Measuring the Effects of Post-Government-Employment Restrictions

The "revolving door" problem linking private interests and governmentdecision makers has become an important mechanism in the implementationof influence peddling. The "revolving door" problem is premisedon the assumption that a market exists for the services of formergovernment employees. However, no attempt has been made to providea measure of the value of these services, nor to evaluate theeffect of regulations intended to curb the problem. This articleattempts to fill this gap by utilizing an event-study methodologyto measure the effect of gaining "access" to government underalternative regulations.     

A Review of Evidence-Based Biopsychosocial Laws Governing the Treatment of Pain and Injury

The impact of scientific findings on medical, psychological, and legal concepts has led to the adoption of laws and regulations that do not easily fit into the established legal categories of medical law or mental health law. Instead, this convergence of forces has resulted in laws and regulations mandating biopsychosocial treatment guidelines, where both medical and psychological cares are integrated within the framework of a single paradigm. Laws and regulations of this type have been adopted by a number of US states and Canadian provinces, and could be considered to represent a new category, for which we offer the term “biopsychosocial law.” Biopsychosocial laws currently pertain to medical treatment guidelines for workers’ compensation, a medical treatment system noted for high costs, high levels of litigation, and psychological involvement. There are a number of examples of biopsychosocial laws, but the most noteworthy are based on guidelines developed by the Colorado Division of Workers’ Compensation, the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, the Work Loss Data Institute, and The Reed Group. These guidelines differ significantly with regard to features, conditions covered, and strength of evidence basis. However, all of these guideline systems were developed with the intent of providing good care while controlling costs, are evidence based, integrate the practice of medicine and psychology, and are legally mandated in certain jurisdictions. Taken together, these guidelines represent a growing convergence of scientific evidence, professional society positions, payor policies, and legal regulations. These forces are propelling a broad societal shift away from Cartesian assumptions that the body and mind are separate, and toward a biopsychosocial paradigm for the treatment of injury and illness.     

Medicaid program; Medicaid managed care--HCFA. Proposed rule

This proposed rule would amend the Medicaid regulations to allow the States greater flexibility by giving them the option to require Medicaid recipients to enroll in managed care entities without obtaining waivers. These revisions, which are authorized by the Balanced Budget Act of 1997, would establish new beneficiary protections in areas such as quality assurance, grievance rights, and coverage of emergency services. They would eliminate certain requirements viewed by State agencies as impediments to the growth of managed care programs, such as the enrollment composition requirement, the right to disenroll without cause at any time, and the prohibition against enrollee cost-sharing. They would also permit State agencies to amend their State plans to require enrollment in managed care organizations subject to certain conditions, including limits on whose enrollment can be mandated, and a requirement for beneficiary choice. In addition, this rule would extend most of these new requirements to prepaid health plans.     

Medicare program; Medicare coverage of screening mammography--HCFA. Final rule

This final rule revises interim final regulations on Medicare coverage of screening mammography that were published in the Federal Register on December 31, 1990 (55 FR 53510). Those regulations implemented section 4163 of the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1990, setting forth payment limitations and conditions for coverage of screening mammography. The conditions consist of quality standards to ensure the safety and accuracy of screening mammography services performed by qualified physicians and other suppliers of these services. As a result of the implementation of the Mammography Quality Standards Act of 1992 (MQSA) by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), we are conforming the conditions for coverage to the applicable FDA certification requirements that all Medicare suppliers of services must meet effective October 1, 1994. The revisions in this final rule also respond to certain comments we received on the interim final rule published on December 31, 1990; they provide clarification of certain of its provisions; and they establish conditions for coverage of diagnostic mammography that are similar to those we have established for screening mammography. In addition, this final rule reflects changes resulting from the final rule on the fee schedule for physicians' services, which was published in the Federal Register on December 2, 1993 (58 FR 63626).     

家事诉讼与儿童利益保护

儿童利益是一种身份利益,具有显著的公益性,国家与社会必须给予特殊保护。涉及儿童的家事审判要遵循儿童利益最大化、儿童参与以及儿童优先保护等原则。从我国家事审判立法看,涉及儿童利益保护的规定散见于诸多的法律、司法解释以及政策性文件中,这些规定尽管为家事司法提供了基本的依据,但缺憾亦非常明显,表现为没有上位法的原则性规定,没有形成体系完整、结构合理的专门制度,部分立法规范前后矛盾,缺乏科学性和严谨性,缺乏实现儿童利益最大化的具体程序和相关配套机制。为此,有必要在基本法和部门法层面确立儿童利益最大化的法律原则;保障儿童表达意见权利和诉讼参与权;从司法层面看,确认儿童的诉讼主体地位,确立涉儿童家事案件职权探知、职权调查原则,建立专业化的家事审判机构。通过上述多重举措,真正实现家事审判对儿童利益的充分保障。     

Medicare program; Medicare coverage of screening mammography--HCFA. Interim final rule with comment

This interim final rule implements section 4163 of the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1990 (Pub. L. 101-508), which provides limited coverage for screening mammography services. It amends current Medicare regulations to set forth payment limitations and conditions for coverage of screening mammography. The conditions consist of quality standards to assure the safety and accuracy of screening mammography services performed by qualified physicians and other suppliers of these services.     

Child support enforcement program; state plan requirements, standards for program operations, and federal financial participation--Office of Child Support Enforcement, HHS. Notice of proposed rulemaking

This proposed rule would implement part of the paternity establishment provisions contained in section 331 of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (PRWORA) and amended by section 5539 of Pub. L. 105-33, which impose new statutory requirements for a State's voluntary paternity acknowledgement process and require the Secretary to promulgate regulations governing voluntary paternity establishment services and identifying the types of entities other than hospitals and birth record agencies that may be allowed to offer voluntary paternity establishment services. States will be required to adopt laws and procedures that are in accordance with the statutory and regulatory provisions. These proposed regulations will address these procedures and related provisions.     

"出嫁女"土地权益保护的困境与出路——从民间法角度切入

村委会以村规民约等方式限制、剥夺"出嫁女"的土地权益,而这种以村规民约等形式表现的民间法以单系继替偏重的社会继替规律以及"男婚女嫁"的习俗为其存在的社会基础。因此,要实现对"出嫁女"土地权益的有效保护,必须通过发展农村经济、贯彻国家计划生育政策、开展法治宣传、完善农村社会保障制度,动、消除这种民间法存在的基础,实现国家法在农村的有效推进。     

Medicaid program; required coverage of nurse practitioner services--HCFA. Final rule

This final rule stipulates the requirements for coverage of and payment for pediatric and family nurse practitioner services under the Medicaid program. The coverage of these additional services under the Medicaid program increases the availability and accessibility of medical care for specified Medicaid recipients. This final rule adds to the Medicaid regulations provisions of sections 1902(a)(10)(A) and 1905(a)(21) of the Social Security Act, as amended by section 6405 of the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1989.     

Expanding dependent coverage for young adults: lessons from state initiatives

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) requires that adults up to age twenty-six be permitted to enroll as dependents on their parents' health plans. This article examines the experiences of states that enacted dependent expansion laws. Drawing on public information from thirty-one enacting states and case studies of four diverse reform states, it derives lessons that are pertinent to the implementation of this ACA provision. Dependent coverage laws vary across the states, but most impose residency, marital status, and other restrictions. The federal Employee Retirement Income Security Act further limits the reach of state laws. Eligibility for expanded coverage under the ACA is much broader. Rules in some states requiring or allowing separate premiums for adult dependents may also discourage enrollment compared with rules in other states (and the ACA), where these costs must be factored into family premiums. Business opposition in some states led to more restrictive regulations, especially for how premiums are charged, which in turn raised greater implementation challenges. Case study states did not report substantial young adult dependent coverage take-up, but early enrollment experience under ACA appears to be more positive. Long-term questions remain about the implications of this policy for risk pooling and the distribution of premium costs.     

中国农民法律意识现状探讨

农民法律意识的内部架构是,法律意识淡漠与对传统伦理和乡土规范的青睐相伴。其成因是：简单经济关系使其亲近法律缺少利益的驱动;农村家庭的生产职能滋养了具有生产组织文化特点的儒家伦理;人治传统下法律的作用使其缺少对法律的利益感受。觉醒农民法律意识有益于：构建市场经济运动之基础和市民社会之人格——心理基础;塑造崇尚权利的现代法治和民主政治运行之逻辑习惯。     

论国家机关处理个人信息的合法性基础

我国个人信息保护法对国家机关处理个人信息作出了特别规定,但未明文解释其适用对象或澄清处理的合法性基础。个人信息保护领域的国家机关应采广义,除了通常的国家机关,还包括法律、法规授权提供公共服务的组织和规章授权组织。根据我国个人信息保护法第13条和民法典第1036条,国家机关处理个人信息具有多元的合法性基础:法定基础包括履行法定职责所必需,订立、履行合同或人事管理所必需,为应急所必需,合理处理已自愿或合法公开的个人信息,法律、行政法规规定的其他情形;意定基础指取得个人同意;酌定基础指为维护公共利益或者信息主体合法权益而合理处理个人信息。不同的合法性基础对应不同的告知同意规则,需准确理解适用。     

Medicaid program; coverage of personal care services--HCFA. Final rule

This final rule specifies the revised requirements for Medicaid coverage of personal care services furnished in a home or other location as an optional benefit, effective for services furnished on or after October 1, 1994. In particular, this final rule specifies that personal care services may be furnished in a home or other location by any individual who is qualified to do so. This rule conforms the Medicaid regulations to the provisions of section 13601(a)(5) of the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1993, which added section 1905(a)(24) to the Social Security Act. Additionally, we are making two minor changes to the Medicaid regulations concerning home health services.     

论隐性采访的法律困惑

隐性采访是近年来受到新闻记者普遍青睐的新闻采访形式.由于通过隐性采访这种采访手段采获的新闻具有形式的新颖多样、内容的新鲜独特等特点而受到受众的欢迎,成为大众传媒经常采用的新闻样式.但由于相关法规的缺乏,新闻记者在开展隐性采访时,经常会遇到诸多法律困惑:通过隐性采访采获的视听资料能否作为法庭合法证据使用,隐性采访实施过程中是否可以采用引诱手段,新闻记者在隐性采访时如何隐身等等.在没有专门法规定的情况下,探讨根据我国现有法律的相关规定合法开展隐性采访的方法和途径,对于隐性采访的健康发展意义重大.     

Medicaid program: nurse-midwife services--HCFA. Final rule

In accordance with section 13605 of the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1993, this final rule expands coverage of nurse-midwife services under the Medicaid program by including coverage for those services that nurse-midwives perform outside the maternity cycle as allowed by State law and regulation. In addition, this rule includes several clarifying revisions to the Medicaid regulations.     

Crisis of conscience: reconciling religious health care providers' beliefs and patients' rights

In this note, Katherine A. White explores the conflict between religious health care providers who provide care in accordance with their religious beliefs and the patients who want access to medical care that these religious providers find objectionable. Specifically, she examines Roman Catholic health care institutions and HMOs that follow the Ethical and Religious Directives for Catholic Health Care Services and considers other religious providers with similar beliefs. In accordance with the Directives, these institutions maintain policies that restrict access to "sensitive" services like abortion, family planning, HIV counseling, infertility treatment, and termination of life-support. White explains how most state laws protecting providers' right to refuse treatments in conflict with religious principles do not cover this wide range of services. Furthermore, many state and federal laws and some court decisions guarantee patients the right to receive this care. The constitutional complication inherent in this provider-patient conflict emerges in White's analysis of the interaction of the Free Exercise and Establishment Clauses of the First Amendment and patients' right to privacy. White concludes her note by exploring the success of both provider-initiated and legislatively mandated compromise strategies. She first describes the strategies adopted by four different religious HMOs which vary in how they increase or restrict access to sensitive services. She then turns her focus to state and federal "bypass" legislation, ultimately concluding that increased state supervision might help these laws become more viable solutions to provider-patient conflicts.     

反专利权滥用法律规制研究

专利权人或独占实施的被许可人不正当行使其权利、不实施其专利、利用其优越地位不正当地限制交易、或采取不公正的交易方法造成他人利益或公共利益受到损害的,构成专利权滥用。我国法律、法规没有对专利权滥用行为进行界定,强制性法律规范不健全,缺乏具有操作性的救济措施,对其规制的措施尚不够有力。同时执行机构多元化,执法程序不够完善,导致执法不统一。在专利权滥用法律规制模式上,我国宜采用二元制的规制模式。     

Lawmaking and News Making: Different Worlds after all? A Study on News Coverage of Legislative Processes in the Netherlands

Over the last decades the importance of the media for understanding the functioning of democracy in the contemporary world has become evident. Yet despite the developing body of knowledge on political communication and newsworthiness there is little research about why and how the media cover legislative processes in a European context. Therefore this study analyses media coverage of lawmaking in the Netherlands and investigates which characteristics of legislation influence the amount of news coverage. It shows that only one out of five laws is covered at all and that no more than one out of 10 laws receives substantial media attention. This leads to the question why some laws get extensive news attention, whereas most laws are completely ignored. Press coverage for the legislative process turns out to be both selective and predictable. Traditional news values such as political conflict and significance are good predictors of media coverage for lawmaking. In addition, laws are largely ignored when they are part of the budgetary cycle.     

当代中国女性就业权利的现状分析及救济机制的完善

目前我国关于女性就业方面的法律规范保障不够全面,加上现实中职场中的不公正的潜规则的影响,致使损害女性这一社会弱势群体的合法权益的现象时有发生。本文在对我国目前女性就业权利的现状进行考察和分析的基础上,提出相应的保护和救济机制的完善建议。