Yes, companies can cut health costs

Most corporate medical bills are still rising at a feverish pace. But a growing number of employers are fighting back with a potent remedy: managed-care networks.     

Can structural adjustment work for women farmers

This article discusses the impact of structural adjustment programs (SAPs) on women farmers in developing countries. SAPs aim to improve economic efficiency and promote more rapid economic growth. SAPs are introduced in two phases. The first phase involves short-term loans with the condition that the country adopt monetary restraints and currency devaluation measures. In the second phase, long-term loans are given with the provision that the country deregulate their economy and open up markets. The agricultural sector is affected by SAPs because of their importance in employment, income generation, and export earnings. SAPs result in lower farm commodity prices due to currency devaluations and in removal of subsidies, which results in market-sensitive pricing or higher food prices. The impact of SAPs on agriculture vary between countries. In Morocco and Algeria, agriculture expanded under SAPs. In Indonesia, Bolivia, Costa Rica, and Mexico, the agriculture stagnated or declined. Agricultural growth was slowest in Africa. SAPs were somewhat successful in increasing agricultural exports. Food production grew slowly in many adjusting countries. Blame for failures of SAPs has been placed on government failure to implement reforms properly and overly optimistic assumptions about the timing of productive gains. Little attention has focused on the constraints facing women farmers, who are a large proportion of farmers, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. This article focuses on the issues of limited access to resources, credit, agricultural extension and information, land ownership, education, and time as constraints to women farmers. Women also must ensure household food security. For SAPs to work effectively, complementary policies must be implemented that reallocate available productive resources and new technologies to women and that deal with women's constraints.     

Food shoppers give at a healthy clip

California's City of Hope Medical Center has increased its food industry donations by seven figures through the Coupons of Hope program.     

The effect of prospective payment under DRGs on the market value of hospitals

This article investigates the effect of a change in Medicare payment regulations on for-profit hospital market values. A theoretical argument on the effects of this regulatory event is presented in which hospital managers are concerned about firm wealth but also value prestige, provider perceptions of quality, and perhaps other prerequisites. In this case, DRGs will induce hospitals to seek higher wealth because they increase the opportunity cost of nonpecuniary benefits. The issue is pursued empirically by estimating the market response to DRG legislation using seemingly unrelated regressions.     

2001年国际承包商经营动向

在疲软的市场中,更重要的是利润而不是数量     

艾滋病与经济

本文系为世界卫生组织宏观经济和卫生委员会第一工作组撰写,文章原名为Aids & Economics,原载于http://www.iaen.org/files.cgi/7055_bloom_economics.pdf(2001年11月)。翻译此文,是基于世界范围内的艾滋病流行,给各国经济和社会发展都造成了严重影响。中国在经济实现快速增长的同时,也面临着所获成果有被艾滋病吞噬的危险。本文作者利用20世纪80年代及90年代初的调查数据,从宏观及微观的角度就HIV/AIDS对柬埔寨、越南及非洲一些国家的经济所造成的影响进行了回顾,分析了二者之间错综复杂的关系;同时以泰国为例探讨了预防艾滋病病毒感染所可能带来的经济收益,呼吁各国增加对艾滋病防治工作的投入。译者切望通过本文能够引起更多人对艾滋病防治问题的关注,增加对公共卫生领域的财政和人力投入。     

金融自由化的利弊

金融压抑的兴起与民粹主义、国家主义和国家于上主义相联的。在金融压无抑的情况下，许多国家的经济状况进一步恶化。于是，随着金融业管制的放松，更为广泛的国内经济自由化和对外开放得以实现。但利率自由化经常伴随着危机的爆发或者引发危机。然而，对于任何一个希望完全分建设者经济增长利益的国家来说，建立一个实质性的金融自由化体系是惟一可行的出路。