Comparing and contrasting HMO and PPO insurance programs Essay

Comparing and contrasting HMO and PPO insurance programs - Essay Example Whenever a policyholder needs the services of a specialist doctor, the PCP needs to be visited to refer the specialist to be visited by the policyholder, HMO or PPO. Difference between HMO and PPO comes in the PCP aspect. For HMO, there is no choice; the member has to identify a PCP but in PPO, it is not mandatory. It depends on the will of the members to choose a PCP or not. In other words, the PPO members can select a specialist by their own (Daltons, 2007). Personally, I would like to opt for HMO, reason being it suits my needs. I do not need to search for any specialist myself. Whosoever the specialist, I will be referred to by the PCP; it would relieve me from the tension of finding a good specialist. It is cost-effective also, as I will be eligible for coverage or benefits, not available in PPO for getting medical care outside of the private network. I need not pay from my own pocket if I select HMO, as my healthcare insurance provider (Dalton, 2007). It needs to be noted that a PPO member will not pay extra if the chosen doctor is from the preferred providers, but the HMO member can consult only the selected PCP. If there is some emergency, the selected PCP would refer the case to the specialist in the HMO network only. In the case of PPO, advanced permission might be required for costly services, such as MRIs. Even in HMO, procedures and prescription services and copayments for doctor visits are charged. In PPO arrangement, out-of-network charges are only partly paid (Behari, 2010). Role of the PCP is very critical in HMO, as it is the PCP who caters to all healthcare needs of the insurer. A PCP functions as a personal doctor to attend to all needs of the patient. A PCP could either be an internal medicine physician, family physician, and in some HMOs, gynecologists to offer essential healthcare for women. A PCP can be a pediatrician too or a family doctor as well, as per one’s choice for getting treatment for

Counterfeiting is NOT a major problem for Branded good companies Essay

Counterfeiting is NOT a major problem for Branded good companies engaged in International Strategic Marketing - Essay Example Counterfeiting is production of goods similar to the original article; they are cheaper alternatives of the original and there may not be perceivable difference in quality (Phau, Teah & Lee, 2009). OECD (1998) defines counterfeiting as any manufacturing of a product which so closely imitates the appearance of the product of another to mislead a consumer that it is the product of another. Hence it also includes trademarks and copyrights infringements, including packaging and labeling or any other significant feature of the product. Counterfeiting is a civil offence, a criminal crime apart from being a social, political and serious economic problem (Bian & Veloutsou, 2007). However, according to the OECD (Organization for Economic Cooperation & Development, 2007) the total value of counterfeit goods in 2005 was $200 billion (Gistri et al. 2009) and by 2007 it has estimated to have exceeded $500 (Phau, Teah & Lee, 2009). It is estimated that about 15% of the branded products sold across the world are counterfeit (Cross, 2006). The core target for counterfeiting brands is the luxury brands. It has increased to such proportions because of global trade and emerging new markets (Phau & Teah, 2009). Counterfeiting thrives because in some countries such as the US, their legal system protects only functionality and not designs or the style. In other countries even this level of protection is not present (Hilton, Chot & Chen, 2004). Countries like China and Hong Kong has no way to deal with counterfeiters and moreover, many times counterfeiting takes place outside the jurisdiction of a country (Nejdet, 2000). North Korea too engages in secret counterfeit printing and packaging of billions of cigarettes and drugs sold in the US (Cross, 2006). Phillips Morris has been able to trace the counterfeit version of its Marlboro brand at more than 1300 stores in the US. Such illicit activities generate more than half a billion US dollars. The counterfeiting is done so