Effect of financial incentives on the cost and duration of sickness absence.

Sickness absence is a major concern in public health, affecting individuals, businesses, and society. Developing efficient sickness absence policies could help reduce sickness absence. A key aspect of these policies concerns the financial compensation provided to absent employees, including its amount and the length of time it is offered. This study addresses how financial incentives, like salary reductions, might influence sickness absence. For this purpose, we first develop a model to estimate the sensitivity of employees to a financial incentive using a large dataset consisting of approximately six million sickness cases. We then perform a simulation study to determine the effect of similar incentives at different moments and for varying sensitivities. Our findings indicate that financial incentives can notably shorten the duration of sickness absence and decrease its associated costs, particularly when such incentives are implemented early in the absence period. Incentives implemented later have less impact on absence duration, but can still reduce the overall cost. The results of this study can be used by healthcare professionals and employers in the design and evaluation of diverse sickness absence policies.

US Postgraduate Trainee Racial, Ethnic, and Gender Representation and Faculty Compensation By Specialty.

This study compares postgraduate trainee racial, ethnic, and gender representation and faculty compensation for 21 clinical specialties using 2015-2022 data.

Racial Disparities in Compensation Among US Anesthesiologists: Results of a National Survey of Anesthesiologists.

BACKGROUND: A racial compensation disparity among physicians across numerous specialties is well documented and persists after adjustment for age, sex, experience, work hours, productivity, academic rank, and practice structure. This study examined national survey data to determine whether there are racial differences in compensation among anesthesiologists in the United States. METHODS: In 2018, 28,812 active members of the American Society of Anesthesiologists were surveyed to examine compensation among members. Compensation was defined as the amount reported as direct compensation on a W-2, 1099, or K-1, plus all voluntary salary reductions (eg, 401[k], health insurance). Covariates potentially associated with compensation were identified (eg, sex and academic rank) and included in regression models. Racial differences in outcome and model variables were assessed via Wilcoxon rank sum tests and Pearson's χ 2 tests. Covariate adjusted ordinal logistic regression estimated an odds ratio (OR) for the relationship between race and ethnicity and compensation while adjusting for provider and practice characteristics. RESULTS: The final analytical sample consisted of 1952 anesthesiologists (78% non-Hispanic White). The analytic sample represented a higher percentage of White, female, and younger physicians compared to the demographic makeup of anesthesiologists in the United States. When comparing non-Hispanic White anesthesiologists with anesthesiologists from other racial and ethnic minority groups, (ie, American Indian/Alaska Native, Asian, Black, Hispanic, and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander), the dependent variable (compensation range) and 6 of the covariates (sex, age, spousal work status, region, practice type, and completed fellowship) had significant differences. In the adjusted model, anesthesiologists from racial and ethnic minority populations had 26% lower odds of being in a higher compensation range compared to White anesthesiologists (OR, 0.74; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.61-0.91). CONCLUSIONS: Compensation for anesthesiologists showed a significant pay disparity associated with race and ethnicity even after adjusting for provider and practice characteristics. Our study raises concerns that processes, policies, or biases (either implicit or explicit) persist and may impact compensation for anesthesiologists from racial and ethnic minority populations. This disparity in compensation requires actionable solutions and calls for future studies that investigate contributing factors and to validate our findings given the low response rate.

Cancer Screening after the Adoption of Paid-Sick-Leave Mandates.

BACKGROUND: By the end of 2022, nearly 20 million workers in the United States have gained paid-sick-leave coverage from mandates that require employers to provide benefits to qualified workers, including paid time off for the use of preventive services. Although the lack of paid-sick-leave coverage may hinder access to preventive care, current evidence is insufficient to draw meaningful conclusions about its relationship to cancer screening. METHODS: We examined the association between paid-sick-leave mandates and screening for breast and colorectal cancers by comparing changes in 12- and 24-month rates of colorectal-cancer screening and mammography between workers residing in metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs) that have been affected by paid-sick-leave mandates (exposed MSAs) and workers residing in unexposed MSAs. The comparisons were conducted with the use of administrative medical-claims data for approximately 2 million private-sector employees from 2012 through 2019. RESULTS: Paid-sick-leave mandates were present in 61 MSAs in our sample. Screening rates were similar in the exposed and unexposed MSAs before mandate adoption. In the adjusted analysis, cancer-screening rates were higher among workers residing in exposed MSAs than among those in unexposed MSAs by 1.31 percentage points (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.28 to 2.34) for 12-month colorectal cancer screening, 1.56 percentage points (95% CI, 0.33 to 2.79) for 24-month colorectal cancer screening, 1.22 percentage points (95% CI, -0.20 to 2.64) for 12-month mammography, and 2.07 percentage points (95% CI, 0.15 to 3.99) for 24-month mammography. CONCLUSIONS: In a sample of private-sector workers in the United States, cancer-screening rates were higher among those residing in MSAs exposed to paid-sick-leave mandates than among those residing in unexposed MSAs. Our results suggest that a lack of paid-sick-leave coverage presents a barrier to cancer screening. (Funded by the National Cancer Institute.).

Recomendação nº 002, de 16 de fevereiro de 2023: recomenda a suspensão da liminar concedida pelo Ministro do STF, Roberto Barroso, à ADI nº 7222/2022, ajuizada pela Confederação Nacional de Saúde, em face da Lei Federal nº 14.434/2022.

Recomenda ao Supremo Tribunal Federal (STF), especialmente à Vossa Excelência, o Ministro Luís Roberto Barroso, que suspenda a liminar concedida na Ação Direta de Inconstitucionalidade nº 7222, ajuizada pela Confederação Nacional de Saúde (CNSaude), em face dos dispositivos da Lei Federal nº 14.434/2022, que trata do estabelecimento do Piso Salarial Nacional da Enfermagem.

Costs of polish county hospitals-A behavioral panel function.

In the paper the costs of Polish county hospitals in 2015-2018 are studied using behavioral cost function. The set of variables combines hospitals' characteristics which may determine their level of costs, such as the form of ownership, bed turnover rate, number of patient-days and share of beds in emergency department with environment characteristics which may influence both outsourcing costs and patients' health. In 2017 the system of basic hospital service provision (hospital network) was introduced in Poland. Dummy variables included in the model represent the category of hospital in the system. The results show that the costs may be described using fixed effect panel model. Positive impact of percentage of emergency department patients transferred to other departments and of wages is found. Higher ratio of residents and interns to doctors is found to decrease costs. Dummy variable for the period after the introduction of hospital network assumed a negative sign with costs, but the parameter remained insignificant.

Do unions contribute to creative destruction?

We apply a shift-share approach and historical unionisation data from 1918 to study the impact of regional unionisation changes in Norway on regional wage and productivity growth, job-creation and -destruction and social security uptake during the period 2003-2012. As unionisation increases, wages grow. Lay-offs through plant closures and shrinking workplaces increase, causing higher retirement rates, while job creation, plant entry and other social security uptakes are unaffected. Productivity grows, partly by enhanced productivity among surviving and new firms and partly by less productive firms forced to close due to increased labour costs. Thus, unions promote creative destruction.

Características sociodemográficas, económicas y de salud de los beneficiarios de los Servicios Educacionales Complementarios Básicos / Sociodemographic, economic and health-related characteristics of the beneficiaries of Basic Complementary Educational Services

Introducción: La nueva Ley Universitaria 30220 permite mejorar las condiciones básicas de calidad universitaria en Perú, y es pertinente conocer las condiciones del estudiante y su procedencia para la mejora continua de su progreso académico. Objetivo: Determinar las características sociodemográficas, económicas y de salud de beneficiarios de los servicios educacionales complementarios básicos de la Universidad Nacional de Frontera, Sullana Perú. Métodos: Se trata de un estudio descriptivo. Se revisaron los cuestionarios socioeconómicos, familiares y de salud de los beneficiarios. La población fue censal y ascendió a 1285 estudiantes. Resultados: Del total de estudiantes, 64 por ciento fueron mujeres y 35 por ciento hombres; asimismo, se determinó un elevado porcentaje de estudiantes con servicio de agua por horas, y se observó que algunos trabajaban en ocupaciones de ventas, en trabajo independiente y como mototaxistas. También se determinó que la mayoría de los estudiantes percibían un sueldo mensual entre 250-500 soles. En cuanto a la vacunación, se determinó que los estudiantes se colocaron la vacuna antitetánica, la vacuna contra el sarampión, la vacuna contra la hepatitis B, y la vacuna contra el virus del papiloma humano. Además, se halló un bajo porcentaje de estudiantes con asma, con algún tipo de alergia, y con padecimiento de alguna discapacidad, depresión y abuso sexual. Conclusiones: El servicio complementario de salud que brinda la universidad es pertinente para reducir riesgos de deserción por motivos de salud durante el pregrado. Aunque se necesita articular esfuerzos con los Gobiernos locales para establecer programas de salud(AU)

Introduction: The new University Law 30220 allows improving the basic conditions of university quality in Peru, insofar it is pertinent to know students' conditions and origins in view of the continuous improvement of their academic progress. Objective: To determine the sociodemographic, economic and health-related characteristics of beneficiaries of basic complementary educational services of the National University of Frontera in Sullana, Peru. Methods: This is a descriptive study. The socioeconomic, family and health questionnaires of the beneficiaries were reviewed. The population was of census type and amounted to 1,285 students. Results: Of the total of students, 64 percent were women and 35 percent were men. Likewise, a high percentage of students with hourly water service was determined, as well as some were observed to work in sales occupations, self-employment and as motorcycle taxi drivers. Most of the students were observed to receive a monthly salary between 250-500 soles. Regarding vaccination, the students were observed to receive vaccines against tetanus, measles, hepatitis B and human papillomavirus vaccines. In addition, a low percentage of students with asthma, with some type of allergy or suffering from some disability, depression and sexual abuse was found. Conclusions: The complementary health service offered by the university is pertinent to reduce the risk of dropping out due to health-related reasons during undergraduate studies. Although it is necessary to coordinate efforts with local governments for establish health programs(AU)

The influence that Spanish Labour Reform represents on Madrid Stock Market: An empirical analysis.

Empirical evidence for Spanish Stock Market shows that labour events, like a firm level collective agreement, have informative content for the market due to the loss of wealth that it implies for the investor. Labour Reforms which Spain experienced between the years 2010 and 2012 have allowed the jeopardising of employment and the destruction of jobs, substituting one well paid by another of lower cost for the firm, the cost of dismissal, or the proposals of substituting payoffs by the so-called Austrian backpack, and the elimination of the distinction between temporary and permanent contracts. These Labour Reforms affect many of the accounting and financial variables, which are the subject of analysis and follow-up by investors and analysts, next to the idiosyncrasy of the Open Shop System that is followed in Spain, the present article means to explore the effect on Madrid Stock Market. Our results, applying analysis techniques with decision trees where we control the effect of the economic crisis on the market reaction, show that the Labour Reforms of 2010 to 2012 are incorporated as negative, or positive, information when the investor perceives a possible decrease, or increase, in its future cash flows.