Medicare risk HMOs: careful consideration can yield rewards

Enlightened employers have discovered that Medicare HMOs, especially risk HMOs, offer employees and retirees a win-win alternative. They lower today's costs, controlling-term increases and offer the broadest, quality coverage. Implementing a "winning" Medicare risk HMO requires careful scrutiny of how the HMO operates and delivers care to the Medicare audience and depends on effective communication that is sensitive to the special needs of retirees.     

A GPS data-based analysis of built environment influences on bicyclist route preferences

This study examines the effects of built environment features, including factors of land use and road network, on bicyclists' route preferences using the data from the city of Seattle. The bicycle routes are identified using a GPS dataset collected from a smartphone application named “CycleTracks.” The route choice set is generated using the labeling route approach, and the cost functions of route alternatives are based on principal component analyses. Then, two mixed logit models, focusing on random parameters and alternative-specific coefficients, respectively, are estimated to examine bicyclists' route choice. The major findings of this study are as follows: (1) the bicycle route choice involves the joint consideration of convenience, safety, and leisure; (2) most bicyclists prefer to cycle on shorter, flat, and well-planned bicycle facilities with slow road traffic; (3) some bicyclists prefer routes surrounded by mixed land use; (4) some bicyclists favor routes which are planted with street trees or installed with street lights; and (5) some bicyclists prefer routes along with city features. This analysis provides valuable insights into how well-planned land use and road network can facilitate efficient, safe, and enjoyable bicycling.     

建构“港深都会”

推进香港和深圳的整合,建构"港深都会"既具备必要性,又具备了可行性。目前的"港深都会"属于区域性国际都会,有条件成为世界级的国际大都会。需要加强基础设施对接,实现机场铁路接驳,开放河套地区和开发香港边境禁区,编制《建构"港深都会"目标蓝图》,联合发展总部经济,深化金融合作,落实"深港创新圈"合作,激活"港深人才培养计划",共同解决环保问题。