1. Part I

   Consider the four health plans below with an eye to choosing one to offer to the company’s employees. Assume that the health plans and their annual per employee premiums are as follows:

   Health Plan	Premium, Individual	Premium, Family
   Aetna Health	$4,555	$11,428
   MetroPlus	$4,267	$10,540
   Empire	$4,217	$10,767
   Oxford	$6,029	$13,417

   The employer will pay 80% of the premium for individual coverage, and the employee will pay the remaining 20% as well as the entire additional premium for family coverage. (The premiums listed above, while realistic in magnitude, are hypothetical and computed solely for the purpose of this project.) All of the plans are managed care plans. Assume that the benefit package is the same across all plans, so there is no difference between them in what services are covered.

   In addition to the above data, click here to view and investigate the Online Report on Quality Performance Results in New York State, the latest report card issued by the New York State Department of Health, 2013, and incorporate the information into your evaluation.

   You can view the various categories of measures on which health plans are rated (e.g., Access to Care, Adult Living with Illness, etc.). Click each link for a summary chart that presents the performance (usually as a percentage score) of each plan in the group on the relevant measures and how each plan compares to regional and statewide scores.

   Submit a 2-page analysis in a Microsoft Word document that outlines the plan you selected and why. Generally, you would select the plan with the highest score, but if you chose a plan with a lower score, explain why. Include the following elements in your analysis:

   • Explain which factors (e.g., price and/or performance measures) were most important to your choice of plan and how you derived the weights for each factor you used.
   • Indicate, on a scale of 1 to 10, how comfortable or confident you are that you made the right choice, with 10 being most confident.

   Part II

   You need to use the multiattribute utility (MAU) technique to respond to the following questions. Although the technique can be performed with pencil and paper, it is recommended you use a Microsoft Excel to do the various calculations involved.

   Click the following links to access the information on using the MAU technique:

   • MAU Model
   • MAU Example
   • Compare your level of confidence at the time you completed Part I to your confidence level for Part II, when you used this decision aid.
   • Was it helpful? What were its advantages and disadvantages?

   Did it make the decision harder to make or easier to justify?

   Support your responses with examples.

   Cite any sources in APA format.

   Submission Details

   Name your document SU_HCM3002_W4_A2_LastName_FirstInitial.doc.

   Submit your document to the W4 Assignment 2 Dropbox by Tuesday, November 11, 2014.

   Assignment 2 Grading Criteria	Maximum Points
   Chose a health insurance plan to offer employees.	10
   Explained which factors were most important to the choice of plan and how the weights for each factor used were derived.	10
   Indicated the comfort or confidence of choice and provided appropriate reasoning.	10
   Compared level of confidence for choosing a health insurance plan versus using the MAU technique.	10
   Discussed the advantages and disadvantages of the MAU technique.	5
   Used correct spelling, grammar, and professional vocabulary. Cited all sources using APA format.	5
   Total:	50

3. …

Economics
From this aspect, therefore, the whole of economics can be reduced to a single lesson, and that lesson can be reduced to
a single sentence. The art of economics consists in looking not merely at the immediate but at the longer effects of any act
or policy; it consists in tracing the consequences of that policy not merely for one group but for all groups.
– H. Hazlitt
Team Policy Project
Your team will choose an economic problem and propose an original policy that addresses that problem in the
context of a particular country. You are welcome to choose a problem we have not discussed in class. Please
choose a country other than the United States or any other country which is represented by someone on your
team.
Policy Proposal due before midnight Oct 12:
Submit a 2-3 page proposal for your project. This is an informal document that should include the following:
1. The country in which your policy will be enacted
2. A brief statement of the problem you wish to address
3. A brief statement of the policy you wish to propose to solve the problem (you may revise this later)
4. An initial list of information you will need to gather
Final Policy Report due before midnight on Nov 12:
Submit a team report of approximately 10 pages discussing the problem and country situation, and proposed
policy. Use the outline below.
1. Introduction (1-2 pages)
a. A summary of the situation/problem
b. A brief synopsis of the proposed solution
c. A brief outline of the paper
2. The problem
a. A more in depth discussion of the situation/problem
b. Include any incentive or information problems
c. What are the existing institutions that affect this situation?
3. The policy
a. A complete description of the policy
b. Intended short-term effects (incentives, information, institutions)
c. Intended long-term effects (incentives, information, institutions)
4. Conclusion (2-3 pages)
a. Possible harmful effects of the policy
b. Possible obstacles to implementation (incentives, information, institutions)
c. Needed future research (What do you need to know before you enact this policy?)
For your report, please use the following format:
• 12 point Times New Roman font
• 1 inch margins
• Double spaced
• Separate title page with the names of all team members (not included in the page count)
• Citations on a separate reference page (not included in the page count)
Presentation: Your presentations should be 10-15 minutes. Your team has a lot of creative license in how you
choose to present your problem and policy. You may sing, rap, act, record your presentation and play it back as
a video, create a public service announcement, etc. You may also simply talk about your problem/policy. You
should be prepared to answer questions regarding your presentation.
You will be graded on the following:
• Creative approach to topic (5%)
• Well-developed argument proposing the policy (25%)
• Thorough analysis of short and long term effects incorporating incentives, information, and institutions
(25%)
• Organization and readability (10%)
• Use of credible outside sources (5%)
• Preparedness for and delivery of presentation (30%)
• Incorporates all members of the group (points will be deducted if this criteria is not met)
Additionally, each team member should submit (via Blackboard) one paragraph describing their individual
contribution to the presentation and report.

Economics
From this aspect, therefore, the whole of economics can be reduced to a single lesson, and that lesson can be reduced to
a single sentence. The art of economics consists in looking not merely at the immediate but at the longer effects of any act
or policy; it consists in tracing the consequences of that policy not merely for one group but for all groups.
– H. Hazlitt
Team Policy Project
Your team will choose an economic problem and propose an original policy that addresses that problem in the
context of a particular country. You are welcome to choose a problem we have not discussed in class. Please
choose a country other than the United States or any other country which is represented by someone on your
team.
Policy Proposal due before midnight Oct 12:
Submit a 2-3 page proposal for your project. This is an informal document that should include the following:
1. The country in which your policy will be enacted
2. A brief statement of the problem you wish to address
3. A brief statement of the policy you wish to propose to solve the problem (you may revise this later)
4. An initial list of information you will need to gather
Final Policy Report due before midnight on Nov 12:
Submit a team report of approximately 10 pages discussing the problem and country situation, and proposed
policy. Use the outline below.
1. Introduction (1-2 pages)
a. A summary of the situation/problem
b. A brief synopsis of the proposed solution
c. A brief outline of the paper
2. The problem
a. A more in depth discussion of the situation/problem
b. Include any incentive or information problems
c. What are the existing institutions that affect this situation?
3. The policy
a. A complete description of the policy
b. Intended short-term effects (incentives, information, institutions)
c. Intended long-term effects (incentives, information, institutions)
4. Conclusion (2-3 pages)
a. Possible harmful effects of the policy
b. Possible obstacles to implementation (incentives, information, institutions)
c. Needed future research (What do you need to know before you enact this policy?)
For your report, please use the following format:
• 12 point Times New Roman font
• 1 inch margins
• Double spaced
• Separate title page with the names of all team members (not included in the page count)
• Citations on a separate reference page (not included in the page count)
Presentation: Your presentations should be 10-15 minutes. Your team has a lot of creative license in how you
choose to present your problem and policy. You may sing, rap, act, record your presentation and play it back as
a video, create a public service announcement, etc. You may also simply talk about your problem/policy. You
should be prepared to answer questions regarding your presentation.
You will be graded on the following:
• Creative approach to topic (5%)
• Well-developed argument proposing the policy (25%)
• Thorough analysis of short and long term effects incorporating incentives, information, and institutions
(25%)
• Organization and readability (10%)
• Use of credible outside sources (5%)
• Preparedness for and delivery of presentation (30%)
• Incorporates all members of the group (points will be deducted if this criteria is not met)
Additionally, each team member should submit (via Blackboard) one paragraph describing their individual
contribution to the presentation and report.