Canada will have a national HIV vaccine plan

Health Canada announces that a national HIV vaccine plan will be developed in consultation with key stakeholders and that it will contribute to the global vaccine effort.     

Cost-shifting: the discount dilemma

Cost-shifting, the practice by hospitals of raising their prices to make up for reimbursement shortfalls from payers that do not pay full charges, is an important and controversial issue. Concerns about cost-shifting, particularly its effects on payment equity and cost escalation, have led many insurers, business groups, and legislators to advocate rate-setting regulation for hospitals. This article seeks to clarify the definition of cost-shifting, and quantifies its magnitude in Minneapolis/St. Paul. We believe that cost-shifting is the consequential result of the failure of both public and private payers to structure payment policies that reward cost-effective hospitals, and we outline a market-oriented alternative to rate-setting to address the discount dilemma caused by cost-shifting.     

The orphan works dilemma and museums: an uncomfortable straitjacket

LEGAL CONTEXT: Orphan works are copyright works where the right holders cannotbe found. Without the consent of the right holder, a user facespotential liability for the unauthorized use of the work. Museumshave a duty to make cultural materials available to the public.However, the orphan works problem may pose obstacles to thenormal functioning of a museum. This article explores the problemof orphan works as it pertains to museums. KEY POINTS: Legislative solutions are being considered in addressing theproblem of orphan works in the United States. The museums, asa lobbying group, initially advocated for a safe-harbour rule.The U.S. Copyright Office recommended a limitation on remediesrule. Any legislative solution tackling the orphan works problemmust balance the benefits of using orphan works against theexclusive rights of creators. PRACTICAL SIGNIFICANCE: This article will inform readers of the orphan works problem.In addition, the lobbying efforts of the museums in trying toobtain desirable legislation are explored. By understandingthe various interests involved, readers can better anticipatethe possible orphan work solutions that the United States mayadopt.     

Biological monitoring: the employer's dilemma

The industrial workplace contains many potential health hazards that not only can cause great harm to workers, but also can destroy the employers' economic stability. Often these hazards are documented and dealth with, but frequently they are unknown. When health-conscious employers monitor the physical well-being of their employees in an effort to avoid the terrible personal and economic costs these hazards can produce, they may be supplying their employees with the documentation necessary to recover financially for their industrial illnesses. This Article analyzes this dilemma confronting employers. It describes the many factors employers must consider when deciding whether to institute a monitoring process that takes full advantage of technological developments in medical care. The Article suggests an approach employers may take until some of the disincentives surrounding the implementation of monitoring are removed.     

Hybrid processes within parenting plan assessments: Rationale and an illustrative model

Parenting plan Assessments, also known as child custody evaluations, are forensic psychological investigations into the needs of children, the parenting capacities of their caregivers, and the resulting fit between the children's needs and caregiver capacities. Typically, they result in recommendations that are, in the opinion of the assessor, formulated to meet the best interests of children regarding a parenting plan, child sharing, parental responsibilities and ancillary services that are likely to support the children's optimal functioning as well as the functioning of the now reconfigured family. Such assessments are part of a pathway to untangling conflicts between the parents regarding the most appropriate parenting plan for the reconfigured family. Paradoxically, the assessment process can exacerbate the conflict, entrench parental polarization, and create lingering feelings of helplessness, frustration, and disempowerment in the parents. This article provides a rationale for the use of a hybrid process that incorporates alternative dispute resolution as an integrated part of the parenting plan assessment and provides an illustrative model of such a hybrid process.