Posts Tagged ‘Private’

Insider Tips on Health Care Savings – Private Health Insurance Quote

May 24th, 2011

You’ve probably asked for a private health insurance quote in the past, and then you were astounded by what the rates were. Whether the company is one of the premium ones or not has little to do with the cost.

Due to the high cost of coverage, many people give up on having any type of individual insurance coverage to protect them.

Don’t lose hope because there is still a way that you and your family can get needed protection without an individual insurance coverage policy. You can obtain health care prices you can live with if you use a discount medical card plan.

A health care savings plan gives you peace of mind and the protection you need, so you don’t have to hassle with a private health insurance quote or individual insurance coverage.

A Large Network of Medical Professionals

A discount medical card program places you in a network of over 600,000 professionals and thousands of hospitals and other health care facilities so that you can receive help no matter where you live.

In addition, there are tens of thousands of participating support providers for home health care, mental health, laboratory procedures, and all the necessary service providers for your health and well-being.

Certified Professional Providers

Providers of individual insurance coverage often have a great listing of health care providers that looks impressive until you check them out and find that many are not approved by the USDA even to supply the services they offer.

A discount medical card program assures that the network of providers is checked thoroughly and that each offers proof of their qualifications to be included in the list of professional health care providers.

Manageable Costs of Health Care Services

Depending on the particular services, you can receive up to 50% savings by using a discount medical card. If you compare private health insurance quote prices, similar discounts may be offered, but the cost each month would be greater than the cost of a discount medical savings card.

It is a simple matter to check private health insurance quote monthly premiums against those of the discount insurance card and see how much more it would cost for the individual insurance coverage.

Simple Program Application and Acceptance

It is never easy to get health care insurance because the company providing the coverage wants to be sure you are completely healthy before they will expose themselves to any substantial risk. The discount medical card is quick and simple to apply for. You don’t have to prove your health and lifestyles to anyone. The major concern is centered more around what you do to stay healthy from today going forward.

How the Discount Card Works with Your Insurance Policy

If you have insurance already, you can still benefit with the discount insurance card. A discount medical savings card can absorb some of the cost on treatments and medications not covered by your health insurance coverage.

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How A Private Health Services Plan Can Save You Money

April 14th, 2011

You might have heard of a PHSP or Private Heath Services Plan (also called a Cost Plus plan or a Health and Welfare Trust), but how does it actually work? Can it really save you money? It sounds like a gimmick when you first hear the concept: pay for your medical expenses yourself and then pay an extra 10% premium to have the expense run through your company. Are you just paying and extra 10% over the cost of your medical expense for nothing? How does this tax savings actually put more money in your pocket?

 

This article will try and unpack the concept of a Private Health Services Plan (PHSP) from a tax savings perspective. There are two main things to consider here: a taxable expense and a tax deductible expense. Since controlling taxation in Alberta and Canada is a corner stone of income and wealth management, you have to understand how this can be implemented to add up to significant ongoing savings.

 

You must be incorporated!

In order for this to work you must own an incorporated company (it can be provincially or federally incorporated – it doesn’t matter). All employees of the corporation can then benefit from the PHSP. In essence, the PHSP allows the employee to incur an eligible medical expense and then get reimbursed by the corporation as a tax free benefit. The expense is then transferred to the corporation and can be claimed as a tax deduction from corporate profits.

 

This can result in significant savings, since your personal tax rate could be much higher than the corporate tax rate. Let’s look at an example of an incorporated consultant who has only two employees in the company (the consultant and his/her spouse). The marginal tax rate of the consultant is at the maximum of 39% (in Alberta). He incurs a dental expense of ,000. Here is how the PHSP would save him money on this one expense:

 

The consultant pays the dentist ,000
He/she then submits the ,000 expense to his/her PHSP administrator
The PHSP plan carves the corporation ,100 for the expense and the admin fee of 10%
The PHSP plan sends the consultant a cheque for ,000 as a tax free benefit
The corporation can deduct the full ,100 from it’s corporate profits

 

At this point no taxes have been paid on the medical/dental expense incurred. This is far better than the consultant paying for e expense with his/her after tax income. Here is how much he/she just saved in taxes:

 

Gross income required to net ,000 = ,639 (at a 39% marginal tax rate)
Immediate tax savings = ,639 – ,000 = 9
Administration fee paid = 0
Net savings of using the PHSP is 9 (9 – 0)

 

As you can see the 10% administration fee is very minor compared to the tax savings by setting up such a plan. Also the company can tax deduct the entire expense, the eligible medical expense and the administration fee.

 

You can also expense your health and dental plan premiums through your PHSP. If you are spending 0 per month for a family health and dental plan, this premium can be reimbursed to you as an eligible health care expense and all claims that are paid to from the insurance company providing the health and dental plan would be tax free income to you also. This creates a real win-win scenario.

 

As you can see, there is a lot of benefit to owning a Private Health Services Plan (PHSP). It can turn medical expenses from your own after tax income into a tax deductible expense for you and your family. It can even be used if you are an empires with a PHSP plan for the employee group. You can save thousands per year in taxation if you had a lot of medical and dental expenses. And there is almost no carrying cost to the plan. It only cost 0 per year to keep the plan active. Otherwise it is a pay as you go plan, only costing you a 10% admin fee for your health and dental expenses.

 

If you would like more information on how a PHSP could benefit you or your employees, please check out our page on PHSP plans with our strategic partner, Beneco.

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Top Reasons to Have a Private Health Services Plan

March 26th, 2011

A Private Health Services Plan, which is an excellent idea for employees of businesses or those that are self-employed, is a great way to decrease the amount that you will have to spend out of pocket on a variety of different types of medical, dental and therapeutic treatments. A PHSP is very flexible and ensures that you have additional coverage in the event that many of the medical, dental, vision or therapeutic services you require are not covered by your provincial insurance. In addition these plans can be a great tax saving for both the employee and the business.

Although most of the major medical expenses are covered in Canada and the risk for individuals to find themselves in financial ruin because of medical bills is not a factor as it is in the United States, most families still spend between ,000 and ,000 per year on medical expenses. This may be more if you have several children in the family or family members that have significant dental problems, vision problems or that are requiring orthodontic treatment. In addition those that regularly visit a chiropractor, massage therapist or use an alternative type of treatment such as acupuncture may find that their current insurance caps the claims allowed or has a set limit each year.

The benefit of a Private Health Services Plan to these individuals, which may include employees and their families depending on the employer’s design of the plan, is that these additional expenses can be covered. While the employee files the claim, a small amount, usually about 10% of the approved claim, is charged without the need for regular monthly premiums. It is literally a pay as you claim system for most small companies with the amount that they end up covering fully tax deductable as a business expense. There are some guidelines established by the Canada Revenue Agency that outlines the eligibility of each type of claim, but typically services provided by a licensed professional will be covered.

For very small companies that want to offer employee benefits the Private Health Services Plan option is an ideal choice. The coverage is more comprehensive than that found with traditional types of additional insurance coverage plus you can be flexible as to how you want to operate the program. Some companies opt for a pre-pay option that allows them to roll credits or unclaimed values from the previous year into the next year. The company’s contribution within the year is deductable for the company while the employee is not taxed on the money they use to cover their medical expenses.

This plan covers a variety of services, not specifically just medical expenses. Some of the best plans will cover things such as dental cleanings, preventative oral health treatments, vision care, laser eye surgery, prescription glasses, prescription medications, therapeutic services and a variety of other expenses related to preventative or treatment types of health care services.

For businesses the cost of enrolling in a Private Health Services Plan for their employees is much less costly than traditional insurance options. There is usually a one-time fee that handles all the administrative paperwork to set up the account, plus a small fee for each employee. After that the fees are entirely based on the claim amount. The added benefit to you is that this initial set-up fee, like the funds provided to employees; is completely tax deductible in the year that it was made.

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Pricing & Reimbursement in Emerging Markets: Analysis of pricing mechanisms and the influence of public and private sector health insurance provis

March 21st, 2011

Over the past few years, pharmaceutical sales in the emerging markets have regularly been growing at double-digit rates, albeit in some of the markets there has been a temporary blip caused by the global credit crunch. Much of the recent growth has been fuelled by an expansion in public sector health insurance coverage, which means that drug reimbursement is much more widespread than in the past. However, the growth of reimbursement systems, combined with the ongoing global economic difficulties, has put pressure on governments to introduce more rigorous price-control mechanisms than in the past.

This report provides a concise examination of the pricing and reimbursement environment in seven of the most important emerging markets. In doing so, it highlights differences in the pricing methodology used in the public and private sectors, and it also focuses on differences in the pricing structure for originator drugs and generics.

The report does not limit itself merely to what is happening currently, but also explores how government policy in each of the individual emerging markets is likely to shape the P&R environment in the future. The seven key emerging markets covered in this report are Brazil, China, India, Mexico, Russia, South Korea, Turkey

Key features of this report

• The report tracks the development of the health insurance system (both public and private) in each of the seven emerging markets, and explores issues such as sources of funding and population coverage.
• The report provides a detailed analysis of the reimbursement environment in each of the seven emerging markets, paying particular attention to how it relates to the market’s health insurance system.
• The report provides a detailed analysis of the pricing structure in each of the seven emerging markets, differentiating between the structure that is in place for originator drugs and generics. Where applicable, it also examines how the pricing mechanism differs for the private and public sectors.
• The report provides a unique insight into the role that is played by the distribution chain from a P&R perspective, examining both formal and informal distribution margins.
• The report examines government policy in relation to pricing & reimbursement, and looks ahead to what changes in the P&R environment are likely to take place in the future.

Key benefits from reading this report

• Allows marketers to operate with confidence in the often complex pricing and reimbursement (P&R) environment in seven key emerging markets.
• Allows marketers to prepare fully for the impact that the arrival of generic competition would cause from a P&R perspective.
• Provides marketers with vital intelligence about the sometimes murky criteria that are used for the inclusion of drugs on government reimbursement lists.
• Forewarns marketers about rebates on official prices that are sometimes mandatory in the public sector.
• Provides marketers with an insight into distribution practices, including kickbacks and informal margins.
• Allows marketers to plan ahead with confidence by looking ahead to the P&R policies that are likely to help shape these seven markets in the future.

Key findings of this report

Each of the seven emerging markets under review has its own unique P&R environment. Even in those emerging markets where reference-pricing is used, there is a wide variation in the countries that are being referenced.

Despite the expansion of public sector health insurance coverage, a high proportion of expenditure is still derived from out-of-pocket payments by consumers.

The recent global economic upheaval has placed additional stresses on the P&R environment of the emerging markets, and it has encouraged the imposition of new price control mechanisms.

However, despite this economic upheaval, governments in the emerging markets are pressing ahead with previous plans to expand public sector health insurance coverage (and by extension to increase the accessibility of drugs).

The proportion of people using private sector health insurance coverage remains very limited in most of the emerging markets. However, in several markets, the uptake of private sector health insurance is growing rapidly from a small base, mainly in urban areas.

The authorities in several emerging markets have been seeking ways to encourage a greater uptake of generics instead of expensive branded drugs. Nevertheless, in countries such as China there is scope for a higher number of innovative drugs to be reimbursed.

Future growth prospects for all seven of the emerging markets remain strong.

Key questions answered by this report

• What is the precise pricing methodology used by each of the emerging markets?
• What role is played by the distribution chain in the pricing of drugs?
• Are there differences in the pricing structure for local drugs and imported drugs?
• In what way does the arrival of generic competition impact on the pricing of originator drugs?
• Are there any special pricing requirements for drugs used by the public sector?
• Are there any variations in pricing on a regional level?
• How quickly is public health insurance coverage expanding?
• Are reimbursement lists beginning to include a larger number of innovator drugs?
• Are governments maintaining previous commitments to increase healthcare spending?
• In what direction is government policy taking the markets from a P&R perspective?

To know more about this report & to buy a copy please visit :
http://www.visionshopsters.com/product/10401/Pricing-Reimbursement-in-Emerging-Markets-Analysis-of-pricing-mechanisms-and-the-influence-of-public-and-private-sector-health-insurance-provision.html

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Personal & Private Health Insurance In Canada

March 17th, 2011

The purpose of Private Health Insurance in Canada is to supplement the primary insurance coverage provided through the provincial health system.

Individuals under the public Canadian health insurance plan may find certain gaps in their insurance coverage that they wish to fill depending on their health and dental needs.

Private health insurance plans can be purchased by both companies and individuals to offset the insurance coverage requirements that go beyond the general primary care and hospital services offered by public health insurance system.

There are also personal health insurance options in Canada. Individuals may add supplemental coverage to their existing health insurance plan by buying an add-on to their insurance policy.

If you are part of a company that offers group insurance benefits, you can take advantage of your employer’s decision to provide health and dental insurance coverage to the entire workforce.

This arrangement often also has private insurance add-on options that employees can use to gain even greater insurance coverage for such things as necessary dental work.

There are many benefits that Canadians can get from having additional Canadian Private Health Insurance.

Some of these health and dental insurance coverage benefits include services such as vision and eye care, dental care, prescription drug medications and private or partially private hospital rooms.

These extended health and dental services help Canadians cover those important health items that are missing from their public health insurance plan.

Other items that Personal Health Insurance Canada plans can cover include special care for on the job injuries and premium medical and elective health options including, in some cases, cosmetic surgery.

The public health system in Canada covers fundamental services relating to physician and hospital care. Private health insurance in Canada does not pay for these basic services.

In Canada the role of privately owned insurance is to pay for the additional coverage that many people find necessary to have. Without a supplemental plan of some sort to cover these costs, the individual has to pay on their own.

Private insurance that pays for private health care service also generally results in a shorter waiting time for certain types of health and dental procedures.

The Canadian health system is inherently a public system that provides coverage for most of the basic medical needs of the nation’s citizens. However, for other things like dental work, optometry services and chiropractic services Canadians need to obtain supplemental insurance coverage or pay the expenses themselves.

Some supplemental Canadian private health insurance policies also help with the cost of certain emergency services, including ambulance pick-ups and private hospital rooms that are not carried by the standard provincial health plan.

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The Private Health Insurance Market in Europe: Future trends, emerging opportunities and key players

March 13th, 2011

The dynamics of healthcare funding in Europe is changing. As governments review their options to meet growing healthcare demands with limited resources, the potential to combine cost reduction with new funding sources will gain support in many countries. Reimbursement decisions in the public sector are becoming increasingly tougher for pharmaceutical and diagnostic manufacturers; the private market offers a potential alternative route to gaining market access.
Private insurers currently play differing roles in European national healthcare systems. This report reviews their role in the major European markets and provides an insight into trends in their coverage of health benefits and products. It highlights selected product areas where private insurance could fill the gaps in public reimbursement . An insight into the European private insurance industry, including overall trends and profiles of leading insurers, provides an indication of future developments within the sector and highlights potential opportunities for pharmaceutical and diagnostic companies to work with private insurers.

Key features of this report

• Reviews healthcare systems and the role of private insurers in the five major European markets of France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the UK.
• Analyzes the healthcare systems in the Netherlands and Switzerland, where mandatory health insurance is purchased from private insurers operating in regulated competitive models. These have parallels with the State of Massachusetts’ system, which has been considered a blueprint for other US states and for federal reform.
• Examines some of the issues in gaining market access for pharmaceuticals and diagnostics through coverage by private health insurers and highlights initiatives being undertaken by insurers that present potential partnership opportunities for companies.
• Details trends in the private health insurance market, including relative market shares for the main markets in terms of benefits paid for by private insurers.

Scope of this report

• Understand the diverse roles played by private insurance in funding pharmaceutical and diagnostic products in major European markets and the relative importance of private funds in healthcare spending.
• Identify the key players in each market who will be potential targets for gaining market access in the privately-funded sector.
• Review what new opportunities might be afforded in the private sector for products that are denied reimbursement in the public sector.
• Tailor product portfolios to meet differing needs of individual markets.

Key Market Issues

• The function of private health insurance depends on coverage provided by national public healthcare systems. Understanding which type of private health insurance – substitutive/primary, complementary/supplementary or duplicative/competitive – is dominant in each market is key to assessing market potential.
• Gaining reimbursement for medical diagnostic products and treatments in the public sector is becoming increasingly challenging in many countries as the cost and medical necessity of certain products are coming under closer scrutiny by public payors. Some private insurers are showing interest in covering medicines for minor ailments and lifestyle products that are excluded from public reimbursement.
• Managing costs is a challenge for private insurers in the current economic climate as medical inflation and price competition in the industry create additional pressures. Insurers are adapting their portfolios to address market needs, with a focus on disease prevention and promotion of healthy lifestyles.

Key findings from this report

• There are over 84 million Europeans with some form of private health insurance. Germans account for the largest proportion of the privately insured population, with 22.3 million, followed by the Dutch with 16.2 million.
• Healthcare benefits paid by private insurers account for 8% of total European healthcare expenditure, a share that is on course to increase as public payors redefine their benefits package.
• The cost of medicines accounts for a significant proportion of private insurers’ costs in most markets. Around 93% of the French population has complementary health insurance to cover costs not reimbursed by the social health insurance system, with 30% of insurers’ costs going towards the cost of medicines.
• Private insurers provide comprehensive health cover to 10.5% of Germans and almost all the population of the Netherlands and Switzerland. Voluntary insurance also plays a significant role in these markets to complement and supplement the statutory benefit package.
• France has the highest density of private health insurers at 893, whereas the industry is concentrated among relatively few players in most other markets – there are 46 insurers in Germany, 30 in the Netherlands and 27 in the UK.

Key questions answered

• How many Europeans have private health insurance and why do they purchase private cover?
• What proportion of healthcare costs are paid for by private insurers in the major European markets?
• How influenced are private insurers by public health pharmaceutical reimbursement decisions?
• Who are the major movers and shakers in the European private health insurance market?
• What initiatives are underway by insurers to cover pharmaceutical products not reimbursed by national healthcare systems?
• What role do private insurers play in public-private partnerships?

To know more about this report & to buy a copy please visit :
http://www.visionshopsters.com/product/3834/The-Private-Health-Insurance-Market-in-Europe-Future-trends-emerging-opportunities-and-key-players.html

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TRANSCRIPT: The Benefits of Public Private Partnerships in the Caribbean

February 18th, 2011

The Haitian government has the most realistic opportunity to safety and prosperity to the people of Haiti in decades, if not longer. Unfortunately, in the wake of the devastating earthquake, the government remains in need of substantial, proven assistance to build capacity and improve social, education, health, legal, and financial institutions.

As often seen in large scale disaster environments, there is a sizable gap between pledge announcements and the disbursement of funds. Currently, direct NGO funds are responsible for much of the health reconstruction efforts. Although NGO assistance has been critical in the disaster aftermath, this assistance has also historically led to an imbalance in the economy and shift more local resources and attention to aid organizations.

This continued imbalance will certainly hamper the “Build Back Better” vision and could result in more inefficiency.

Post Disaster public health reconstruction (especially with the expectation of a large influx of $ $ $ ) can greatly benefit from the input, feedback, and partnership of experienced hospital management, construction, and consulting communities.

The Haitian government should recognize the ability of the private sector to finance, design, build, and operate holistic reconstruction health projects for long term growth and sustainability.

When discussing the Public Private Partnership model for development I am often reminded of a story from my mother’s childhood.

My mother grew up in Port of Spain, Trinidad and attended St. Joseph’s Convent for her primary and secondary education. Her older brother would often pick her up after school. Following a particularly long day at school and with a heavy school bag slung over his shoulder, he left his school, Saint Mary’s College, to go pick up his younger sister.

He had a few minutes before her school let out and a bit of money in his pocket so along the way he stopped and bought a small bag of tamarind balls (bite sized sweets) from a little shop.

After buying the sweets he reached the school, took out his book and sat on a bench next to an elderly man.

A few minutes pasted and my uncle, fully absorbed in his book, took a tamarind ball from the bag and nibbled at it while he read.

To his surprise, the elderly gentleman next to him calmly took one of the tamarind balls from the bag and ate it. Stunned by the blatant theft, my uncle couldn’t bring himself to say anything, or even to look at the man. He simply kept reading.

After a few minutes he slowly picked up and ate another tamarind ball. Incredibly, the old man, too, took a tamarind ball and ate it, then to my uncle’s amazement; the old man lifted the bag and offered my uncle the last tamarind ball.

This being too much to tolerate, my uncle quickly grabbed his school bag, gave the old man an angry look and marched off to sit under a tree. Still flustered and enraged, he reached to put his book back inside his school bag only to find his bag of tamarind balls.

Opponents of public-private partnerships are often quick to mislabel PPP projects as the theft or pillaging of the public sector where “sneaky” corporate entities are more interested in profit maximization rather than the provision of healthcare.

In reality, PPPs require the continual participation of both stakeholders – the public and private. In contrast to privatization, properly structured hospital PPPs exist in clearly defined domains that represents neither the privatization nor the nationalization of assets and services.

Reconstructing the Haitian public health infrastructure through Public Private Partnerships can help develop, sustain, and expand the social and economic growth of the nation. This is of critical importance as the Interim Haitian Recovery Commission (IHRC) and the Haitian Reconstruction Fund struggle with financial realities of rebuilding the nation.

Since the early 1990s, many EU countries have used various forms of public-private partnership to deliver major construction and healthcare projects that were designed to deliver better quality public services, by bringing in new investment and improved management. In turn, this has helped state-owned businesses achieve their full potential.

By establishing mechanisms to include health PPPs, the Haitian government can access private finance to build health infrastructure while also enabling the government to transfer risks associated with clinical services to an experienced private sector partner.

Additionally, rather than paying for an asset or service up front, a PPP program will allow Haiti to pay for infrastructure and services over time based on predetermined performance standards determined by Haitian Health Regulatory Authorities.

By entering into a PPP agreement, the Haitian government incurs little or no costs during the construction of the medical facilities and if the private sector partner doesn’t deliver the facilities (on schedule) or fails to perform (as agreed), the government doesn’t pay, pays less, or applies financial penalties.

For a successful Hospital PPP to be implemented in Haiti, certain conditions have to be met:

1. The Haitian Government Authority and the private sector partner need to work together on the basis of clear, contractual agreements;
2. distinct regulations need to be laid down in those agreements concerning the responsibilities of the parties regarding costs and risks;
3. timely social and commercial goals have to be met at all times;
4. every party should keep its own identity and responsibilities.

Health infrastructure require massive amounts of investment, expertise and organizational knowledge – these are some of the resources or ‘capital’ that the private sector can bring to a public private partnership.

In addition to elevating the Haitian public health system, the government will experience substantial benefits from the transfers of technology, employment benefits, capacity building, and citizen betterment.

There are, however, operational, political, social, economic and financial risks for the Haitian government and its private sector partner.

Because PPP’s involve significant levels of capital investment with payback periods covering many years or decades, private companies often seek high levels of financing from international financial institutions, national development banks, and commercial banks, backed in many cases by government guarantees.

To achieve PPP project success, the Haitian government will need to ensure:
1. a political, legal and administrative framework that permits and facilitates private sector development and public private partnerships
2. the availability of necessary economic, financial, technical, institutional and negotiation expertise
3. and mechanisms for interagency cooperation and dispute resolution

Given Haiti’s tumultuous past and since many PPP projects span 20-30 years, a major concern for the private partner is how to ensure that there is real and perceived continuity and consistency in: the Haitian public health vision and in the laws and regulations over the long term despite changes that may occur in political regime.

There will be changes that happen during the span of a hospital PPP project. Some of these are not related or only indirectly related to the PPP. However citizen attitudes towards the public health system and the PPP projects can have a substantial influence on the success or failure of a PPP project.

This is where we see the great importance of a PPP social responsibility plan.

Today, it only seems logical that Public Private Partnerships, especially in the Caribbean and Central America, have at their core citizen acceptance and participation.

Particularly in divided societies and I don’t mean unstable societies. I mean countries that may have 2 or more strong established parties jockeying back and forth for power.

In such situations exploitative questions may arise over the use of natural resources by private and especially foreign companies.

Other questions could center on the extent to which some services should be freely available or provided at socialized prices.

In these situations or in cases involving perceptions of corruption, negative impacts to local people, or environmental problems,

it is not unusual to find local citizenry groups rising in protest against the PPP.

Of course local level strategies to improve credibility and the business environment exist in nearly all Caribbean and Central American countries and some governments have even created associations and institutions to discuss, evaluate and in some cases promote a more active participation of private sector companies.

This goes a long way in providing an environment suitable for PPPs.

So, for governments in this region to attract private partners there needs to be a clear agreement in the society about the private sector presence and role even before PPP’s are considered as an option.

Lets be honest, in some Caribbean and Central American countries the private sector is held in suspicion because of ideology, misinformation or bad experience.

For the last year we have been working with local private partners and the municipal government in a region of Venezuela to develop a project with regards to the coffee industry.

Problems within the government and attitudes pervasive in the local community have wreaked havoc on our plans and brought progress to a standstill.

But I’m not really focusing on this type of situation, but rather PPPs that are developed and negotiated ‘in the dark.’

These types of projects, especially in the region will face difficulties when public knowledge about contract provisions or unofficial deals emerge.

A survey in 2006 on the entire Latin America region showed that public perceptions on whether the contribution of privatization was positive dipped downward from 45% in 1998 to 31% in 2005.

PPPs developed in the dark eventual come to light and we know our people – this simply doesn’t fly.

It is my opinion that an integrated formalized exchange of information and experiences with community leaders is a key part of the process.

Likewise an active dissemination of information by national associations of municipalities, some international organizations, knowledge centers, governments and other agencies provides a basis for general understanding of and appreciation for PPP’s.

Independent, as well as government, monitoring and accountability measures that provide feedback to the citizenry can serve to keep the processes transparent and credible, and the PPP approach socially (and environmentally) acceptable over the long term.

Both local governments and the private partner can develop supportive partnerships with independent or professional agencies and academiacs to serve as consultants and trainers during learning cycle stages or to advice them on more complicated processes and activities.

Now, depending on the type of PPP project, the initiation could come from the government side or from a proposal presented to the government by a group often backed by a potential partner.

Regardless, once presented if the national government or municipality is interested it needs to, early on, designate a responsible team of officials and possible external advisors to initiate and manage the project processes.

Having experienced advisors can help save a significant amount of resources and help achieve the desired objectives of PPP projects.

Once the plan is laid out, the process to qualify potential partners has to be clear and relatively simple.

While a potential partner’s direct or indirect involvement may have existed during the pre-PPP opportunity announcement, experience and expertise of all interested private companies or consortia should be considered.

Additionally, governments should consider the record of the companies in handling social issues or environmental effects of their past projects.

Again, it is important that there is transparency in this process to ensure that, in society, there is general perception of fairness.

A well recognized, fair and transparent system of announcing and qualifying bids, their ranking and selection, processes of negotiation (if any), and system of awards has to be fully endorsed and supported by different agencies when possible.

This, too, is a critical issue in PPP acceptance and sustainability because it helps create a public perception that this process is done fairly and with public interest considered.

Now the last issue I’d like to touch on is the role of the private partner and its social and environmental responsibilities.

As we have seen throughout the Caribbean and Central America with regards to private industry, even certain “fair trade” eco-tourism type projects, the human and environmental exploitation can occur despite otherwise stated intentions.

National and municipal officials need to ensure there is full understanding of the various social and environmental impacts of projects, and that selection of partners, approaches and processes is made with all these factors considered.

But really the onus is on the private partner and its outlook on corporate social responsibility.

The theme of Corporate Social Responsibility continues to grow in importance in debates throughout the Americas.

Together with sustainable development and business ethics, it is also high on the public policy agenda. Although it is a less tangible issue than the conceptual idea of Public Private Partnerships, this issue has considerable importance for PPPs.

Now, when a private company incorporates voluntary social and environmental business practices into its core activities, which go beyond its existing legal obligations it, in essence is implementing a corporate social responsibility program.

But for many companies, adjusting existing corporate policies across the board can be rather difficult.

I believe PPPs especially in the Caribbean and Central America, offer private companies the opportunity to “selectively” apply social responsibility techniques from the ground up on a particular project – the PPP.

Of course the PPP would ensure a corporate responsibility plan for all private stakeholders inclusive of local subs and partners.

A PPP that adheres to the principles of CSR should be able to promote the well being of employees, contractors, the citizenry and the environment.

Issues often at the center of debates in the region.

Such a project is also advantageous to the government partner since sustainable buildings, low operating and maintenance costs and increasingly, multi-purpose premises, help to generate more national wealth.

The PPP plan should also address the occupational safety and job satisfaction of staff and provide them with opportunities for continuous improvement in skills.

Leading such a plan the private partner will see an investment return, since more skills and more satisfaction should imply more productive employees.

The regional importance of the environment is another key reason for a private partner to push for a socially responsible PPP thereby decreasing the environmental loads resulting from most PPP projects.

Additionally, intense efforts should be taken to reduce energy consumption, emissions and the amount of waste activities.

With the negative image of foreign private companies in many places in the Caribbean and Central America, all stakeholders (private and public) should be increasingly sensitive to a PPPs overall public image and reputation and recognize that social responsibility activities can be a positive component.

Also, it should be mentioned that investors (all else being equal) seem to be more likely to put their money into businesses which are able to demonstrate socially responsible behavior.

So briefly, in conclusion, Public Private Partnerships have incredible potential in extending the provision of public services in the Caribbean and Central America. There are various issues that need addressing and a key component is the inclusion and the attention directed towards the community in all stages of the project.

Thank you.

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Tips for Choosing a Private Health Services Plan (PHSP)

February 5th, 2011

Making the decision to provide additional coverage for employees, yourself or your family if you are self-employed is one key reason to start shopping for a Private Health Services Plan (PHSP). Each plan and plan provider may have slight difference that, when added together, can have an impact on your bottom line. These plans are designed to provide businesses with a tax deduction for contributions to the employees’ pool, plus the employee can access the funds without incurring any tax on the money.

One of the major factors to look for in a Private Health Services Plan (PHSP) is how the plan will be funded. There are some companies that offer maximum flexibility with a pay-as-you-go option. This means that you pay a small percentage on each claim without a standard monthly premium. For a small company, or one that has a constantly changing workforce, this is often the most cost effective option. Some companies offer a combination of prepaid and pay-as-you-go funding, which may be an important consideration if you have a very stable workforce and a large, established company.

Online access to information, including reporting online regarding the status of a claim, the amount that has been paid in and the total amount that has been claimed is also very handy to company managers and financial departments. In addition, having all the information available at the click of a mouse, cuts down on administrative time on the phone, sending queries by email and waiting for responses. It also helps in checking on the budget status of the account. The security of these sites should be top notch and password protected as well as encrypted. Most providers already have security in place, but it never hurts to ask and confirm before choosing a provider.

Being able to carry forward any unused or unclaimed amounts from one budget year to the next is a terrific advantage to a self-employed person or a small business. Not all Private Health Services Plan (PHSP) providers offer this option, but it will help with saving money over the short and long run. Some companies offer extended time frames for filing claims, allowing you to claim on up to a year previous, which is a variation on a carry forward type of program. Just make sure it meets your company requirements and that there is some flexibility built into the program.

While businesses should expect that the plan is in full compliance with the regulations set forth by the Canada Revenue Agency, it is absolutely essential to confirm with the provider that they meet all standards including mandated privacy requirements. Failure to meet regulations can result in the CRA auditing your books and possibly denying your deductions. The provider should be regularly audited with regards to complying with the regulations to demonstrate that they are professionally managed and administered.

Last, but certainly not least, the Private Health Services Plan (PHSP) should have a reputation for prompt and accurate processing of all claims. Some of the older systems may have what is called a “black out period” that is a time, usually when switching from one year to the next, during which new claims are not processed. This not only holds up any reimbursement but it creates a nightmare situation for company administrators trying to deal with employees that want their claim processed immediately.

As a business owner or a self-employed individual choosing a Private Health Services Plan (PHSP) takes a bit of research and a good understanding of just what you require.

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A health care public relations firm can protect a private practice’s reputation

February 4th, 2011

In this day and age, medical practitioners have to focus on what really matters which is providing to quality health care to all of their patients, without worrying about business related matters. Unfortunately for many health care practitioners, this is rarely this case. The recent economic downturn has affected every conceivable business across the United States of America, and health care is no exception. In fact, the business of providing medicine to patients and helping people get better has been hit especially hard by the current recession. Many individuals, when faced with almost impossible financial choices, will choose to forgo traditional health care in order to save money in the short term. This is obviously an untenable situation, and one that needs to be remedied for every one’s benefit, medical practitioners included. That is why in this precarious time for the United States of America, many medical institutions, from small, family owned private practices to large corporately financed hospitals are retaining the services of a health care public relations firm to help them generate business in these all together difficult financial times.

 

Many of these medical providers, with all different kinds of budgets, are making room for the necessary expenditures to hire a health care public relations firm. Hospital administrators realize that the only way to combat the falling profits of many a formerly prosperous medical office is to mount an offensive posture. This means taking the battle to the consumer, convincing them through any and all means necessary that a particular medical provider is a great choice for providing top quality medical care at affordable rates. This is what most people in the United States of America want. They are willing to pay good money for health care, but they do not want to be taken advantage of. That is where a highly experienced and fully qualified health care public relations firm comes in. It falls to the average health care public relations firm to maintain their medical client’s reputation at high levels. All too often in the medical professional, a particular practice or medical institution will fail because of a growing bad reputation. If people start to think that a particular medical office is not capable of providing the promised services in a timely manner and at the appropriate cost, then they will not be likely to return, let alone become a cherished lifelong customer.

 

This is obviously unacceptable if the medical office wants to become a thriving business into the next millennium. Therefore, the health care public relations firm has to promote the good attributes that characterize their clients. This means to play up any instance of a particular doctor or nurse going well beyond the call of duty to the local press, so that their client is portrayed in a positive light. If enough of these types of stories come to light, it will begin to shape public opinion about that particular medical institution. It stands to reason then, that if enough people believe that particular institution is doing a job, then they will be more willing to spend their hard earned dollars for health care at that medical office. If this occurs, then the health care public relations firm has done its job in securing new business and keeping old clients for the medical offices and practices that they represent. Any health care public relations firm worth its salt has to keep this up to stay in business for a long time.

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Introduction to the Health System in Australia (and the role of private health insurance)

January 12th, 2011

Health care in Australia is comprised of both the public and private health care systems.

Public health care in Australia

The public health system is called Medicare, and is funded partly through an income tax levy of 1.5%, with the rest of the costs coming from the general budget

Under Medicare, Australians can receive free treatment as public patients in public hospitals; free or subsidised treatment by doctors and specialists; free x-rays and pathology tests, and eye examinations performed by optometrists.

Private health care in Australia

Private health care goes a step further than Medicare, as it includes private hospitals and  ancillary (outside of hospital) services like dental, physiotherapy, chiropractic, etc.

In total, the private sector funds about a third of all health care in Australia.

The role of health insurance

 

Health funds provide average Australians with access to the private health system through the means of health insurance. Private health insurance pays benefits toward a wide range of health services including:

-  hospital treatment as a private patient

-  cover in private hospitals

-  doctors’ and specialists’ fees for in-patient costs

-  dental and optical care

-  therapies like physiotherapy, chiropractic and psychology

-  natural therapies including acupuncture, naturopathy, remedial massage

-  equipment like glucose monitors and hearing aids

 

In addition to these services, private health insurance also allows people to choose the hospital they wish to go to and the doctor they want to treat them. It also ensures shorter waiting times and greater flexibility in scheduling surgery.

Health insurance and the Australian Government

Private health cover is supported by the Australian Government through various means.

1. The health insurance rebate

The Australian Government currently offers a 30% rebate on the cost of private health insurance to all Australians. This applies to both hospital and ancillary cover.

The elderly are offered higher rebates, with 65-69 year olds eligible for 35%, and over 70s eligible for 40% rebate.

2. The Medicare Levy Surcharge

Higher income earners who do not have hospital cover must pay an extra 1% tax in the form of the Medicare Levy Surcharge. This is on top of the normal 1.5% Medicare Levy that all taxpayers contribute towards.

To avoid the Medicare Levy Surcharge, Australians are encouraged to take out private health insurance.

3. Lifetime Health Cover

Lifetime Health Cover is a Government initiative that encourages people to take out health insurance earlier in life. By joining before they turn 30, young people can lock in the lowest base rate premium. After this age, a loading of 2% is charged for every year without health cover after the age of 30.

The type of private health insurance you require depends on your circumstances. Health insurance comparison sites can help you compare different policies from a range of top Australian health funds, providing you with the most suitable cover for your needs at no charge.

 

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