Grenzüberschreitende Gesundheitsleistungen als Handlungsfeld für die Gesetzliche Krankenversicherung

The TK customer survey gives insights in the current experiences of patients with cross-border health care in Europe and illustrates their expectations regarding the future of the German health care system within the EU. Currently emergency care during temporary stays in another member state accounts for the vast majority of cross-border care. The use of care concentrates on a small number of countries. The survey shows that the E111-process has a number of significant practical problems. As a result most cross-border cases are dealt with by cost reimbursement. As mobility of the insured is likely to increase, demand for cross-border care will follow suit. However, even with a liberalisation of the European health care markets following recent ECJ decisions, a boost in demand is unlikely. The findings show that an increase in demand for cross-border care can be expected for highly specialized medical care, medical products, specially pharmaceuticals as well as non-urgent treatments. Patients require significant support when considering a treatment abroad leading to a number of interesting options for statutory sickness funds to develop innovative services and benefits. However, implementation of additional benefits with regard to cross-border care, requires modification of the national legal framework.     

Entwicklung der Gesetzlichen Krankenversicherung und Reformansätze

Die Sanierung des schon lange als marode geltenden deutschen Gesundheitssystems steht seit 30 Jahren auf der Tagesordnung. Wie sieht die Bilanz der Gesundheitsreformen aus? Wie ist das deutsche Krankenversicherungssystem im internationalen Vergleich zu beurteilen? Welche Ansatzpunkte gibt es für Reformen?     

Optimal Taxation of Bequests in a Model with Initial Wealth*

We formulate an optimal‐taxation model where parents leave bequests to their descendants for altruistic reasons. In contrast to the standard model, individuals differ not only in earning abilities, but also in initial (inherited) wealth. In this model, a redistributive motive for an inheritance tax – which is equivalent to a uniform tax on all expenditures – arises, given that initial wealth increases with earning abilities. The introduction of the inheritance tax either increases intertemporal social welfare or has an ambiguous effect, depending on whether the external effect related to altruism is accounted for in the social objective.     

Infinitely repeated games with public monitoring and monetary transfers

This paper studies infinitely repeated games with imperfect public monitoring and the possibility of monetary transfers. It is shown that all public perfect equilibrium payoffs can be implemented with a simple class of stationary equilibria that use stick-and-carrot punishments. A fast algorithm is developed that exactly computes the set of pure strategies equilibrium payoffs for all discount factors.     

The evolving role of trade associations in negotiated environmental agreements: the case of United Kingdom Climate Change Agreements

Voluntary and negotiated agreements are becoming increasingly popular instruments for regulating industry's environmental performance. Although their main purpose is to modify the behaviour of individual firms, the coordinating role of trade (or industry) associations is often critical to their environmental effectiveness. Thus, a clear and mutually agreed understanding of associations' role in the agreement process is essential. This paper examines the nature of trade associations' input into the negotiation and implementation of environmental agreements, using the case study of United Kingdom Climate Change Agreements. Results show associations serving a range of coordinating roles, including the aggregation of members' viewpoints, negotiation of agreements, provision of regulatory and technical knowledge and collation of performance data. We conclude that further involvement of trade associations in negotiated and voluntary agreements can bring appreciable, though not uncontested, benefits in terms of environmental effectiveness. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment.     

Continuous utility functions for noninferior demand functions

Summary It is shown that if a demand function with no inferior goods satisfies the Slutsky conditions and has a convex range, then it is generated by a continuous utility function. The same conclusion holds when the Slutsky conditions are replaced by the strong axiom of revealed preference.     

Disability management and the Disability Discrimination Act

This article examines the implications that the Disability Discrimination Act is likely to have for existing organisational practices relating to the treatment of employees who acquire a disability during the course of their employment. Drawing on claims experience under the Americans with Disabilities Act, the authors conclude that if employers are to minimise their legal difficulties they need to adopt a proactive approach to disability management, encompassing both preventive and remedial strategies. They further suggest that the HR function is the best place to locate responsibility for ensuring that such an approach is adopted and effectively implemented.