Potemkin Protections: Assessing Provider Directory Accuracy and Timely Access for Four Specialties in California

Context: Accurate provider directories and whether consumers can schedule timely appointments are crucial determinants of health access and outcomes. We assessed whether consumers can rely on provider directories to find in-network primary care providers, cardiologists, endocrinologists, and gastroenterologists for 2018 and 2019 for all managed care plans in California and whether they can access these providers in a timely manner. Method: We used large, random, and representative surveys of provider directories for all managed care plans in California for four specialties obtained from the California Department of Managed Health Care with a total of 657,012 observations (290,711 for 2018 and 475,524 for 2019). Findings: Surveys were able to verify provider directory entries for the four specialties for 59% to 76% of listings or 78% to 88% of providers reached. Moreover, we found that consumers were able to schedule urgent care appointments for 28% to 54% of listings or 44% to 72% of appropriately listed providers. For general care appointments, the percentages ranged from 35% to 64% of listed providers or 51% to 87% of appropriately listed providers. Differences across markets were generally small related to accuracy. Medi-Cal plans outperformed other markets with regards to timely access. Primary care consistently outperformed all other specialties. Timely access rates were higher for general appointments than for urgent care appointments. Conclusions: Despite the fact that California is one of the most active and well-resourced regulators in the nation, we found concerning results for consumers when it comes to locating in-network providers and gaining timely access. This raises questions about the regulatory regime as well as consumer access and health outcomes.

REGULATION AND SUPERVISION OF FINANCIAL SERVICES IN THE ERA OF GLOBAL DIGITALIZATION: EXPERIENCE OF AZERBAIJAN

The COVID-19 pandemic necessitated the urgent regulation and renewal of financial and banking services in Azerbaijan in the era of global digitalization. A number of important steps have been taken in the country, which are highlighted in the present article. First and foremost, numerous adopted legal acts, measures taken to increase the volume of non-cash payments and minimize the amount of cash payments have been analysed in the present article. It has been emphasized that strengthening of the role of banks in business financing also stimulates the economic growth as a result of the application of opportunities created by the digitalization of banks, legal entities and population. The importance to carry out reforms in the field of payments, to develop the legal framework, to strengthen institutional capacity has been examined. Next, the use of information technology and the enhancement of digital literacy have been identified as crucial issues. Moreover, digitalization is the main goal of improving risk management in banks and is defined as a strategic approach for the long term. The development of information technology and the acceleration of digital transformation in the international arena have contributed to the formation of modern and different approaches in the financial system, as well as in the operating part of banks. Furthermore, a new prudential system for responding to new challenges has been developed and the existing risk management tools based on international experience have been applied. The widespread use of mobile services over the Internet to facilitate consumer access to these services also plays a significant role in reducing costs and wasted time by creating additional capabilities. Finally, the article shows how the use of modern technological channels has increased the ability to collect and analyse more extensive and necessary information about current and potential customers. Keywords: financial system, prudential, financial authority, information technology, regulator, strategic roadmap. JEL Classification G21, O14, K20 Formulas: 0; fig.: 0; tabl.: 0; bibl.: 19.

Use It or Lose It? The Diffusion of Constraint-Induced and Modified Constraint-Induced Movement Therapy Into OT Practice

Date Presented Accepted for AOTA INSPIRE 2021 but unable to be presented due to online event limitations. Roger's Diffusion of Innovation Theory was used to examine the extent to which practitioners have adopted use of constraint-induced or modified constraint-induced movement therapy, both well supported by research, into neurorehabilitation practice. Although perceived effective, few use it even with eligible clients. Findings of this study provide insight into strategies that may increase consumer access to evidence-based practice to improve occupational performance and participation after stroke. Primary Author and Speaker: Shannon L. Scott Contributing Authors: Leah Arpadi, Margaret Crowell, Alexis Levine, Molly Lynch, Ali Muro, and Hannah Shade

The impact of the Covid-19 lockdown on access to organic food in San José, Costa Rica

Introduction: The Covid-19 pandemic has led to increased awareness of food security in urban areas and to the role of farmers’ markets in providing essential services to consumers. Objective: To better understand how Covid-19 affected consumer access to organic food at two major organic farmers’ markets in the Costa Rican metropolitan area. Methods: In April 2020 after the strict Costa Rica lockdown, 52 organic market consumers completed online questionnaires regarding their purchasing and consumption patterns. Results: The majority of participants reported decreasing or stopping visits to organic markets (81%). The most frequent source of food during the pandemic was large supermarkets (52%) followed by online or direct delivery from farmers (15%). The majority of participants reported less access to organic products since the onset of the pandemic (71%). Conclusion: Covid-19 has impacted access to organic food at farmer’s markets; recommendations include greater support for direct and online delivery of organic products to increase access to health food.

Implementing Regulation in an Emerging Industry: A Multi-Province Perspective

The decriminalization of cannabis in Canada has required a host of regulatory changes at the federal, provincial, and municipal levels. Provinces have operationalized the development of legal markets in very different ways, offering an opportunity to perform comparative analysis of business responses. This article outlines and delineates the various regulatory frameworks that have been employed at the provincial level, discusses how they have impacted the development of the legal cannabis market, and considers how they have resulted in some further regulatory changes. After reviewing coevolution as a conceptual framework, the implementation of legalization of recreational cannabis is discussed, followed by an exploration of different provincial approaches at a general level. The effects of that framework on the first phase of legal market operations are explored, with a focus on issues emanating from regulatory choices through discussions of five regions: British Columbia, the Prairies, Ontario, Quebec, and New Brunswick; each section exemplifying different priorities in the regulatory choices. Several themes emerge in the discussion. First, provincial approaches to retail licence approval have created severe bottlenecks, affecting consumer access to legal recreational cannabis. Additionally, the regulatory framework for those licences has resulted in a chilling effect on many potential entrepreneurs. Second, a reduction in black market sales has not yet occurred, largely due to the failure of some provinces to adequately provide retail licences and support legal distribution channels, or to operationalize the retail sales network. Third, many provinces struggled with operationalizing wholesale distribution to the retail stores, initially leading to administrative restrictions on store licences. Finally, issues of fairness and equity, effective displacement of the illegal market, government’s role as a market regulator and participant, and other issues that emerge from the critical comparison of the provincial markets are addressed.

In-and-Out: How Fashion Journalists Write About Black NBA Dandies

The National Basketball Association (NBA), now flush with lucrative television contracts from its broadcast partners and an owner-friendly collective bargaining agreement, is as popular as ever. Besides athleticism only reserved for a small portion of humans and basketball plays that can only be made by not even most elite college players, what also keeps fans on the edge of their seats are the outfits worn by Russell Westbrook, James Harden, Lebron James and the many other fashionable players. Using what Bourdieu’s (1984) termed cultural intermediary in Distinction as a conceptual framework, this study will examine how 12 fashion journalists write about Black NBA dandies. According to Bourdieu (1984), cultural intermediaries are involved in the presentation and representation of cultural and symbolic goods and services, some of whom are salespeople, advertising executives, and interior designers. Cultural intermediaries serve as the link between production and consumption, giving the end consumer access to legitimate culture. As fashion journalists, these participants educate their readers on the latest in bespoke wear, haute couture clothing and Black style. The Black NBA body provides a medium for fashion journalists to highlight the exclusivity and democratic ideals of fashion because of the ways in which they peel off the layers of celebrity, position Black NBA dandies within a network of images, and create a dialectic tension between Black culture and a generic White culture.

Judicial Protection of the Rights of Consumers of Financial Services

. The institution of a financial ombudsman significantly affects the procedure for protecting the rights of consumers of financial services. The problem is that the protection of consumer rights in the courts is complicated by the factual double mandatory pre-trial procedure for resolving a dispute, in which, before going to court, the consumer is obliged to contact a financial organizationand a financial ombudsman. The purpose of this article is to formulate a theoretical approach to the balance between consumer access to justice and the burden on the judicial system. Research objectives: characteristics of the consumer of financial services; assessment of the pre-trial procedure for protecting the rights of consumers of financial services; search for the optimal ratio of pre-trial and judicial procedures for protecting the rights of consumers of financial services. When writing this article, general scientific methods (system, functional, group of logical methods) and special legal methods (formal legal, legal modeling method) were applied. The article criticizes the existing procedure for protecting the rights of consumers of financial services for the imbalance between consumer access to justice and the burden on the judicial system. The author proposes the introduction of a mixed jurisdiction of disputes involving consumers, in the framework of which it is assumed that after contacting a financial organization, the consumer will have the choice of a jurisdictional body- the consumer will be able to appeal to both the financial ombudsman and the court. At the same time, the development of the institution of a financial ombudsman by improving the efficiency, efficiency and other characteristics of dispute resolution will increase its attractiveness for consumers, stimulating them to resolve disputes out of court.

Residential Broadband Networks: Preliminary Findings from a Canadian ‘Information Highway’ Trial

There were many broadband network trials in the mid 1990s, but most of them were proprietary undertakings with research results available only to those corporations who participated in the trials. As such, there has been little public or academic discourse about the outcomes of these trials. With consumer access to broadband networks becoming more widespread however, it is important for industry and consumers to learn from the experiences of previous network deployments. This paper presents research results from a Canadian broadband trial. Three key themes are outlined: i) innovative content was developed for this trial, but there was a tradeoff between continued innovation and the necessary stability for the roll out of content; although innovation did not require huge resources, it was not something corporate consortium members did well; ii) getting content to supplement what was developed in-house was extremely difficult, and users’ needs were not always considered when external content was provided; and iii) the killer application was e-mail and the community-based listserv it enabled. The implications of these themes are discussed briefly and future research directions are outlined.

Residential Broadband Networks: Preliminary Findings from a Canadian ‘Information Highway’ Trial

There were many broadband network trials in the mid 1990s, but most of them were proprietary undertakings with research results available only to those corporations who participated in the trials. As such, there has been little public or academic discourse about the outcomes of these trials. With consumer access to broadband networks becoming more widespread however, it is important for industry and consumers to learn from the experiences of previous network deployments. This paper presents research results from a Canadian broadband trial. Three key themes are outlined: i) innovative content was developed for this trial, but there was a tradeoff between continued innovation and the necessary stability for the roll out of content; although innovation did not require huge resources, it was not something corporate consortium members did well; ii) getting content to supplement what was developed in-house was extremely difficult, and users’ needs were not always considered when external content was provided; and iii) the killer application was e-mail and the community-based listserv it enabled. The implications of these themes are discussed briefly and future research directions are outlined.