Argument Paper on the Safety That Comes with Seat Belts Essay Example for Free

Argument Paper on the Safety That Comes with Seat Belts Essay Seat belts are intended to reduce injuries by stopping the person that is using it from hitting the hard interior things of the vehicle or other passengers also by preventing the passengers in the mid section and next to the driver seat from shooting out of the car’s windshield. There had been many accidents where the driver or the passenger had not worn their seat belt and because of that they had suffer severe injuries. They had severe injuries that they would have to be hospitalize for weeks and even months. In my opinion I feel that it is mandatory, that the passengers and the drivers wear their seat belts. Its not for our benefit its for the safety of them. Seat belts are great safety devices in vehicles today. They save about 9,500 lives every year, but only 48 percent of the drivers have their seat belts buckled. More than 60 percent of the drivers are killed in fatal crashes because they did not buckle their seat belts in 1996. Most drivers say that they drive carefully, but that doesn’t mean the people in your lane on the highway drive carefully. I feel like that its necessary to wear your seat belt. It does not even take that long for someone to put on his or her sear belts. I strongly feel that people who don’t wear their seat belts should get ticketed because it’s their safety we are trying to protect. Even though that a seat belt penalty is only about 50 dollars and 2 points, people still don’t wear their seat belts. As if this penalty is not enough. I feel that the penalty should be more then 50 dollars because if we have a law for you to follow that is meant for your safety it should be more, because like I said it’s a law for your safety. Wearing your seat belt is very important because most of the Traffic crashes are a leading cause of death in the US for people for people who don’t wear their seat belts. More then half of the people that had been killed in 2000 due to not wearing their seat belts. â€Å"We should be allowed to ruin our own lives, but we shouldnt be allowed to ruin the lives of others. So, yes, its tragic when someone dies because he refused to wear a seatbelt, but its much more tragic when a reckless driver kills innocent people. † Exerted from http://www. reason. com/news/show/32805. html I want you to imagine if your son or daughter went to a party where they had alcohol, but your son or daughter decided not to consume any alcohol because they were going to drive home. They did not want to get into an accident. Unfortunately he or she decided not to wear her seat belt because he or she thought that there were no cars and he or she didn’t see the point of it. He or she thought that it was safe outside because it was late and there should be very few cars on the street. She or he thought it that nothing could happen because he or she only lived a few blocks away from the party. Unlike your son or daughter some kids did consume alcohol. They got in a car but even though they did consume alcohol and they were under the influence of it they did remember to put on their seat belts. The driver wanted to beat the yellow light and wanted to drop home his friends faster. He also thought that there should be very few cars in the roads and decided to go for it. Unfortunately by the time he got to the light it had turned red and he still went to cross the red light. Meanwhile your daughter or son was crossing the same intersection and there was a big collision. Your son or daughter rear was hit hard and the car spun around and hit a tree. Your son or daughter then was projected out the windshield and into the sidewalk. The intoxicated diver and his passengers were all injured but not as severe as your son or daughter. Your son or daughter would have to be in the hospital for several weeks or even months while the intoxicated kids would go home with a few cuts and bruises. Most of this could have been avoided if your son or daughter would have been smart and would have been wearing their seat belt. It is in my interest that adults and especially teens should be wearing their seatbelts. A seat belt is sometimes called a safety belt the reason is because the seat belt is used to prevent most severe injuries, which I have just explained that could happen to anyone even those you love.

Alternatives for Capitalism in a Globalised Economy

Alternatives for Capitalism in a Globalised Economy Essential for globalized economy: Communism or Capitalism In this globalized economy now it is a big question for us that, what is the perfect economic system: communism or capitalism? By globalization we can understand cross boarder market. There is an international exchange of labor forces, ideas, capitals, knowledge, products, and services. Now we will focus on capitalism and communism and try to find out that in this globalized economy capitalism or communism, what is best suited? Is Communism applicable in globalized economy? Communism is a concept, in that ownership of land, capital and industry cannot be owned or controlled by the individual. However, under Communism the control of these things is not by a local community but by the State Government. Under this system the government has total control of everything produced and control what is made, and who will receive the goods and services produced. Under this system you are not allowed to own your own home, your own car, your own furniture, or even the food you eat. The State decides what you can use and where you will work. So, we think it is an obstacle for global economy. Because if the country determine what will be produced, how will be produced and for whom will be produced, then developed countries may notbe interested to invest in that country. At the same time Communism kills the will to work, competition, innovation and creativity, where these are the main characteristics of a worker in this modern globalized economy. Why compete to work? You wont make any more money. Why spend time innovating new ideas, or being creative, there wont be anything in it for me. As a result they fail to provide goods and services for their citizens. The Soviet Eastern Communist countries of the 20th century were noted for not having much goods and services for their citizens. Yet, the ruling class always had plenty of everything, and it was usually imported from capitalist countries. While we have rich people in America, we also have a large middle class that live comfortable lives. Even many if not most poor people in America have refrigerators, TVs, and food on the table. Since Communism controls all goods and services, the individual is at the total mercy of the State. You have no rights except those granted by the State. The old Soviet Union was a police state, with total control over its citizens.West Germany was full of cars on the Autobahns. The streets in East Germany were mostly empty, with an occasional person on bicycle, even in the middle of winter. Freedom of travel is restricted in a Communist State because they control who gets what and for how long. If you were lucky enough to get a car in East Germany, it was usually a worthless piece of junk. But, we may face a question that if communism creates hindrance to global economy, then how China runs its global economy as we know it is a communist country? Then our answer will be†¦ While China’s government may be officially communist, the Chinese people express widespread support for capitalism. And since 2002, the Chinese have been one of the strongest proponents of capitalism, even more so than Americans and Western Europeans. During last 30-35 years China has brought enormous changes to its economy. In the late 1970s, the government started opening the economy to foreign investment and privatization. With these changes came sky-high economic growth – an average of 10% since 1980. And now about 76% people of China agree that most people are better off in a free market economy. Listverse showed 10 benefits of Capitalism: Happiness If you look at this happiness map published by scholars from the University of Leicester, you can clearly see that the foremost democratic, capitalist countries like the USA, Canada, New Zealand and the whole of Europe are the happiest in the world. This is because in these countries, thanks to the free-market, whatever products people want, they can get. ViableAlternatives Perhaps the strongest argument working in favor of democratic capitalism is that there is no alternative politico-economic system which has proved itself to work in our modern age. Almost every attempted implementation of communism has failed (China – abandoned total communism long ago and are slowly creeping towards capitalism). America became socialist and imposed many strong measures on corporations to regulate their behavior, the largest companies (Trans-National Corporations) would most likely move their industry elsewhere, and potential entrepreneurs would be scared to invest in capital, irreparably damaging America’s economy. So as you can see, changing the economic system isn’t even an option. Growth Capitalism allows the economy to grow exponentially. It is a basic fact of economics that the more money a firm makes, the more it can invest in production, and the more it invests in production, the more money it makes. So long as no unfortunate events befall the firm, this growth can, obviously, continue indefinitely. Many see a problem arising with this: there are only a finite, or ‘scarce’ amount of resources on Earth, so this huge growth of production will one day run to a halt. Health There is greater awareness than ever of the importance of fitness due to government campaigns. All of these contribute to an extremely fit society, and, in desperation, one can always resort to liposuction or some other sort of surgery. Social Good It might seem at first glance that everyone is selfishly working for their own money, but dig a little deeper and it becomes apparent that every job has a benefit for someone else. Factory workers produce the products that we can’t live without; hairdressers perform a service that benefits us body and soul; and the police work to protect us and make sure we live in a lawful society. Even unpopular and ‘overpaid’ professions such as city bankers and sportsmen have a positive effect on society, whether it be helping us manage our money, entertainment or something else. Equality No matter where you start in life, everyone has an opportunity to make it big. The basic principle is that the harder you work, the greater your reward. Human Nature Being the Best Freedom Built on Democracy (Nunno, Jed Rachael, 2014) An authoritarian communist party controls Vietnam. Its true. But its founding ideology appears all but gone from the hearts of Vietnams people. Vietnam, in fact, may actually be one of the most pro-capitalist countries on Earth. Almost all Vietnamese people — 95% of them — now support capitalism, according to the Pew Research Center, which polled nearly 45 nations late last year on economic issues. No other country in the poll cracked 90%. Even in the United States — where socialist can be used as an insult — only 70% agreed that a free market economy is the best kind of economy. (Winn, 2015) References Nunno, Jed Rachael, 2014. Listverse. [Online] Available at: http://listverse.com/2010/12/24/top-10-greatest-benefits-of-capitalism/ [Accessed 24 April 2015]. Simmons, K., Spring, 2014. Global Attitude Survey, Washington, DC: PEW Research Center. Winn, P., 2015. USA TODAY. [Online] Available at: http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2015/03/13/vietnam-capitalism-global-post/70261770/ [Accessed 24 April 2015].

A Film Analysis Of An Inconvenient Truth Politics Essay

A Film Analysis Of An Inconvenient Truth Politics Essay The film chosen for the analysis is An Inconvenient Truth. This is a documentary film made in 2006, directed by Davis Guggenheim and presented by Al Gore, the former Vice-President of USA and a US presidential Candidate. The film deals about global warming and climate change and it presents and explains to the public a crisis that impacts and will impact us all. This film, although not a Canadian production, was chosen for several reasons. First climate change and global warming is a global issue, affecting all people on Earth, regardless of their nationality, religion or social status. It is also a Canadian issue because Canada is a part of this global community but it also a Canadian issue because of very specific environment in the north of this country. Also, Canada is one of the biggest polluters in the world and is ranked amongst the dirty dozen: the twelve biggest producers of greenhouse gases. Second, climate change has in the last couple of years become a very important poli tical issue. The issue of global warming and other environmental issues have been widely discussed in the Canadian press while the politicians have been increasingly debating this topic. Since the public awareness about the climate change has grown (partly because of this film!), Canadian voters have made the environment a very important, if not the most important issue in deciding which party to vote for. Third, climate change and global warming have been in the center of media attention because of Canadas recent withdrawal from the Kyoto protocol. Also the Conservative governments decision to develop a national plan for the reduction of the greenhouse emissions (instead of joining the international effort) additionally raised public attention Stephen Harpers government claims that the Kyoto commitment would be too disruptive to Canadas economy, and hence the change. Finally, the global warming theorists have responded to the documentary with their counter argument; some are good, and others are weak. The proposal of this essay is to attempt to present both sides; what is presented in the film documentary, how it is debunked by supporters of the global warming theory, and what information presented in the documentary and in the response can be debunked; and what is left after the debunking. What science remains after applying science to both arguments? The film follows Al Gores lectures to mass audiences on global warming and climate change. As Mr. Gore states himself, he has given the lecture a thousand times in cities all over the world. To an average person a retired politician giving a lecture on a complex science issue may seem like something that one would probably sleep through. Yet, Gore is very passionate on the subject; the lecture is very well conceived, prepared and presented. In the film the lecture is combined with dramatic images and facts thus giving it a feeling like a good action movie. Gore is eloquent, funny and entertaining. The facts are presented in a very simple yet extraordinarily effective manner. The lecture as well as the film is most likely aimed at people who know little about this issue. However, even those who believe to know a lot may still be in for several surprises. For example, I was shocked to find out that US cars couldnt be sold in China since they do not meet the Chinese environmental standa rds! In fact, Chinese mileage standards are better than the mileage standards in Canada. An Inconvenient Truth is an excellent film, primarily because it manages to get its message across. For the first time, global warming has become a mainstream issue and everybody is talking about it. Even those who criticize the film and call it a lie are nevertheless thinking about it and acting on it. The issues of global warming, climate change and their relationship with the increase of greenhouse gases are not new. In fact as Mr. Gore states in the film, the evidence that there is an increase in CO2 levels in the global atmosphere has been around since the early 1960s. Despite this fact a controversy around this issue arose in past decades. Some sources claimed that the increase in the concentration of green house gases is not a product of human activity at all but is rather a natural process. However, this controversy was not created by the scientific community. There is no doubt amongst scientists that the current global warming is caused by human activities. They have also pr esented a range of effects that we can expect to occur. The controversy is a political creation perpetrated by popular press. As Mr. Gore eloquently tells us, there is no controversy about these facts. Out of 925 recent articles in peer-reviewed scientific journals about global warming, 0% said that that the causes of global warming are uncertain. The success and the impact of the film can be attributed to many dramatic images that are used to show the effects of global warming and which the creators use to punctuate the facts they are presenting. A good example is a photograph of Mount Kilimanjaro in Kenya, Africa. The film begins and ends with image of the Earth, landscapes, seas, lakes and sunsets. The first photo is from the 1970 and then several follow up until 2005. Each show an increasing and alarming reduction of snow and ice at the peak of the mountain with the progression of time. On the last photograph there is hardly any snow. The emotional impact is heightened with dramatic images of New Orleans after the hurricane Katrina. The hurricane was directly linked to climate change and global warming because one of the effects of global warming are more severe storms. Another segment which was chosen to touch US viewers was the one in which Mr. Gore discusses the fate of certain low-lying regions in the worst-case event of melted icecaps raising the sea-level by twenty some feet. The film does a nice job also of giving some perspective to Mr. Gores passion. He talks openly and emotionally about his son being hit by a car at the age of six, and how thinking he was going to lose his beloved child made him reconsider his priorities and what he was doing with his life. The emotion of two other events in Mr. Gores life and how they inspired his environmental activism also come across in the film: his defeat in Florida to Bush, the death of his sister, a lifelong smoker, from lung cancer and the fact that his family farmed tobacco and didnt stop until after her death. However, these are very briefly covered but still are an important piece of the story. Furthermore, Mr. Gores presentation is very straightforward, simple and precise. He gives it flavour by adding jokes, literary quotes and by using a sleek, savvy and sophisticated power-point slide show. These details make up for the lack of literally any other person addressing the audience. Al Gore and the makers of this film go to great lengths to emphasize that the problem of global warming and the issues related to climate change as well as the urgency of the need to do something about it should not be political issues. To Mr. Gore this issue is so important and the potential consequences so dire that it is necessary to put aside all political differences and to go beyond politics. Yet in the film, the authors cannot help but criticize the Republican Party for their attitude towards the environment. The scenes in New Orleans after Katrina link the consequences of the current US Administrations lack of action against global warming with the Administrations failure to act and help the people of New Orleans after the hurricane. There is a scene in which two Republican Presidents are commenting on global warming as a non-issue, an attitude that seems ridiculous at best. To Mr. Gore global warming and its consequence go beyond politics and borders: it is a moral issue. If we do not do something to stop it we will be acting unethically. Nevertheless, he does not steer clear of politics. He compares our current attitude of doing almost nothing against global warming to the attitude of world powers in the 1930s while the Nazi were rising to power in Germany. Although it should not be a political issue because global warming is a fact and not an opinion or one partly or the other, nevertheless it is clear that it is now exactly a political issue. People are divided amongst two groups. In the first group are those who agree that global warming is taking place, that it is caused by human activities, particularly fossil fuel burning and that it is causing dire consequences. In the second group are those who believe that the current global warming is a natural occurrence and that it is not caused by human activity and that therefore nothing needs to be done about it. The first group are usually liberal, environmentalists; the second group are people in the oil and automobile industry, conservatives, Republicans. Hence, in this way global warming and problems surrounding it actually become a political issue. Mr. Gore states in the documentary that he wants to reach as many people as possible one city at a time. However it is more likely that p eople who share views with him will be the ones that will watch the film. Those who oppose them, will not want to see it. Yet the film will also reach those that are undecided or more importantly know little or nothing about global warming. Some may know a little bit about global warming but be unaware of the far-reaching consequences it may have on the global climate. It is these people that the movie is targeting. The main message of the first movie is that global warming is real and is happening, that humans play a significant role in what is happening, and if we continue to neglect what is happening the future could bring catastrophe on a global scale. What Mr. Gore and the authors of the film are doing is simply offering up the growing mountain of scientific evidence that backs this argument to as many people as possible in a simple and approachable fashion. The idea of the film, much like the idea behind Mr. Gores lectures is to inform as many ordinary people as possible. Global warming has become a political issue, although as Mr. Gore argues it is an issue that goes beyond politics. The political aspect cannot be ignored particularly because of Mr. Gore political history and because the USA is currently all but ignoring the topic of global warming. The film documentary The Great Global Warming Swindle (2007), by director Martin Durkin, features some of the worlds and certainly the United States most highly credible and respected scientists in a discussion on global warming. The scientists are taking the position that global warming is occurring, but that it is more scientifically seen as the natural forces of nature as opposed to the man-made greenhouse gasses or CO2 put into the atmosphere by mankind. Their argument about global warming as a natural occurrence is compelling, and convincing. At the foundation of this argument, which has garnered great support, including celebrities like Leonardo DiCaprio, and political force, like former Vice President Al Gore who has made a film about mans abuse of fossil fuels; is the notion that global warming is bringing about climate change that is responsible for everything from the melting of the icebergs at the north pole, to tidal waves and hurricanes (Gore, A., An Inconvenient Truth, 2006, motion-picture). In response to the allegations that mankind and, especially, that CO2 regardless of who put it into the air; mankind, plants, the residual of the decaying plant and life processes. A group of scientists, including highly respected Professor Tim Ball, of the University of Winnipeg; Professor Niv Shaviv, University of Jerusalem; Professor Ian Clark, University of Ottawa; Professor John Christy of the University of Alabama and lead author International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), Professor Philip Stott, University of London; Professor Richard Lindzen, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology; and others from Harvard and other highly respected universities around the world. Have come together on film, loaded with scientific information which, if it does not refute mankinds responsibility for global warming, at least demonstrates that there is a lack of scientific evidence to support that contention. Because it is highly controversial, and because these scientists have taken the unpopular position of anti-CO2; they have now been called names like heretic and have even been the subjects of death threats because of their outspokenness. It is not, they emphasize, to be unpopular to contrary to a popular notion, but to refute bad science, they say, that they come together in this way to present the other side, the scientific side, of global warming that is not found in Al Gores very popular film on mankind generated global warming, An Inconvenient Truth (2006). Anytime a cause has the huge special interest of the environmentalists, responsible for preventing exploitation of fossil fuels in the pristine Alaskan range; and add to that mix the celebrity of Hollywood and the political clout of the man from whom the 2000 presidential election was stolen from, Al Gore, then you have an emotional, but highly powered, or fueled, group of advocates. It is not that their goal of alternative fuels is not an admirable goal; only, contend the scientists of The Great Global Warming Swindle, that it is, at best, bad science, and, at worst, responsible for keeping the third world nations in the dark because of their support and influence in preventing development or industrialization in third world nations. Carbon dioxide, the scientists of The Great Global Warming Swindle, contend, has always had a fluctuating presence in the earths atmosphere, and that it is a relatively small amount in the atmosphere. The data, they contend, shows that there is a surface warming of a slight level, but no atmospheric warming. The recent warming of the earth, they contend, happened in the early part of the 20th century, and, if the CO2 theory were valid, it would be reflected in the data that shows that the most significant increase in human generated CO2. Professor Ian Clark has examined ice samples going back thousands of years, but that link between CO2 and the weather, but that the CO2 levels lag behind the temperature increase by 800 years. So when the temperature rises, behind it, consistent with historical data, the CO2 rises. The most fundamental assumption of climate changes because of CO2 is proven wrong, the scientists say. In fact, that the CO2 increases in the atmosphere is more easily proven scientifically to be consistent with global cooling, than global warming. Other natural bodies, like the oceans, are the source of CO2 than is the modern technology of mankind.The scientists say that the global warming, now, is a result of coming out of a mini-ice age, and that during that time, which predates modern civilization, the temperatures were much cooler than those times going back to the little medieval period, when in fact the temperatures were much higher than temperatures today, and during a period when mankind could not have had any responsibility for putting CO2 into the atmosphere. It is not, these scientists contend, CO2 that drives climate change. They do agree that climate change is occurring, that the global warming is occurring; but that it is more related to the activity of the sun, solar flares, solar winds that pass close to the earth, than mankinds generating CO2 into the atmosphere. It is important to understand that these scientists do not disagree that there is a need to find alternative fuel sources, or that environmental conscientiousness is a good thing; they do, however, adamantly maintain that they cannot stand back as scientists and allow to be put out as fact and good science, when in fact it is not.

Shakespears sounds Essay examples -- Literary Analysis, Shakespeare

There are many benefits as to why plays are used to deliver entertainment rather than an author just writing their story on paper. A play pleases visual and auditory senses, while still delivering an entertaining storyline. Words on a page are simply no match for a play with the â€Å"extras† that come into the making of a play. Quoted to for his plays he wrote Ben Jonson said about William Shakespeare, â€Å"Soule of the Age! The applause! delight! The wonder of our stage!† William Shakespeare is one of the most influential playwrights to have ever existed. He was aware of what could be done on stage through his plays and the different roles that the effects of sound could have in his plays. This is specifically shown in Shakespeare’s play The Tempest. In The Tempest the different sounds that are featured throughout the play have a role of their own. Several different sounds are included throughout the play, including thunder, music, and several sounds that are made by the spirit Ariel. The many sounds in Shakespeare’s The Tempest are included to guide the completion of Prospero’s plan of forgiving his enemies. Although the sounds may seem at first as only to be extra text Shakespeare included in his play, with a further in depth look the magnitude of their role can be seen. The most evident of sounds that is seen in the play, happens to be the first text seen in the play. The play opens up with the stage directions, â€Å"On a ship at sea: a tempestuous noise of thunder and lightning heard† (I.i.1-2). This was not just filler to start off the play. Shakespeare had a specific purpose as to why he starts off The Tempest in this way. The sound of the thunder in this case literally sets the scene for the entire play. This sound may be arguably... ...tage performances and great number of plays of Shakespeare that are read, one needs to remember to use their imagination while reading Shakespeare. As Mitchell writes in her explanation of Shakespeare’s many sounds throughout his many plays, â€Å"Since sound effects contribute to emotional impact, it is useful to interpret them correctly† (Mitchell 127). It may be possible to argue that The Tempest by William Shakespeare, should add the character â€Å"sound† into the lead role. The influence that the various sounds have throughout the play truly alter the characters paths and cause them to fall deeply into the plan of Prospero. Without sound, the plot of Prospero could not have been completed. William Shakespeare incorporated sound perfectly, again proving his genius as a playwright and giving anyone who reads or watches the play and witty and entertaining plot.

How does ICT affect both family and society? :: ICT Essays

 « There may be a reduced number of manual jobs. This is because computers and machinery can be used instead.  « ICT allows you to work from home. This is an advantage of no travelling and being able to live in any part of the country.  « There may be a reduction of jobs available because of the decrease in manual work. This would cause an increase in unemployment.  « The use of ICT gives the opportunity to work for yourself. It also makes it a lot easier than doing the work manually.  « There is the need to continually update worker skills, especially those who no longer spend year after year doing the same job.  « ICT can create new and interesting jobs. These can include jobs such as a computer programmer. This would also may work more enjoyable.  « With the increase in ICT there is the de-skilling or elimination of some office jobs. How will the new ICT system affect the family? A new ICT system is likely to affect the family in question, in different ways. However, it is likely to make the life of these people a lot easier and more manageable. It also allows you to be more organised. A Computer is especially helpful to school children and those who work. This is because using a computer is less time consuming, than compared to the manually writing everything up. It therefore makes life easier. Copies can be easily made meaning the family will not have to spends hours upon end rewriting documents. A new ICT system would allow the family to have improved communications around the world. The system would be equipped with the Internet and email service providers, such as Microsoft Outlook and Lycos. These facilities would allow the family to communicate with the rest of the world more easily. MSN messenger would be useful to children in the family and would also be convenient for work. The use of email is both quicker and more convenient than writing a letter. You can receive many attachments that you may have sent yourself or other people have sent. Email is a reasonably secure way of communication because you need a password to access your account. It is also useful because you can access your email from any server. You can also keep in contact with the family, no matter how far away they live. The family would have access to news on everyday events etc, via the Internet search engines and encyclopaedias. A new ICT system would allow the family to produce documents, databases, images, recordings etc. This is a lot less stressful than

Privacy And Security Concerns Regarding Health Information Essay

Case 4.8 – E-mail Goes Astray Primarily, the technician is the one responsible for the breach in confidentiality because he was the one who sent out the e-mails. Moreover, he did not seek instructions from Kaiser Permanente regarding the backlogged e-mails. Kaiser Permanente hired the technician to upgrade their system. Therefore, tasks other than doing upgrades should be consulted to the company. The technician should have asked whether the accumulated e-mails in the system should be sent out, and he should have asked what to do with them. However, Kaiser Permanente is partly responsible for the breach, because first and foremost, since they hold millions of private information, they should have made sure that that information would not be compromised. They should have made their system secure and only accessible to Kaiser Permanente personnel. Yes, situations like this discourage subscribers in using the system of Kaiser Permanente. However, the services that Kaiser Permanente offer is of great value and subscribers will not easily discontinue their subscription. But Kaiser Permanente has to ensure their subscribers that this will not happen in the future by informing them what caused the breach and reassuring them that upgrades are being done to improve the security of the system and the privacy of their information. The most important thing to do here is to be honest and at the same time make great efforts to secure the system of the company. Case 4.17 – Patient’s Files Used for Obscene Calls Definitely, background checks should be conducted before hiring new employees because this would ensure the safety of the clients, especially in the health care industry. Employers should be granted access to criminal records for them to be able to identify the extent of the crime that ex-convicts have committed. Cases such as child rape and indecent assault is a serious crime that should not be disregarded when hiring employees, especially when the job requires dealing with other people, children, etc. such as in the health care institution. Former employees who are given access to system information that are confidential, such as passwords, etc. should be screened out from the system. In other words, once an employee is not connected with the institution anymore, his access to the system should be deleted or reset. In this case, the system of the health care institution is at fault because it failed to keep the information confidential and secure. In this case, the hospital is accountable for the actions of the technician. Primarily because they hired an employee without doing background checks, they do not monitor the system, wherein they could have detected that calls were being made and the information of the clients were being accessed, and the system is not 100 % secure. Case 4.44 – University Tightens Computer Security Because of the wide range of subscribers in university medical centers information systems, it becomes vulnerable to hackers. In this case, they hacked into the system and used it to send hundreds of advertisements in their e-mails. The hackers wanted to target the significant number of subscribers in the system. However, the information within the system is not precisely the target of the breach. It is not entirely the medical center’s fault. This is because hackers do what they do. They find ways to get into the system even if security measures were set-up to avoid breaching the security of an information system. Therefore, even if the system is secure, hackers will really find a way to get into the system. The medical center’s fault was that they were not able to detect that the system was being hacked. They should have upgrades in the system, which will be used in monitoring the system and alarming when hackers breach the system.

Health Insurance

Aetna, Inc. is an American health insurance company, which is the direct descendant of Aetna (Fire) Insurance Company, of Hartford, Connecticut. In 1850 Aetna began operation of an Annuity Fund and the company would soon to be known as Aetna Life Insurance Company. In 1899 Aetna became one of the first publicly held insurance companies to enter the health insurance field. Since then Aetna has become committed to providing access to cost-effective health care of the highest possible standard, to protect people against health-related risks and enable them to achieve both good health and financial security.Aetna has provided such products and services for 150 years, and has the ability to be a leader in building a strong and effective system of health care by cooperating with health care professionals and public officials Aetna, Inc. provides a range of traditional and consumer directed health care insurance products and related services, including medical, pharmaceutical, dental, behav ioral health, group life, long-term care, and disability plans, and medical management capabilities. Aetna is a member of the Fortune 100 Aetna Mission & ValuesOur company’s mission, values and goals are expressed through The Aetna Way. The Aetna Way, comprising the elements below, encompasses our shared sense of purpose and provides clarity as we pursue our operational and strategic goals: †¢ Why We Exist: The Aetna Mission †¢ What We Believe In: Our Values †¢ What We’re Trying to Achieve †¢ How We Run Our Business Why We Exist: The Aetna Mission Aetna is dedicated to helping people achieve health and financial security by providing easy access to safe, cost-effective, high-quality health care and protecting their finances against health-related risks.Building on our 150-year heritage, Aetna will be a leader cooperating with doctors and hospitals, employers, patients, public officials and others to build a stronger, more effective health care syste m. What We Believe In: Our Values At Aetna, we put the people who use our services at the center of everything we do and live by a core set of values: †¢ Integrity †¢ Quality Service and Value †¢ Excellence and Accountability †¢ Employee Engagement What We’re Trying to AchieveWe seek to achieve superior customer satisfaction through innovative products, comprehensive health and related benefits choices, effective service and easy-to-understand information. Our goals are: †¢ To give individuals and families affordable coverage choices, helpful service and information so they get the financial protection and health care they need – from prevention through chronic and critical care. †¢ To respect and work effectively with doctors and hospitals by establishing efficient processes and providing prompt claims payments and useful information that helps them provide safe, cost-effective, high-quality health care. To provide employers advice, cost- effective benefits choices and programs that improve the health status and productivity of their work forces. †¢ To partner with brokers and consultants through responsive service, timely information and attractive commissions so they may effectively advise employers on their benefits choices. †¢ To offer employees an engaging and diverse work environment that permits them to satisfy their professional ambitions, take pride in their contributions and share in Aetna's success. †¢ To be a leading corporate citizen, improving the quality of life in communities where we live and work. To award shareholders a superior return on their investment in our company. How We Run Our Business Based on our values, which guide our day-to-day activities, we adhere to specific business practices that help us fulfill our mission, reach our goals, and achieve profitable growth. †¢ Plans: We build and monitor business plans, taking corrective actions on negative variances. †¢ Pr oducts: We develop and accurately price innovative products. †¢ Networks: We develop and manage networks of doctors and hospitals to support multiple product and funding choices. Access to Care: We provide our members access to cost-effective high-quality health care while accurately predicating and managing medical costs. †¢ Claims and Billing: We achieve timely and accurate claims payments and premium billing and collection. †¢ Productivity: We pursue continuous productive and process improvement. †¢ Service: We work together effectively cross the organization to give our customers quality service. †¢ Information: We provide objective information to help our members make informed decisions about heir financial and health care needs. Integrity: Achieve financial and operational integrity through clear, prompt and reliable information that accurately reflects our financial and operational performance. †¢ Rewards: We appreciate effort but we recognize an d reward employees for achieving business results. †¢ Satisfaction: We deliver superior customer satisfaction. Porters Five Forces of Competition framework views the profitability of an industry as determined by the five forces of competitive pressure. As described below, only high competitive rivalry detracts from the attractiveness of the health insurance industry for firms currently in the business. Threat of Entry (Low)Entry into the health insurance industry is blocked by high economies of scale, high capital requirements, and high government and legal barriers. Economies of scale are needed to establish a collection and claims payment network large enough to provide a reasonable selection of providers for patients and also allow the insurance company to have a wide geographic coverage. Moreover, a large client base is needed to facilitate risk management. Health insurance companies need to have enough patients covered so that they have large enough proportion premiums fro m healthy patients to cover the costs of taking care of sick patients.There are also large capital requirement because health insurance companies are required by law to have a certain amount of reserves available to pay claims at all times. Health insurance companies are also required by law to pay out 50-65% of their premiums in medical cost coverage. These government and legal barriers not only determine a large portion of the financing the health insurance companies, they also determine who can operate a health insurance company through licensing. Supplier Power (Low)Suppliers to the health insurance industry include providers, hospitals, and medical device/pharmaceutical companies. Most suppliers have low price sensitivity due to intense competition to get on a health insurance companies provider list or formulary. Since most people cannot afford medical care without health insurance, health insurance companies provide a product that is critical for a patient to be able to acces s a supplier's service or product. Additionally, the size of the health insurance company relative to their suppliers tends to be large.Because of their size, health insurance companies purchase health care from hospitals and doctors at a much lower cost than individual patients. Health insurance companies also have bargaining power because suppliers are unlikely to have the capital or skills required to integrate vertically. Hospitals and providers operate in a low margin business that is always strapped for capital, and pharmaceutical companies don't have the claims processing networks needed in order to provide health insurance. Buyer Power (Low) Buyers of health insurance include individuals, employers, and linked groups of people like AARP.Buyers tend to have high price sensitivity because health care is a large portion of a buyers total cost, especially employers. Additionally, products from health insurance companies are not well differentiated. However, buyers have extremely low bargaining power due to their lack of size relative to health insurance companies, information asymmetry, and inability to vertically integrate. Not only can health insurance companies better negotiate with providers/hospitals for discounted health care rates, but health insurance companies also have far superior knowledge of costs.Doctors and hospitals don't routinely display the prices they charge to patients, but health insurance companies have this information through their contractual relationships with providers. Threat of Substitutes (Low) There are few substitutes for health insurance. Currently, the main choices buyers have are to have health insurance to cover their medical expenses or pay for health care costs themselves. The high price of medical care, especially for chronic medical conditions and emergency services, makes being a self-pay patient an unattractive option.Therefore, currently 84% of the US population has either private or government health insurance. However, new substitutes to health insurance are being developed. Cerner, a healthcare IT company, has started to offer claims processing services to customers of its IT products. Competitive Rivalry (High) Industry competition is high for several reasons. The industry has a low concentration with the four largest companies in the health insurance business (Wellpoint, UnitedHealth Group, Aetna, and Health Care Service Corp. accounting for only 25% of the group health insurance premiums written. Additionally, diversity among competitors is low because health insurance companies are heavily regulated. There are strict regulations on how health insurance companies can structure themselves and what type of products they can or are required to offer. About Aetna Aetna is one of the nation's leading diversified health care benefits companies, serving approximately 36. 1 million people with information and resources to help them make better informed decisions about their health care.Aetna offers a broad range of traditional and consumer-directed health insurance products and related services, including medical, pharmacy, dental, behavioral health, group life and disability plans, and medical management capabilities and health care management services for Medicaid plans. Our customers include employer groups, individuals, college students, part-time and hourly workers, health plans, governmental units, government-sponsored plans, labor groups and expatriates. For more information, see www. etna. com and Aetna's Annual Report at www. aetna. com/2009annualreport. Aetna Aetna (NYSE: AET) has long been a leading health care-oriented insurance company, dedicated to providing people with the means to achieve financial security and peace of mind. By offering employee benefits and long-term care insurance as well as health care, disability, group life, dental, and pharmacy insurance, Aetna uses information and resources to help their members make informed decisions about the types of health care they need.The Aetna insurance company serves both employer and individual markets. Aetna provides benefits to employers in all states, with products and services tailored to employers of sizes, from smaller companies to large national employers. In some markets Aetna also provides products and services to individuals and Medicare beneficiaries. Aetna is committed to providing access to cost-effective health care of the highest possible standard, to protect people against health-related risks and enable them to achieve both good health and financial security.Aetna has provided such products and services for 150 years, and has the ability to be a leader in building a strong and effective system of health care by cooperating with health care professionals and public officials. The primary goal of Aetna is to provide innovative products and uncomplicated information that gives its customers the tools they need to make the best possible insurance choices to safeguard their health and financial security.Two types of health care and dental plans are offered: a risk basis plan where the company assumes most or all of the risk of costs, and an employer-funded basis plan, where the plan is sponsored via an administrative services contract. In the latter situation, it is the plan sponsor rather than the company that assumes the risk. By having a variety of choices, Aetna ensures its clients can find an insurance product to match their needs. Another option that Aetna offers its clients is group insurance.Most Group Life products provide renewable term coverage in fixed amounts, or amounts which are related to individual wage levels. Group Disability Insurance consists of income-replacement benefits for both short and long-term disability. Long Term Care Insurance provides for long-term custodial care expenses in a nursing home, adult day-care facility or at home. Aetna also offers Large Case Pensions, which include several retirement products, includ ing annuities and pensions, for defined benefit and contribution plans.These provide a variety of options, including experience-rated and both guaranteed and non-guaranteed products. Currently, however, new business is not sought. Aetna provides fully-insured, self-funded (ASO) health care products, including Aetna Global Benefits, Medicare+Choice, Pharmacy, Vision, POS, PPO and HMO. Aetna was the first national health insurance company to offer consumer-directed health plans, and continues to be an industry pioneer with products in the Aetna HealthFundA ® range.This collection of consumer-directed plans includes Aetna PharmacyFundA ®, Aetna DentalFundA ®, and a program for the reimbursement of long-term care premiums. Additionally, Aetna is able to offer integrated HealthFund products. As of March 31, 2006, Aetna provided medical coverage for more than 15 million members. Aetna also provides dental coverage for more than 13 million members. Aetnaaâ‚ ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s Group Insuran ce business provides a competitive range of asset protection and income-replacement products, including Short Term and Long Term Disability, Managed Disability, Long Term Care, Group Life, and Accidental Death & Personal Loss.As a leader in this field, Aetna provides these services for more than 13 million members. Aetna also offers a wide range of employee benefit plans, despite the rising cost of these plans. Aetna offers employee benefit and insurance products and services that help keep costs low while maintaining a consistently high standard of health care. Services include disease management and patient safety programs, case management plans, and integrated medical, pharmaceutical, dental, disability, and behavioral health information. Aetna, Inc. s a diversified health-care benefits and insurance company that provides a wide range of both traditional and consumer-directed health-related products and services. Aetna, Inc. is a direct descendent of the Aetna Insurance Company o f Hartford, Connecticut. As such, Aetna has been in the insurance business for more than 150 years. In 1996, Aetna merged with U. S. Healthcare. In the twenty-first century, Aetna has earned a 100% score on the Human Rights Campaign Corporate Equality Index three years running, and remains committed to providing excellent health care and insurance benefits in America.