Insurance 40

Many Americans believe that people who lack health insurance somehow get the care they really need. Care Without Coverage examines the real consequences for adults who lack health insurance. The study presents findings in the areas of prevention and screening, cancer, chronic illness, hospital-based care, and general health status. The committee looked at the consequences of being uninsured for people suffering from cancer, diabetes, HIV infection and AIDS, heart and kidney disease, mental illness, traumatic injuries, and heart attacks. It focused on the roughly 30 million-one in seven-working-age Americans without health insurance. This group does not include the population over 65 that is covered by Medicare or the nearly 10 million children who are uninsured in this country. The main findings of the report are that working-age Americans without health insurance are more likely to receive too little medical care and receive it too late; be sicker and die sooner; and receive poorer care when they are in the hospital, even for acute situations like a motor vehicle crash.

With the profit motive, it is axiomatic that the insurance company will try to pay as little as possible on claims. It will use every legal device that is available in the interpretation and application of its contracts (policies), and from time to time, will stretch the restrictive clauses in them. The information provided in this book will give the reader the ammunition with which to confront the insurer, corporate entity or wrong doer on a more level playing field. Unlike most other books on this subject, this work includes loss procedures under property insurance policies such as homeowners and commercial contracts. The other drivers insurance company has agreed to pay the cost to repair the collision damage to you new car, but is that all there is. No, you could be entitled to more. The section dealing with automobile property damage will disclose some cash you may have overlooked. You or a resident relative hits an errant shot on the golf course and instead of its intended destination, the ball smashes the windshield of another members car on the parking lot. You are probably not legally liable for the damage, but you can be a good guy and pay the cost to repair under a special coverage in your homeowners policy. Look at all the possibilities in Infrequently Reported Homeowners Claims. As a member of a same sex marriage in a state where such unions are recognized, what are your rights with respect to the injuries or wrongful death of a spouse? See chapter (Damages) for a discussion of this question. The drunk driver who caused your injuries may not be your only source of restitution. Take a look at Liquor Liability. A kitchen appliance you have not altered in any way causes a fire that seriously damages your home and injures you or members of your family. What are your rights with respect to claims against the manufacturer or vendor of the product? If you, a friend or relative has been involved in an accident that might have been the fault of another or suffered an insured property loss, this book has the potential to save hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars, resulting from underpaid claims or needless expense.

The Model Rules of Professional Conduct provides an up-to-date resource for information on legal ethics. Federal, state and local courts in all jurisdictions look to the Rules for guidance in solving lawyer malpractice cases, disciplinary actions, disqualification issues, sanctions questions and much more. In this volume, black-letter Rules of Professional Conduct are followed by numbered Comments that explain each Rule's purpose and provide suggestions for its practical application. The Rules will help you identify proper conduct in a variety of given situations, review those instances where discretionary action is possible, and define the nature of the relationship between you and your clients, colleagues and the courts.

During the last 25 years, life expectancy at age 50 in the United States has been rising, but at a slower pace than in many other high-income countries, such as Japan and Australia. This difference is particularly notable given that the United States spends more on health care than any other nation. Concerned about this divergence, the National Institute on Aging asked the National Research Council to examine evidence on its possible causes. According to Explaining Divergent Levels of Longevity in High-Income Countries, the nation's history of heavy smoking is a major reason why lifespans in the United States fall short of those in many other high-income nations. Evidence suggests that current obesity levels play a substantial part as well. The book reports that lack of universal access to health care in the U.S. also has increased mortality and reduced life expectancy, though this is a less significant factor for those over age 65 because of Medicare access. For the main causes of death at older ages-cancer and cardiovascular disease-available indicators do not suggest that the U.S. health care system is failing to prevent deaths that would be averted elsewhere. In fact, cancer detection and survival appear to be better in the U.S. than in most other high-income nations, and survival rates following a heart attack also are favorable. Explaining Divergent Levels of Longevity in High-Income Countries identifies many gaps in research. For instance, while lung cancer deaths are a reliable marker of the damage from smoking, no clear-cut marker exists for obesity, physical inactivity, social integration, or other risks considered in this book. Moreover, evaluation of these risk factors is based on observational studies, which-unlike randomized controlled trials-are subject to many biases.

Roughly 40 million Americans have no health insurance, private or public, and the number has grown steadily over the past 25 years. Who are these children, women, and men, and why do they lack coverage for essential health care services? How does the system of insurance coverage in the U.S. operate, and where does it fail? The first of six Institute of Medicine reports that will examine in detail the consequences of having a large uninsured population, Coverage Matters: Insurance and Health Care, explores the myths and realities of who is uninsured, identifies social, economic, and policy factors that contribute to the situation, and describes the likelihood faced by members of various population groups of being uninsured. It serves as a guide to a broad range of issues related to the lack of insurance coverage in America and provides background data of use to policy makers and health services researchers.