Friday, November 29, 2019

Guns Of August Essays - The Guns Of August, Barbara W. Tuchman

Guns Of August The Guns of August by Barbara Tuchman Barbara Tuchmans Guns of August is about World War 1. Her book has a unique way of telling this story. Her books gives explanations for each countrys involvement in the war. It describes the opinions of the Czar and reasons for all of his crucial decisions during this time. It also explains how Germany was in a tight spot and prepared for war a few years before it actually began. England was not to worried about the war in Europe because it had its own problems. The English people didnt think it was necessary for them to enter the war. However England got involved to try to protect the weak country of Belgium being attacked by Germany. Germany was in a very difficult position because much of Europe was at odds with it. Germany was prone to attack for two reasons, according to Barbara Tuchman. One reason is that it is geographically in the center of Europe and between its enemies. Another is that it held on to territories that once belonged to France. This put France and Germany at odds. She also explains that Russia was militaristically weak. However, there was a type of myth that Russia was invincible (according to the author). France slightly believed this myth. They formed an alliance with Russia because in part of this myth and also because it was better for two to face off with Germany than France alone. I like this book very much because it goes into great detail. She explains vividly the events occurring that were crucial in deciding the outcome of the war. She also writes in story form just like her other books, and its always easier to read a story that study a text book. My favorite thing about this book was that makes the war seem like a story Ive never read, even though most people know the major events of the war. Her style of writing keeps you guessing whats next. History Essays

Monday, November 25, 2019

Multicom Case Essay Example

Multicom Case Essay Example Multicom Case Essay Multicom Case Essay THE MULTI COM CASE Multicom is a small firm employing 150 people in the public rela-tions field. It was started by Jim Walsh, a marketing specialist, and Wendy Bridges, a public relations expert. They had worked together for several years at a medium-sized communications firm and decided to branch out on their own to realize their own ideas as to what a good PR firm could and should be. They felt that their combined expertise and extensive contacts provided an excellent base on which to do this. Before submitting their resignations at their old firm, they persuaded two colleagues, Marie Beaumont and Frank Rossi, to join them as minor-ity shareholders. Walsh and Bridges each held 40 percent of the equity in the new venture; Beaumont and Rossi were each given 10 percent. Rossi was an editor and writer with an excellent reputation, and Beaumont was a well-regarded film and video expert. At first, business was difficult, and they were glad of the corporate clients that they had taken with them from their old firm. Competition was keen, and their old firm seemed subtly to be doing everything it could to block their progress. However, they worked hard, and their reputation steadily grew along with the size of their staff and their earnings. By the end of their second year, the four partners were each earning almost double their previous salaries and building a significant capital investment as well. They felt that they were well on the way to achieving the kind of top-notch com-pany on which they had set their sights. These early years were exciting ones. When they established Multicom, the four partners adopted a client- centered mode of organization. Each partner had certain clients for whom he or she felt a special responsibility, and in effect each became a project manager for these clients. Each developed a reasonable competence in all aspects of the agencys work so that one could substitute for another when necessary. New staff were encouraged to develop the same all-around skills and capacities in addition to their specializations. While this was often time-consuming and expensive, it created great flexibility. The search for new business and continuing contacts with clients took a significant pro-portion of staff away from the office most of the time, so the existence of a number of good all arounders was a real asset. Besides that, it often made work more interesting and enjoyable and added to the general team spirit of the office. The staff at Multicom worked hard, often starting early in the morn-ing and working late at night. They also played hard, throwing regular par-ties to celebrate the completion of major projects or the acquisition of new clients. These parties helped keep morale high and project Multicoms image as an excellent and exciting place to work. The firms clients often attended these parties and were usually impressed by the vitality and qual-ity of interpersonal relations. During the companys third year, however, things began to change. The long hours and pace of life at Multicom were getting to Walsh and Bridges. Both had heavy family commitments and wanted more leisure time. They increasingly talked about the need to get more organized so that they could exercise a closer control over staff and office activities, which, in their view, at times verged on the chaotic. Beaumont and Rossi, however, both of whom were single and at thirty and thirty-one, respec-tively, almost ten years younger than the senior partners, relished the lifestyle and were keen to maintain the firms present character. They would have been happy to shoulder a greater share of the work and responsibility in return for a greater equity in the company, but Walsh and Bridges were reluctant to hand them this sort of control. As time went on, it became clear that there were important philo-sophical differences about the way the office should be run. Whereas Walsh and Bridges regarded the ad hoc style of organization that had developed during the first two years as temporary-necessary until weve sorted out our ideas as to how we want to put this organization together -Beaumont and Rossi saw it as a desirable way of doing business in the longer term. Whereas Walsh and Bridges complained about the frequent absence of staff from the office and the lack of clear systems of responsibility and office pro-tocol, Beaumont and Rossi relished what they often described as their cre-ative chaos. To them, the firm was producing excellent results, clients were happy and knocking at the door, and this was all that mattered. By the fourth year, tensions were close to the breaking point. The four principals frequently found themselves in long meetings about office organ-ization, and the differences were as deep as ever. Walsh and Bridges argued for more system, and Beaumont and Rossi argued for the status quo. The differences were straining personal relations and were having an unfavor-able impact on life in the office generally. Many staff felt that Multicom was in danger of losing its special character and was no longer quite the same fun place at which to work. All four principals sensed this change, and they talked about it fre-quently. However, there was simply no consensus as to what should be done. As a result of general frustration, they began to break an unwritten but golden rule set in the early days of Multi com: that all four would always be involved in major policy decisions. Walsh and Bridges began to meet together and resolved that the only way forward was for them to exercise their authority and to insist that a reorganization of the office be initiated. They agreed to propose this at a meeting with Beaumont and Rossi the fol-lowing day. Walsh and Bridges were surprised. The idea produced little resistance from their two colleagues. It was almost as if it was expected. Beaumont and Rossi insisted that the decision should not be taken without a lot of thought because it represented a major departure. They reiterated their view that no change in office organization was necessary other than a streamlin-ing of a few financial procedures. They were by no means happy with the proposal, but it was clear that they werent going to fight it. The following week Walsh and Bridges called a meeting of all staff to outline their plans. In operational terms, these involved a clearer definition of job responsibilities, a more formalized procedure governing the exchange of staff between projects, and a closer control over the conditions under which staff were to be away from the office during business hours. A num-ber of other office procedures were also introduced. The meeting was unique in Multicoms history in tone and nature. For weeks there was talk about a rift among the four principals and about how winds of change were blowing through the firm. Some members of the staff welcomed the greater degree of structure; others resented the new developments. Staff continued to work hard at their jobs with the profes-sionalism they knew Multicom demanded, but everyone knew that things were not quiet the same. Multicom was no longer working-or playing- the Multicom way. Walsh and Bridges, however, were well pleased. They felt a lot more secure with the way things stood and could see time ahead when they would be able to take a lot of pressure off themselves and let the office run itself within the framework they had begun to develop. Beaumont and Rossi continued to work hard as usual, and their project teams were least affected by the new developments. Within a year, however, they had left Multicom and set up a new company of their own, taking a number of key staff and clients with them. Thanks to a large number of faithful clients, Multicom continued to produce sound financial results, but it gradually lost its reputation as a leading-edge agency. It could be relied on to produce good solid work but was, in the eyes of a number of disaffected clients, â€Å"uninspiring†. Beaumont and Rossi’s new firm, Media 2000, picked up many of these clients and, adopting the new organizational style pioneered at Multicom, re-created a fun business† employing eighty people The firm quickly established itself aa a talented and innovative agency. Beaumont and Rossi take satisfaction in the firm’s reputation and financial success and look back on their days with Multicom as â€Å"a great learning experience†. In retrospect, they view their differences with Walsh and Bridges as a part of a â€Å"Lucky break† that spurred them to find an even more lucrative and satisfying work situation.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Soviets Side and View of the Cold war Research Paper - 1

Soviets Side and View of the Cold war - Research Paper Example The revolutionary leader Vladimir Lenin asserted that Russia was encompassed by a ‘hostile capitalist encirclement’ (Gaddis 1997). This laid the groundwork for what was to follow, i.e. years of hostility and isolation between differing ideological camps. The culmination of the conflict came after the end of the temporary alliance formed between the USSR and US aiming to topple Germany into defeat. The difference in lifestyles and beliefs was so significant that the two nations were at loggerheads over ideological reasons as soon as their alliance ended (Mcmahon 2003). The arms race that supplemented the cold war resulted in dire consequences for several nations after the dissemination of the USSR. The weapons are still used by terrorist and rebel movements all across the world as both the USA and USSR aim to liquidate their excess artillery in the search of economic returns. Joseph Stalin, the revolutionary communist leader of the USSR, considered the world to be divided into two ideological parts: the capitalist and imperialist regimes and the ‘progressive’ and communist world. The soviet leader believed that the concept of communism was widely acceptable and good for all considering that it followed a utilitarian philosophy of good for the greater number. Non ideological disputes arose between the soviet nation and western democracies post world war II over the soviet occupation of eastern European states. These states were later called soviet republic states and formed the eastern block of nations that would ‘endorse’ soviet communism and adopt the economic methodologies of the soviets. The united states, which had no business in the region according to soviets, warned that an ‘iron curtain’ was being brought down over Europe (Archives 2010). Joseph Stalin later emphasized that the cold war was a consequence of capitalist and

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Terrorism and just war Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Terrorism and just war - Essay Example Acts of terrorism involves arousing fright amongst the target population so as to push a particular political, social, cultural or a religious motive. The methodology for this involves killing random people. In the modern history, the usage war over terrorism has become a commonly used geo political jargon. The popularity and acceptance of this term within itself suggests the global feelings against terrorism. The random victims of terrorism are often referred to as innocent people who are disassociated with the cause of terrorism. The just war theory suggests the idea of innocence of the victims as a decisive factor in justifying a war. This innocence of the victims is the elements which make an act of terrorism unjust over a war wherein only soldiers involved are targeted. The larger philosophy of this innocence has to be however further analyzed. The thesis of this paper is that the concept of innocence of the victims of terrorism does not make terrorism theoretically unjustified as compared to that of war. It must be noted here that the paper does not intend to justify terrorism as a theoretically acceptable norm. â€Å"Just war theory provides normative content for ethical arguments about the resort to and conduct of war on the assumption, distinct from realism, that morality has a place in international politics—although like realism, it assumes that war is an enduring feature of world politics† (Crawford, 2000). It has been observed by several philosophers that the idea of innocence of victims as proposed by the Just war theory is often misunderstood (Walzer, 2006). Interestingly, the very word innocence provokes sympathy among the observers of war. For instance, the September 11 attacks on the World Trade Centre killing ‘innocent’ people was taken up quite sentimentally by the rest of the world. However, it must be understood that the meaning of the term ‘innocent’ proposed by the just war theory is quite differen t from that of the common perception of the sympathizers. It more or less means disassociated in the theoretical context. In other words, the word innocent in the war context refers to people who are not officially appointed by the system in war to engage in the war. In the context of a war between two countries, the people who are engaged are the soldiers who designated for the war by both the countries. All the other civilian people of both the countries enjoy the immunity of ‘innocence ’(Walzer, 2006). Theoretically just war is conceptually where only these soldiers are targeted and not other civilians. On the other hand, an act of killing people who are not directly involved in the cause is considered to be unjust and is termed terrorism (Walzer, 2006). Thus it is the nature of the victims that draws the line between a just war and an act of terrorism. In broader sense the nature of the victims is decided by their innocence as perceived by the just war theory(Walzer , 2006). However, the reality is that there are conceptual errors in the ways in which the whole theoretical concept of innocence is perceived by the critics. For instance, in the case of a war between two countries there are many soldiers who get killed who necessarily were physically engaged in the battle. There will be a wide range of services associated with a soldiers’ team who are victimized to death while supporting the team in the war front. However, these people do not

Monday, November 18, 2019

Analysis Essay for A Clean, Well-Lighted Place by Ernest Hemingway

Analysis for A Clean, Well-Lighted Place by Ernest Hemingway - Essay Example The young waiter represents a person at youth. He is the embodiment of the young person who has the promise of his entire life before him. He demonstrates the impatience of youth with the slowness and infirmities of age. His attitude is seen in his emphatic declaration, â€Å"I have confidence. I am all confidence† (Hemingway, ). He cannot conceive of any shortcoming or sorrow in life except the lack of money. He has no sympathy with the deaf old man’s despair, and ruthlessly tells him, â€Å"You should have killed yourself last week† (Hemingway, ). In the flush of youth and vigor, he is repulsed by the ravages of age: â€Å"An old man is a nasty thing† he says (Hemingway, ). His character is the depiction of youth in all its materialism and callowness. The senior waiter represents the maturity of middle age. As he progresses in age, he is acutely conscious that he is on the way to becoming an old man, like the deaf customer. He exhibits a deep empathy for the old man and says, â€Å"I am of those who like to stay late at the cafà ©, with all those who do not want to go to bed. With all those who need a light for the night† (Hemingway, ). He shares the loneliness of the old man and sympathizes with his despair. He refutes the young waiter’s criticism by asserting that the old man is clean. At the same time, he understands the impatience of the young waiter to get home to his wife. The old customer is poised on the threshold of death. Loneliness, despair, and conflict of the soul torment him. He craves the small comfort of a well-lighted and clean cafà © for a temporary period of security. He represents old age and the coming encounter with death. He is the personification of the transience of human life: â€Å"It was all nothing and a man was nothing too† (Hemingway, ), the senior waiter says. The old man is a symbol of

Saturday, November 16, 2019

Legal System of Ireland

Legal System of Ireland According to Business Dictionary (2017), the legal system refers to a regime in the legal framework of a country. It consists of following five entities: An oral or/and written constitution. Primary legislation endorsed by lawmaking body which is established by the Constitution. Supplementary legislation prepared by organization or person who is authorized by primary legislation. Applications of customs by courts on the groundwork of traditional practices. Principles and application of Roman, common, civil or any other code of law. Dainow (1966) explains that every legal system, in its respective society, has the similar function, as any other legal system, of balancing and regulating its human movement and it is the same system which not only forms the cultural norms, civilization and history but also the life of people living in it. Nevertheless, there are many distinctions and similarities between different legal systems of territories and countries because of various events of various kinds in history (ibid). Generally, there are two main legal systems establishments in the world, which are basically often a central part of comparative law studies. These two systems are known as civil and common law legal systems. The practice of common law appeared and was acted upon from the middle era age and was subsequently spread and validated across British colonies all over the world (University of California n.d.). The civil law was developed in the main continent of Europe, during the same era of common law development as well, by European monarchs such as Spain and Portugal and was spread out to their colonies. Later on, during the 1800s and 1900s, countries with unique legal customs also embraced civil law as well in order to get economical and political power and be competitive to Western European nations and examples of such countries are Japan and Russia (ibid). This piece of writing will be discussing the legal system of Ireland and Spain. Furthermore, three aspects of law and their implication for international hospitality and tourism will be thoroughly explored and discussed. The Irish legal system belongs to, a family of legal systems, common law. Common law legal system gives significant importance to decisions made by courts on previous legal cases and decisions (Byrne McCutcheon 2001). This results in lawyers working in the jurisdiction of common law to have an extensive knowledge and work closely with case-law. Additionally, Irish courts are obliged to abide by the principal of stare-decisis, which means the previous court decisions (The bar of Ireland n.d.). As per (Nicell), there are four sources, in Ireland, which influence Irish Law: Constitution: The Constitution of Ireland was endorsed in the year 1937 which is actually an essential legal document, through a string of 50 articles, outlining how the country should be administered. In Ireland, the Constitution is titled as Bunreacht na hEireann (Citizen Information 2015). It is the Constitution, which sets out the branches of the government in Ireland and also narrates the basic rights of citizens of the country. Bunreacht na hEireann not only establishes the courts but also makes sure how these establishments should operate. An important article of Irish Constitution affirms that national parliament, Oireachtas, will not be able to endorse any law which is abhorrent to Constitution and that such law will be invalid. However, according to article 46, if the change or amendment in Constitution is necessary, the proposal for modification should be commenced by Irish National Assembly, Dà ¡il Éireann (The All-Party Oireachtas Committee On The Constitution 2005). Then, if the bill is passed by the Oireachtas, Constitution bestows the general public a veto through a referendum to approve or disapprove by majority to change the Constitution. The Irish President, if approved by majority of people, then signs the bill and it becomes the part of Constitution (ibid). Legislation: As per Byrne McCutcheon (2009), the wellspring of law known as Legislation comprises of measures which are sanctioned by an authoritative organ in a way which is endorsed by a Constitutional equation To be asked to summarize or to be discussed with teacher References Byrne, R. McCutcheon, J.P., 2009. The Irish Legal System 5th ed., Dublin: Bloomsbury Professional (Ireland). Byrne, R. McCutcheon, J.P., 2001. The Irish legal system 4th ed., Dublin: Butterworths (Ireland). Citizen Information, 2015. Constitution. www.citizensinformation.ie. Available at: http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/government_in_ireland/irish_constitution_1/constitution_introduction.html [Accessed March 19, 2017]. Dainow, J., 1966. The Civil Law and Common Lawà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¯: Some Points of Comparison. The American Journal of Comparative Law, 15(3), p.419. University of California, n.d. The Common Law and Civil Law Traditions. www.law.berkeley.edu. Available at: https://www.law.berkeley.edu/library/robbins/CommonLawCivilLawTraditions.html [Accessed March 16, 2017]. The All-Party Oireachtas Committee On The Constitution, 2005. Amending The Constitution. Available at: http://archive.constitution.ie/amending-the-constitution/default.asp?UserLang=EN [Accessed March 20, 2017]. The bar of Ireland, n.d. The Courts System. www.lawlibrary.ie. Available at: https://www.lawlibrary.ie/Legal-Services/The-Courts-System.aspx [Accessed March 16, 2017].

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

Family and Medical Leave Act Essay -- essays research papers

Family and Medical Leave Act   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  On August 5, 1993, the Family and Medical Leave Act became effective for most of the employers and employees covered by the act. The FMLA is designed to help employees balance their work and family responsibilities by allowing them to take reasonable unpaid leave for certain family and medical reasons, including serious health conditions that prevent the employee from working. Not only has the FMLA evolved over the years, but also the current application in the workplace environment is very complex for the employee as well as the employer.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Over the years, FMLA has evolved into a one of the most discussed and complex laws in the United States. Since 1993, over 35 million eligible workers have taken leave for family or medical reasons. For all the employers covered by the act, 80 percent reported that it had a positive effect or noticeable effect on business productivity, profitability and growth. (www.familyleavesurvey.com) As the FMLA has evolved, it has had positive effects on both employees and employers. However, even though it is very effective, it is also a very complex law.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  FMLA covers private sector employers that employ 50 or more individuals. Public employers are covered under FMLA no matter how many workers they employ. The FMLA requires covered employers to provide up to 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave to eligible employees for childbirth or care of a child, adoption, their own serious illness or that of a...

Monday, November 11, 2019

History of NFL Essay

Jim Thorpe who was a player and a coach for the football team Canton Bulldogs, together with Leo Lyons who owns a football team called Rochester Jeffersons, were the mastermind behind the National Football League (Schweizer and McGovern, 2001, p. 60). The two teams these two guys were a member of were brainstorming one day. It was when the Bulldogs triumphed over the Jeffersons in a match in 1917 when Lyons brought up the idea of forming a league to Thorpe. During this time, Major League Baseball was very popular (Schweizer and McGovern, 2001, p. 60). Thorpe entertained the idea and liked it very much, and decided to pursue the goal immediately. However, Spanish flu became rampant during that time. A lot of football players died in the Great War. There was chaos everywhere, and forming a league was almost impossible. In fact, because of the social unrest, operations had to be suspended (Schweizer and McGovern, 2001, p. 60). The operations of the Bulldogs had to be on a halt. It had to end real soon. Schedules of games were no longer followed because it was deemed necessary to reduce the schedules only to the local groups. It was in 1917 when Lyons came up with the idea of forming a league. It was in 1918 when all the disorder became more noticeable (Schweizer and McGovern, 2001, p. 61). After one year, Lyons could still not get over the unpursued plans, so he went back to New York to encourage teams in Buffalo to a championship match. The Buffalo Prospects were not to back out from this challenge. They gladly accepted the offer and played the game against the Jeffersons for the championship. In this round, the Jeffersons lost to the Buffalo Prospects (Yost, 2006, p. 52). The Bulldogs, by this time, already belonged to Ohio League, which was then an unofficial league. The teams who were part of this league included Ironton Tanks, Shelby Blues, Massillon Tigers and the Bulldogs. Ralph Hay, who was managing the Bulldogs, plus the other Ohio teams, were all convinced by Thorpe to play following the format of a league. Everyone agreed to do this, so a brainstorming session was expected. Everyone contributed to the success of the goals. It was done against Hammond Pros of Chicago, Michigan, and the Detroit Heralds (Yost, 2006, p. 52). During this time, other teams were also holding a game. There were games all over the United States – New York City, Pennsylvania, Indiana, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Illinois. However, while New York City and Pennsylvania had teams, they were not a contributor to the founding of the National Football League as the blue laws of the latter kept the teams from joining the NFL. It was not until 1924 when the teams were finally liberated from the laws (Yost, 2006, p. 52). The New League The formalization of the league did not come immediately. Football enthusiasts had to wait. Formalization only took place at a Hupmobile dealership help in August 1920 in Ohio. It was first known as the APFC, or the American Professional Football Conference. What this league was composed of were Ohio League teams. However, not all teams that were part of the Ohio League joined. In fact, a lot of them decided not to participate (National Football League, 2009). After a month, the American Professional Football Conference was changed to the American Professional Football Association. Since a lot of teams played from the neighboring areas, more teams joined the league. Soon other teams joined the league, and among the teams include Detroit, Hammond, and two from the New York league namely Rochester and Buffalo. Finally, there were eleven teams that founded the league (National Football League, 2009). All teams became subject to an agreement over the declared champion at the end of the season, and player poaching. At this time, Thorpe was still a member of the Bulldogs and remained a player for the said team. He was in fact the president of the team. Out of all the teams that founded the team, only four of them finished the schedule in the year 1920. The first champions went undefeated for years, and that team was the Akron Pros. Akon Pros was the first champion of the league (National Football League, 2009). More teams became interested in the league. Most of the teams that were added to the list came from the teams in New York. The total number of teams reached 22 in as early as 1921, although this is not to say that membership was already going smooth and stable in the whole decade of the 1920s (National Football League, 2009). In fact, the league was still not considered a national game no matter how many teams have been interested in it, and no matter how many people were actually willing to support the and enjoy the league. It frustrated many people. The league decided to change its name again. It finally became the NFL, or the National Football League, on June 24, 1922 (National Football League, 2009). The Birth of the â€Å"NFL† At this point in time, two charter members were existing. They were the Chicago Bears, which was formerly known as Decatur Staleys, and the Arizona Cardinals, which used to carry the name Chicago Cardinals. A team which was lightly a part of the National Football League history was there all along, but was not given much significance since it did not join league plays. It was the Green Bay Packers, which was popular for not having changed locations. It was only in 1921 when the said team started playing in the league (National Football League, 2009). The Indianapolis Colts had a rich history, which can be seen through its multiple predecessors. The team is regarded as a separate franchise. It was founded later, only in 1953, and was named the Baltimore Colts. Other teams started to bid their goodbyes, including Detroit, Chicago, Cleveland and Buffalo among other original NFL teams. However, this did not stop the National Football League to develop. There were many replacement franchises to make up for the absence of the teams that no longer existed. New franchises were established (National Football League, 2009). Post-World War College football catered to many fans. It was actually a very big game that millions of people looked forward to. However, after the Second World War, people started to get bored with college football as their attention was diverted to a more challenging game: the professional football game (National Football League, 2009). Because professional football rivaled the football game college students were playing, rules started to be modified. Newer innovations were being released from time to time. It was during this time, too, when the T-formation was started. Football then was no longer just a game for recreation. It became a game that demanded for higher scores (National Football League , 2009). After many years, the National Footbal League was joined by three teams in 1950. teams came from the All-America Football Conference which was no longer functioning at that time. It expanded to 13 clubs. Because of this fast expansion and rising popularity of the sport, professional football has etched its space in the world as a major sport.

Saturday, November 9, 2019

Features of Private Payer Consumer Driven Health Plans Essays

Features of Private Payer Consumer Driven Health Plans Essays Features of Private Payer Consumer Driven Health Plans Essay Features of Private Payer Consumer Driven Health Plans Essay Individual Features of Private Payer and Consumer-Driven Health Plans Individual Features of Private Payer and Consumer-Driven Health Plans Looking for medical health plans can be demanding on time, but it is worth the time to look over all the options offered. There are many features to go through from Private Payer Plans, such as Preferred Provider Organizations (PPOs), Health Maintenance Organizations (HMOs), Group HMOs, Independent Practice Association (IPA), Point of Service (POS), Indemnity Plans, and Consumer-Driven Health Plans (CDHP) such as, Health Reimbursement Plans, and Flexible Savings Accounts, (Bayes, 2008). Bayes (2008) stated â€Å"PPOs are used by hospitals, physicians, clinics, and pharmacies that help provide care for their insured consumers. † The plan covers â€Å"discounts for fee-for services to the physicians to help with their fee schedules. † Patients or consumers are responsible for â€Å"annual premiums, deductibles† that generate from â€Å"low with high premiums or high with low premiums,† copayments, coinsurance which is a charge for in-net-work providers, services used for out-of-network will cause a higher deductable (p. 292, 293). Bayes (2008) stated that â€Å"HMOs are all licensed by the state†. Plan is strict on guidelines, has few choices of providers. The participating providers are salaried based. Coverage for consumers are given an â€Å"assigned Primary Care Physician (PCP)†, must use network providers to be covered, unless emergencies. Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, (2011) states their â€Å"plan includes monthly rates, copayments, deductible, annual maximums, prescriptions, dental, and must be in network PCP† (Para. 4). Bayes (2008) stated that HMO programs included in plan are â€Å"complete preventative or screening, wellness and health promotion, disease management, and chronic care† (p. 293). : Bayes (2008) stated that â€Å"Group HMOs are contracts with more than one physician group† mainly these are facilities owned by HMO and they can treat nonmembers. HMOs are run under a contract that uses â€Å"paid per member per month (PMPM)† with agreements that capitates the rate, or sub-capitates â€Å"episodes of care (EOC) option† (p. 294, 295). Independent Practice Association (IPA) that is separately owned and formed by physicians. It is a form of an HMO the association provides care by contracting together. IPA receives negotiated fees from the HMO for medical services. IPA capitates a rate to pay its physicians, or they may se a fee for payments. Bayes (2008) stated that â€Å"Point-of-Service (POS) Plan is like a hybrid of HMO and PPO networks. † Offers two networks a primary and a secondary, which the members can choose from. Just like a HMO is considered primary and offers specialty care for non-network physicians. Just like a PPO the secondar y network has annual premiums, copayments, possible tiered plan payments. Indemnity Plans are non-PPO, and non-HMO. This plan has high deductibles, premiums, coinsurance payments that are required. This plans payment method is a fee-for-service for its participation providers. These plans generally have high deductibles, but many offer managed care features; to try to cut costs they use contracts for employers (Bayes, 2008). The CDHPs have two components combined, a funding option and the high-deductable health plan. The plan has one or more tax savings accounts, after deductable is met then there is a discounted fee-for-service, patient pays up to deductable, â€Å"savings account pays for out-of-pocket or non-covered expenses† stated by Bayes (2008). CDHPs offer funding options of, flexible savings accounts, Health reimbursement accounts, and Health savings accounts (p. 296). Health Reimbursement Arrangements (HRAs) is employer paid, but other health plans can be offered with it. The U. S. Department of Treasury (2011) stated â€Å"plans cannot be used for deferrals under a cafeteria plan. † Employee receives payment from employer after expenses incurred after date of enrollment. Employer â€Å"sets the limits for rollovers, tax-deductable deposits, under employers rules portability is allowed, tax-free with drawls for qualified expenses. † Flexible Savings Plans are plans that the employees pay premiums and funds get set aside for other medical expenses that generally are not covered by the health plan. This plan allows for dependent care to be covered, employees and employer make contributions to the plan, but unused funds go back to the employer, there is no portability, tax-free with drawls for qualified expenses, and deposits are all tax-advantaged (Bayes, 2008). There are many more options that are not listed, for more information on individual features of Private Payers and Consumer-Driven Health Plans there are many local insurance companies’ websites that offer this information, such as Blue Cross Blue Shield, Aetna, Prudential, Cigna, AARP and many others. When looking for health insurance it is important to know all the benefits of the plan before choosing one. References Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan,  (2011)  Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan  retrieved from bcbsm. com/myblue/hmo-smart-select. shtml U. S. Department of The Treasury. (2011). U. S. Department of The Treasury. Retrieved from irs. gov/pub/irs-pdf/p969. pdf Valerius, J. Bayes, N. Newby, C. , Seggern, J (2008) Medical insurance: An integrated claims process approach (3rd ed. ). Boston, MA: McGraw-Hill.

Wednesday, November 6, 2019

Alliances and WWII essays

Alliances and WWII essays U.S. foreign policy before the relative turn of the 20th century was rather non-existent. The desire of the new country was to develop individually and become strong. They saw other nations as a threat considering the British and French colonization and the fight for independence. The Monroe Doctrine was enacted to stave off the rest of the world, specifying that they had no business in the Western Hemisphere. During the Civil War, the South wanted assistance by Britain and France. The North saw this to be ignorant and a major threat, if granted, considering the past (McDougall, 97.) Even through the beginning of the 20th century, the U.S. remained isolated as much as international conflict would permit. With the growing struggles for power and the U.S.s general amiability for democracy and tyrannical suppression, they began to ally. After World War II they developed international organizations such as the United Nations, NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization,) and SEATO ( Southeast Asia Treaty Organization.) Current politics affect the U.S.s less than steady amount of involvement in these organizations. The U.S. generally enters alliances to balance others gaining too much power. It sees its current unipolar status is a fine thing that it is intent on retaining, though methods in so doing vary. Alliances with other countries were avoided in the first part of the century but later became necessary. The U.S. preferred to remain unilateral to avoid entangling themselves with other countries. Wilson remained out of the World War I conflict until it directly affected the U.S. He claimed it was an old world quarrel. Intervention came only when Germany began sinking U.S. ships. After World War I, the U.S. wanted to keep peace and punish Germany, but didnt expect unrealistic reparations. Wilson thought the Treaty of Versailles was unrealistic. According to Walter A. McDougall, in Promised...

Monday, November 4, 2019

HISTORY Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

HISTORY - Essay Example As Lynch points out, one of the letters written to New Orleans’ Daily Delta from the freedom movement fighters states that the colored population loves their home, their property, and their own laves and are ready to shed their blood for defending their rights. The activists became skeptical of the government’s policies and strategies also. The government had not paid any attention to the inexorable violence towards the black activist; and on the other hand, there was lack of federal intervention. These issues caused them turn to armed self-defense, and in many cases they ended up in bloodshed. All blacks got involved in the movement and they called for a black solidarity and nationalism. In the same way, blacks in the northern communities started to draw attention against the uncontrolled racism prevailing in the state. The devastating issues such as the residential segregation, harassments from the police and officials, and the lack of employment opportunities were ac ting as force for the black freedom movements in the 18th century. Furthermore, the self-help institutions organized the blacks and played an important role in shaping the lives of the free black people. As Nuruddin (Ed. Ezra, 2) points out, the emergence of the benevolence associations, mutual aid societies, independent African American denominational churches, and semi-independent free schools contributed to the freedom movement. The later revolutions in the black freedom took place after the period of Revolutionary war when the blacks were literate. Famous historic personalities like Richard Allen and Prince Hall founded several institutions such as the African Masonic lodges, Church institutes and Free African Society by the end of 18th  century. These institutions were later developed into independent and separate institutions that facilitated shaping the lives of the free

Saturday, November 2, 2019

Human resource Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

Human resource - Essay Example One such factor is the excellent performance and reward management of the company. The founders of the company abided by all the principles and produced products accordingly. The performance of the company and its progress within a short period of time has made it a nationalised company holding the majority portion of the market share. Current Performance and Reward Management practises at Innocent Performance management is an important cornerstone in the Human Resource practises of an organization (Smither and London, 2009). It is all about measuring the performances of the employees doing their jobs and designing and implementing systems in order to strengthen the performance standards which have been set. It starts with measuring the daily operational performances of the employees. An organization should have a clear understanding about the kind of job for which they are hiring the employees. Based on that the training should be provided and finally the performances of the employe es should be measured. Performance management involves partnership agreement with the employees or the team of employees in order to increase their level of involvement in the organization (Cardy and Leonard, 2011). Moreover the future improvement in the performance of an organization needs the assessment of the past and the present performance. Every section of activities like providing feedback, coordinating with the employees to solve the problems related to their decreased performance, developing improved performance level etc play an important role in performance management. The method of evaluating the performance of a particular employee is known as the performance appraisal. It is a part of the career development and involves review of the performances of the employees