has been exclusive to an area, much like utilities such as water and pow er, but without any legislative oversight necessary to protect the American people from abusive costs. As asserted in the expansive article by, Brill, Steven (2013, March 4). , â€Å"if you are confused by the notion that those least able to pay are the ones singled out to pay the highest rates, welcome to the American medical marketplace† (p. 22). Globalized health care may be the cure for what ails us. References Brill, Steven (2013, March 4). Bitter Pill: How outrageous pricing and egregious profits are destroying our health care. Times, 181, 16-55. Hill, Charles W. L. (2011). International Business (9th Edition). McGraw Hill Irwin.

Value-based Pricing for New Software Products free essay sample

Pricing methods such as flat price, tiered pricing, MIPS-based, usage-based, per user, per seat, and pay as you go, are often tactical in nature and easily matched by competitors, which can undermine profitability by accelerating the commoditization process. Conversely, a value-based approach charges a price based on the customer’s perceived value of the benefits received. Value-based pricing methodologies can be used to estimate the market value of new software concepts at various stages of the development process in addition to pricing new products for launch.This paper describes a value-based approach to pricing that is dependent on the firm’s commitment to invest in the development of its long-term â€Å"pricing capital. † This investment in methodologies, infrastructure, and processes to create, measure, analyze, and capture customer value is the key to successful long-term pricing strategy. No tool in the marketing toolbox can increase sales or destroy dema nd more quickly than pricing strategy. We will write a custom essay sample on Value-based Pricing for New Software Products or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The pricing decision is one of the most critical decisions that a firm can make in the launch of a product.Managers in the software industry have traditionally developed their pricing strategies by overemphasizing cost-related criteria at the expense of focusing on the value of the product to the customer. Cost-based pricing strategies are focused on short-term value to the vendor. Conversely, value-based pricing is based on the customer’s perception of the value of the product, not on product costs (see Figure 1). Value-based pricing strategies are focused on creating long-term value for the customer.From a marketing perspective, the goal of pricing strategy is to assign a price that is the monetary equivalent of the value the customer perceives in the product while meeting profit and return on investment goals [37]. This paper posits the view that traditional cost-based approaches to software pricing are short-term, tactical in nature, and place the interests of the seller over the interests of the buyer. Conversely, pricing approaches based on customers’ perceptions of value are strategic and long-term in nature since they are focused on capturing unique value from each market segment through the pricing mechanism.

Intrusive Misuse of Colons

Intrusive Misuse of Colons Intrusive Misuse of Colons Intrusive Misuse of Colons By Mark Nichol Writers often mistakenly introduce intrusive â€Å"colonization† where it is not necessarily. In each of the following examples, as explained in the discussion, the colon is superfluous. 1. Smith was invited to give the presentation: â€Å"Global Development and Global Practices.† â€Å"The presentation† and the title of the presentation are appositive- one is equivalent to the other, just as in â€Å"global-development expert John Smith,† the person’s description and his name are appositive- and no intervening punctuation is necessary: â€Å"Smith was invited to give the presentation â€Å"Global Development and Global Practices.† (If the presentation previously was alluded to and is now being specified, set the title off from the first part of the sentence with a comma: â€Å"Smith was invited to give the presentation, â€Å"Global Development and Global Practices,† but otherwise do not replace the colon with a comma. Also, if the wording is â€Å"Smith was invited to give a presentation on the topic of . . .,† the description of the topic is just that- a description- and should be lowercase and not enclosed in quotation marks. 2. An effective compliance program will include: governance and management oversight, policies and procedures, training, monitoring, quality control, and independent audit. When include or includes (or â€Å"consist/consists of† or a similar word) precedes a list, a colon is superfluous, just as it would be between any verb and any single noun or noun phrase associated with the verb. This is true whether the information is presented as an in-line list (meaning that it is integrated into the sentence, as here) or it is formatted vertically, one item on a line, whether as is or set off with bullets or numbers: â€Å"An effective compliance program will include governance and management oversight, policies and procedures, training, monitoring, quality control, and independent audit.† (An exception is if what precedes the list is an independent clause, such as â€Å"An effective compliance program will include the following.†) 3. Management is secure in the knowledge that it: has considered all plausible scenarios, understands the organization’s breakpoint in the event of extreme scenarios, and has effective contingency-response plans in place. The point of the previous example is true regardless of whether a verb precedes the colon or, because each item in the in-line or vertical list begins with a verb, the colon follows a word representing another part of speech; the fact that a sentence is more extensive and complex than if it had essentially a one-item list (for example, â€Å"Management is secure in the knowledge that it has considered all plausible scenarios†) is irrelevant: â€Å"Management is secure in the knowledge that it has considered all plausible scenarios, understands the organization’s breakpoint in the event of extreme scenarios, and has effective contingency-response plans in place.† Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Punctuation category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:What Does [sic] Mean?The Writing ProcessWriting a Thank You Note

Eight exciting careers for the world traveler

Eight exciting careers for the world traveler Working eight hours every day behind a desk isn’t for everyone. If you love traveling and are tired of spending all your paid time off and hard-earned money on only traveling once or twice a year, consider finding a job that gives you the freedom to travel the world. Here are eight jobs for the world traveler:1. Cruise line workerCruise ship jobs are a travel lover’s dream gig. You get paid to travel the world and interact with people of different cultural backgrounds. As if that doesn’t sound amazing enough, you’ll receive free food and accommodation while collecting a salary.These floating resorts offer plenty of opportunities for individuals of all backgrounds. You can be a restaurant server, a cook, bartender, an entertainment director or a performer in the cruise’s entertainment lineup.2. International tour guideBecoming a tour manager or a tour guide is one of the most rewarding and exciting ways to travel the world. You get to learn about the history and culture of different countries while sharing your love of travel with like-minded individuals.Wherever you want to go, there are plenty of travel destinations that are always in need of friendly, knowledgeable guides. With tour guiding, you’ll get to travel to fabulous vacation spots while getting paid. What’s more, if you’re good at it, you may get good tips, making your salary very competitive.3. Travel agentIn the age of the Internet where you can easily search and book flights and vacation packages online, you may think that the professional travel agent is a dead career. While it’s predicted that there will be a decline in this job over the next decade, it’s still a rewarding occupation for travel lovers.Travel agents work with resorts, cruise lines, airlines, and rental companies to secure travel arrangements for their clients. This means you’ll regularly go on free trips to luxury resorts sponsored by resorts or travel co mpanies. The nice thing about becoming a travel agent is that you don’t have to pass an exam to prove that you know your stuff. While there are no real required skills, it’s useful to know basic things like geography and history and stay on top of the latest news at different destinations.4. TEFL teacherTeaching English abroad is just as rewarding for you as it is for your students. You’ll get to help students acquire one of the most sought-after skills in the world (speaking English) while immersing yourself in the country’s culture.Jobs are in abundance, but you may need a bachelor’s degree, TEFL training, TEFL certification, and some teaching experience. If you’re thinking about what countries to teach English abroad, Thailand is one of the most popular TEFL destinations you may want to consider. Other top TEFL teaching destinations to consider are Vietnam, Korea, Japan, Dubai, and Taiwan.5. Au pairBeing an au pair is one of the oldest an d most famous travel jobs. If you work well with children, consider taking up an au pair job. An au pair works for a host family in a foreign country and provides childcare services. Alongside childcare, you may help out with light household chores.You’ll receive free board and lodging as well as pocket money. Although the salary may be relatively low, you’ll get to immerse yourself in another culture as an extended member of the host family.6. PhotographerIf you’re skilled with a camera, you can turn your photographs into cash while traveling the world. As a travel photographer, you’ll be required to capture a variety of sites and events including destination hotels and resorts, outdoor adventures, scenery, cultures, local events, and customs.You can choose to become a full-time photographer and work for a company or as a freelancer. Either way, you will travel the world while making money.7. Website designerWe live in an exciting time where anyone can m ake a living online. Becoming a web designer is one of the occupations with oodles of potential and scope for employment. And, starting your web design journey in the field is easy – just choose a development specialization like JavaScript frameworks, HTML or CSS, get essential coding skills and launch an online portfolio.8. Flight attendantThis is the most obvious jobs that involve travelling the world. It doesn’t require a degree but the requirements may vary from one airline to another. Most major airlines require prior customer service experience and a certification from a relevant aviation agency. Some airlines may require you to be able to stand on your feet for extended periods of time and reach the overhead bins.Worth mentioning is that the work isn’t easy and the hours are frequently erratic. However, you’ll get the opportunity to travel around the world. Plus, you’ll get free or discounted flights for you and your family.These eight jobs will enable you to explore the world while making money and building your career. Just be sure to choose one that’s fit for you.About the Author: Riya is an inspired writer writing in several areas of expertise. With spending her years working marketing communication, Riya is delighted to work with aspiring small business owners. Connect with Riya on Twitter, @sanderriya.

Current Trends in Health Care in USA Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Current Trends in Health Care in USA - Essay Example t of heart diseases it has been reported that 476,009 Americans under 85 died of cancer compared with 450,637 who died of heart disease as per the American Cancer Society’s annual statistical report of 2002. (â€Å"Cancer now top killer of younger Americans†, 2005) Almost one third of the cancer cases traces back to smoking while other are associated with obesity, poor diet and lack of exercise. There have been premature deaths caused by cancer, which arises from radioactive and carcinogenic materials in the surroundings. Unsafe products like hair dyes, food additives, cosmetics and marketed medicines manufactured for quick profits are associated with problems like cancer. The increased consumption of junk food is a major cause. Indiscretion in sexual life and keeping multiple partners are one of the major causes. Considering the variations among gender, Centers For Disease Control And Prevention reports that in 2003, prostate cancer (150 per 100,000) have been highest in men among the other types while breast cancer (119 per 100,000) have occupied the highest rate among the other types in women. Hepatitis B and C cause liver cancer; cervical cancer has been due to human papillomavirus while mainly H. pylori bacteria cause stomach cancer. AIDS related cancer is due to the HIV infection. Most of these cases are preventable through timely prediction, diagnosis and preventive measures through vaccines. (â€Å"Cancer now top killer of younger Americans†, 2005) The other most common types of cancer prevailing among both men and women are Lung and Colorectal cancer. The incidence of cancer is also highest among the blacks or the Afro Americans. Most of these people opt for the western treatment of cancer involving chemotherapy and surgery rather than any traditional methods. The reasons are basically that the process of opting for these drugs and chemicals is faster and easier than the slow progress of traditional methods. Lack of adequate information and knowledge

A Comprehensive research project into the next generation of the buzz Essay

A Comprehensive research project into the next generation of the buzz word web 2.0 and the technologies that will define it - Essay Example It is difficult to talk about internet without mentioning the Web. Internet started as a communication tool for U.S. military for sharing information over a distance. In 1958 the U.S. Department of Defense started the Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA). The main aim of APRA was to develop defense technology but later it also became a hub for computer research and technology. APRA wanted to develop a method to connect its base site with its computer research laboratories dispersed at different locations in U.S. In 1960’s, Paul Baran (at RAND) and Donald Davies (at UK National Physical Laboratory) developed a new technique called ‘packet switching’ (as opposed to circuit switching) in order to make the data transmission more reliable and efficient. In 1969, four computers (located at computer research labs of University of California at Los Angeles, Stanford Research Institute, University of California at Santa Barbara, and the University of Utah) were connected thus creating APRAnet. In 1971, more computers joined the APRAnet (including NASA and Harvard) and number increased to fifteen. The year 1973 saw ARPAnet going global and Norway (Norwegian Royal Radar Establishment) and England (University College of London) also joined the net. The networking protocol was called Network Control Program. The total number of host computers connecting through APRAnet increased from 40 in 1973, to 111 in 1977 (Hobbes Internet Timeline). After APRAnet, other similar networks were created for special purposes. UUCP connected the computers having UNIX operating system and USENET (Users Network) connected academic community. Networks like CSNET (Computer Science Network) and BITNET (Because It’s Time Network) were also developed to connect universities and research centers. These networks had the capability to exchange information with APRAnet and among each other. APRAnet was split into two networks in 1980’s and a separate

American Government Essay Example for Free

American Government Essay Introduction There are different ways to which issues in the society can be expressed in relation to emotions, thoughts and artistry. In various eras, movies have been used to tackle issues on religions, philosophies, and even the thoughts and emotions of the writers and directors during the time it is being filmed. For example, the movies entitled Blue Collar, Norma Rae and Roger and Me are movies wherein the problems on employment in any societies have been tackled accordingly. During the time of the creation of the movies, there have been apparent issues with employment that needs to be addressed by the government. Apparently, the theme of conservatism and the plight to destroy it is was the main theme of the three movies mentioned. The motivational principle that has been applied in the course of generating an understanding of the concept of conservatism as highlighted in the movies is sovereignty. It is very elementary to say that in the democratic and liberal forms of government, the sovereign power resides in the people. Under this concept, it cannot be denied that men are only equal before the law and of God. Aside from it, there is no equality. By this, it only means that men are protected only as far as laws and God is concerned. Body Noting this kind of principle is the apparent absence of equality in terms of the social, political and even economic aspects of human being. In terms of the social aspect, it can be seen that men are distinct from women. There is a status quo that should be adhered upon especially when treating men and women. They are not equal under the social order of the society. Men are considered higher in terms of intelligence, capabilities and social status. As per women, they are made to be inside their houses and taking care of the children and of their husbands. It is as if saying that women and men played totally different roles in the society. One is for the house while the other is for the working. Such difference in the social standing of men and women is apparent and to remind people of the principle that aside from law and God, no equality can be measured outside such borders. Women cannot and must not force the society to accept and treat them in the same manner that men are being t reated because it will never be in that way under the conservative theory of governance (Garcia, 2008). The basic foundation of governance that has been tackled in the movies is comprised of the idealism that a just and humane society must be formed. It must be understood that the State should promote a just and dynamic social order. This is accomplished through policies that provide adequate social services. Every society must ensure the prosperity and independence of the nation and free the people from poverty. Hence, it means all people not just the aristocratic few. The goal is to reduce the political and economic power of the privileged few by equalizing widely differing standards and opportunities for advancement and to raise the masses of the people from their poverty to a qualitative life worthy of human dignity. With the eradication of mass poverty being experienced of a nation, the State solves at the same time a chain of social problems that comes with it; social unrest, breakdown of family systems, diseases, ignorance, criminality, and low productivity. Policies must only be created to promote social justice in all phases of national development. In the fulfillment of this duty, the State must give preferential attention to the welfare of the less fortunate members of the community—the poor, the underprivileged and those who have less in life for the benefit of the whole nation. On the issue of economic equality, on the other hand, the movies have made it clear that there are economic differences between the poor and the rich. No equality are being afforded to them. The rich people are getting more privileges in the society as compared to the poor. The poor can never get such privileges because it is just for the rich to experience and enjoy. Since there is no equality, the poor gets poorer with each passing day while the rich gets richer by the hour. There is a distinct role that separates the rich and the poor. While the rich pose as the employers, the poor works as slaves to earn a living. There is equality and hence, no growth and improvement is being afforded to the latter (Funnel, 2009). Conclusion Undeniably, there is an inherent advantage in adopting a development strategy that promotes industrialization and full employment without giving more importance on gender issues. An important aspect of industrializations is that it generates a high level of employment. Factories and industrial sites create job opportunities and thus create sources of livelihood for the people. The high incidence of poverty in the country is rooted in the social scourge that is unemployment. The nation will never recover economically, and social peace and political stability will never come to our land as long as the problem of mass poverty persists. The first step towards the solution of the problem is therefore, the creation of massive work opportunities that will absorb millions of unemployed and underemployed labor in the country, and this can only be done through full and rapid industrialization. But nevertheless, despite the different trajectories that has impacted the lives of the nation and the people inhabiting the place. Ironically, it can be said that whatever the advocates of conservatism have fought for in their lifetimes it has all been gone because of the fact that changes have constantly brought liberalism to the nation. It is one that completely rejects advice or assistance from without. To be realistic, a policy must have global outlook in view of the deleterious effect on the country’s relations with other countries with policies that revolve only on the relations with select members of the international community. Bibliography Funnel, W. (2009). In Government We Trust: Market failure and the Delusions of Privatization. Sydney: University of New South Wales Press. Garcia, J. (2008). Up to our Eyeballs: How Shady Lenders and Failed Econoimc Policies are Drowning Americans in Debt. New York: The New Press.