Infernowear is a new company Essay Example

Infernowear is a new company Essay Infernowear is a new company run by a self-employed creative designer aiming to producing clothing at reasonable prices aimed at young teenagers who are into the skateboard clothing fashion. As this company has just been set up all orders are phoned through and then written down on any spare paper lying around. At the moment the owner has too much freelance work coming through and is unable to spend the time properly designing and implementing an order system even though he is quite capable. This system will be used to record orders as they are phoned through and also to keep track of the different garments and number in stock. User requirements: Specifically the system should be able to carry out the following procedures. * Store the details of customers and their orders We will write a custom essay sample on Infernowear is a new company specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Infernowear is a new company specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Infernowear is a new company specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer * Keep a list of all garments and garment logos * Record and update stock levels automatically after each order has been recorded * Ability to print out shipping labels for each order placed * Ability to expand the product range by adding new types of garment and garment logos to the system * Each logo and garment should have a simple product code that makes identification and inserting into the database easy and fast. * A search option should be included so that stock level and customer orders can be quickly displayed * A variety of data should be printed in reports including shipping labels and the order line. * As personnel details will be stored it is essential that the system is password protected so that it keeps this data safe and complies with the data protection act. Feasibility study: I will now carry out a feasibility study, as it is the first stage of the systems life cycle. After this I will then make a full detailed investigation into the current system and requirements of the new proposed system. The feasibility study will be based on the well know TELOS mnemonic for the five feasibility factors which are explored in depth below. This study covers all potential problem areas that could effectively stop the project from going ahead. It also covers the advantages that this new system would bring to the company after implementation. Technical feasibility: There is nothing too complicated with the proposed system so I am sure that there is no technical reason why this new system cant be built. There is also no problem why the system cant be built in Access so I am confident that I will not have a problem with the technical side of this new solution. Economic feasibility: As this new system is being built for my A level course I will not be charging the owner of Infernowear. As this is the case the benefits of having a well-made order system for free will defiantly out way the costs. Legal feasibility: Appropriate security measures shall be taken against unauthorised access to, or alteration, disclosure or destruction of, the data and against their accidental loss or destruction section 2(1)(d) of the Act This above act was taken from the data protection act; it states that security methods should be used to protect unauthorized access to personal details. As my system will be handling customer details including addresses and phone numbers it is essential that the system is password protected and secure. The data shall be accurate and, where necessary, kept up-to-date section 2(1)(b) of the Act This next snippet from the data protection act states that all data held should be accurate and when necessary be kept up to date. As the Infernowear system will be holding customer details its important that its accurate. To do this validation rules will be introduced to key fields making sure that only numbers can be entered into a telephone number field for example. The act also states that the data held should be kept up to date where necessary. The data will only be updated when a customer makes an order, the telephone operator will ask if the data is up to date and correct. If the company expands it would be necessary to include an operation that would delete customer details after a prolonged inactive period of time where no orders where made. Operational feasibility: This section looks at whether the right work practises and procedural infrastructure is in place to accommodate the new proposed electronic computer system. If not the implementation of this system would cause more problems than it would solve making the company less productive and probable lowing morel due to the newly arisen difficulties. After having a brief look at the current pen and paper work practises used by the owner I have decided that this new system could be implemented and would help to keep the whole operation tidy and all information in one place which is easily accessible and updateable. As the owner and user of this new system is already competent with Access there is no reason why there would be any difficulties with implementation. This section also looks at the probable social repercussions once the system has been installed. As the company consists of one, (a creative freelance designer) I can see no negative side effects of implementing this new proposed system. The only thing that will change is that all orders will be booked using the computer system instead of using pen and paper. This will drastically improve productivity and the speed at which orders are placed, it will also increase reliability, as there is no fileing system at present of order and customer details. Schedule feasibility: The schedule feasibility looks at setting out a time frame for the completion of the proposed system. The deadline given is for a fully functioning system ready for implementation by Easter 2003 including an in depth high quality write up. I see no reason why this system cannot be ready for implementation by the time set out above. This gives me plenty of time to produce a complex fully functioning system as well as a well documented write up. Analysis: Before I can continue I will conduct an initial investigation into the current procedures and work practises so that I can find out exactly what the new proposed data base system has to do. Interview with Company Director Mr B Hull: I conducted an interview with Mr Hull to discover in more detail what the current work practises are and what the new system has to do. I will use this interview method, as I will be able to extract large amounts of information from a single interview. I will not be using questioners because there is only one member of staff and I feel that interviews on the whole will be more productive. Current work practises: Orders: Orders are phoned through to Mr Hull on his own house number, these are then jotted down onto plain A4 paper. Each order consists of a garment type e.g. a hoodie or a T-shit and a logo like the orange Gecko or the flaming heart. After Mr Hull has several orders he contacts his printing suppliers. He places a master order consisting of all individual orders pays them up front and waits for the supplier to produce the order. After this the supplier ships the master order to Mr Hull who then distributes them to the individual customers. Payments: Payments are either made in cash or in cheque form. The cheques are either posted to Mr Hull or hand delivered by the customer, all cash payments are hand delivered. Mr Hull then adds the customers order to the master order and is sent to the supplier, this is explained in the above Order section. There is no record of payment once received except for a hand written note. This obviously needs addressing when designing the system, as strict records need to be kept about receiving payment. Delivery: Once Mr Hull has received the master delivery form the suppliers he then breaks it down into individual orders and manually writes out address labels to go with each order. These are then delivered via the standard postal service or collected by the customer. There is also no record of what has been shipped and to whom. This will also be taken into account when designing the system. Mr Hulls idealistic view of what the system should be able to do: Before I list what Mr Hull wants from the system there are a few new developments that need to be noted. As this system will not be ready much before Easter for implementation Mr Hull would like it to include aspects which arent needed at this point in time, but which will be needed come Easter. Mr Hull would like to have a stockroom in a couple of weeks within which are a quantity of pre-printed garments that are available to the customers. This means that Mr Hull wont have to wait to get a number of orders together to send to the printer. Instead he can do individual orders as they get telephoned through, this speeds up delivery times and keeps things moving. Orders: When customers place an order their details should be taken down including shipping address. Then it should be possible to attach an order or orders consisting of garments and the logos that should be printed on each one to each customer. By the time this system is implemented Mr Hull will have a storeroom of pre-printed garments, there for it is vita that stock levels are recorded and updated when orders are processed. Payment: Payment will take much the same form as before where by a customer is required to send a cheque or cash through the post or deliver it directly to Mr Hull. On the new system a simple yes/no check box will be used to verify that payment has been received. Mr Hull is also looking into making the company strictly a phone order company where the only way to pay for goods is with a credit card e.g. Visa or Switch. If Mr Hull can have a credit card payment system set up before the implementation date of Easter he would stop receiving cheques and cash which will speed up orders again as he does not have to wait for the money or cheques to come through the post. This will only mean that the new data base system will not need to print out invoices for each customer. Delivery: After an order has been inputted into the system an order line will have to be printed so that Mr Hull can compile each customers individual order from the available stock. After each order has been assemble customer-shipping labels will have to be printed by the system as this would save a lot of tedious hand written work. After this the orders will be delivered the same as before via the standard postal service. Before I break this interview down into simple objectives I will first find out what computer system and software Mr Hull has. Because he is also a freelance creative designer I presume that he will have a fairly reasonable spec computer with a good variety of software packages. Current Hardware and software: Mr Hull has a Windows based PC with the following specs: * Windows 98 * AMD 1.4 GHz * 512mb of ram * 60 gigabyte hard drive * Laser colour printer * Other media storage options including Zip drive, CD Rom drives and a CD re-writer. He also has a basic 1.44mb floppy drive. He has many software packages but the ones that need mentioning are: * Word 2000 * Access 2000 * Visual basic 6.0 As I have mentioned before Mr Hull is a competent Access user who does not have the available free time to produce a fully functioning system. His competency with Access means that the system can be quite sophisticated and I wont have to spend as much time making the system user friendly as he will be able to navigate Access with ease. Data flow diagram: The DFD below shows how the new computerised system will take orders and how the data will flow through out the system starting with the customer placing an order and ending with the orders being shipped to the customer. A customer makes and order over the phone, the operator checks the stock levels of the requested items. If the items are available then they are booked out and the operator checks to see whether the customers details are on file. If not they are manually entered and payment is then taken via a credit or debit card. Then the completed order updates the stock level and the order is added to the order line. The order line is then printed along with the shipping labels and this is where the computer system ends. After this the items are manually gathered from the stock and packaged. The shipping labels are then added to each delivery package, which are then posted to the customer. Objectives of the new system: Now that it is clear what the new computerised system has to do I will state the key features of the system below for easy reference and quick reading. * Enable customer details and customer orders to be recorded and easily edited this should also be done in a fast time, faster than a handwritten note * Produce a complete order line of all customer orders so that all required items could be taken from the stock room * Customer shipping labels will also be produced and added to each package * Security features will be introduced to comply with the data protection act like passwords and validity checks Design: Even though I am almost certainly going to use Access 2000 I first must look into other software solution and explain why they are not going to be used. Software choice: After using Excel, a spreadsheet program for other subject coursework assignments I have gained a good knowledge of its advantages and its limitations. It is very good for calculating and carrying mathematical operations on large amounts of data in a very quick time. Unfortunately it does not function as well as a simple data input device as customising sheets and performing validity checks are complicated and slow. This package is not designed for customised application layouts and therefore making the resulting system seem complicated and untidy. Because of the inability to customise individual sheets to a high degree I have decided that I will not use a spreadsheet program as the main backbone to my system. It is also possible to buy off the shelf solutions to this product order system. These packages are complex and contain everything needed to implement straight away. These packages have been written by highly skilled individuals and have been tested and updated using the well know evolutionary model by which improvements are made to solve pervious problem which have been discovered by the vast array of users. These improvements are released in the form of updates and patches. Because this type of package has a very high reliability and a wide tried and tested audience, it would make sense to seriously consider one of these packages in the future if the company expand greatly in the next few years. But as the company is just starting out it would cost a lot of money to purchase an advanced of the shelf system. This is not needed at this current time in the companys life cycle, because of this I will not be recommending spending vast amounts of money on this type of solution. The next type of system that could be used would be a custom made solution. This would most probably be created in Access due to its flexibility in relationship databases and the ability to customise forms and printouts based on queries run past selected data sources. Access 2000 is also currently installed on Mr Hulls system as well as my home computer and the school network. This makes building the system easy as it can be worked on at home in school and even in the final workplace. Because of the outweighed benefits of using a customised database system that can be purpose built to solve the clients needs I will be recommending using this type of solution. Final software solution: After a careful investigation into different software solutions I have decided that the new system will be built using Access 2000. This is because the software package is already available to Mr Hull and myself so no software purchasing is needed. Access also has many advantages over other technical solutions some of these are mentioned above in the software choice section. Database design: Entity-relationship diagram: With in my database solution I will have four entities each joined with the following relationships. Table design: I will have separate tables for each of the above entities being linked by the relationships shown on the previous page. Some of the tables will need input masks to make sure that the data which is inputted is correct, this will also help the system to meet the data protection act of keeping data accurate. Table names: Customers: The customers table will have the following fields: * Customer ID (this will be an auto number) * Contact first name (text form) * Contact last name (text form) * House number (numerical) * Street name (text form) * City (text form) * Postcode (text form) * Country (text form) * Phone number (numerical) * Email address (text form) * Notes (used for attaching notes to customer, could include any complaints) (text form) Clothing: This table will contain the following fields: * Clothing ID (text form) * Units in stock (numerical) * Product name (text form) * Product description (text form) * Unit price (currency) Logos: This table will contain the following fields: * Clothing ID (text form) * Units in stock (numerical) * Product name (text form) * Product description (text form) * Unit price (currency) Orderline: This table will pull together a customer ID number with a clothing ID and a logo ID, the fields are stated below: * Order ID * Customer ID * Clothing ID * Logo ID * Payment received Form design: My database will consist of four forms for data entry and five for navigation, product information and customer information. I will first give a description of the data entry forms with screen shots where necessary. Form name: Customers: This form will be where new customers can be added to the system and where existing customers details can be updated and amended. The input fields on this form will include; Customers names, address, postcode, phone number and email address. There will also be an auto customer ID number assigned to each new customer. Also I would like to insert a memo text box so that any special information about the customer can be logged here, this could include previous complaints and any payment problems. editClothing editLogos: These two forms will enable the user to add different types of garment and logos whenever new designs are produced. This will make updating the system easy and hassle free because you dont have to manually enter the new products into the complicated forms. FrmOrderline: This form will be where all orders are made; it will use a query called qryOrderline that combines the customer, clothing and logo tables. This data will then be displayed in a sub form within the qryOrderline form. After an order has been made it will then be added to the Orderline table. Report design: My system will include four reports, one for printing shipping labels, two for logos and garment labels these will be stuck to the deliveries as they come in from the printer so that each box of products are easily identifiable when looking in the stock room. The other report will be the master order line consisting of all the customer orders so that Mr Hull can take this into the store room and gather all items needed with out needing individual customer order sheets. Report names: LabelCustomer: This report will be based on the query qryOrderline showing each customer who has an order ; with there shipping address. LogoLables: This report will be based on the Logos table giving the user the ability to print out identification labels for labelling the stock. ClothingLables: This report will be based on the Clothing table giving the user the ability to print out labels for identifying the stock. OrderLine: This report will be produced from the query qryOrderline showing all orders with only the customers name and ID; this saves space, paper and ink. Query design: There are two very similar queries used in my database solution. One is used in the Orderline report to show all customer orders that have been paid for, to do this a simple = yes was needed in the criteria box of the payment received field. The other query is used in the form named FrmOrderline, it shows all the orders even if they have not been paid for, so when confirmation of payment comes through the payment received check box can be ticked. To do this the criteria for the payment received box was left empty to show all data. Screen shots of the two queries are also supplied in the appendix section at the end of this document. Macro design: Through out this system there will be many macros, most of these will be focusing on opening and closing forms. Three of these macros will be used to open the reports so what they can be printed. One other macro will be used to simple maximise each from when it is loaded. SQL statements: As I will have to update the stock level after each item has been booked out I will be using some short but complex SQL statements. To do this I will base my SQL code on the pseudo code that I have written below which will be run each time an item is booked out. The pseudo code below is for updating the clothing stock level but is easily modified to update the logos as well. Update table Clothing set field stock levels to = stock levels -1 where field clothing ID = selected clothing ID Menu design: I will be using a menu system for navigation around my database starting with a login screen this will then open up a main option menu. Below is the structure I hope to have in my final system. Performance indicators of the new system: * It should be easy and quick to add a customer to the system taking no longer than 20 seconds for a competent system user. * All orders should be completed with in 30 seconds otherwise the customer will be spending a long time on the phone and the system will not be efficient. * Any one customer should be able to have as many orders as he/she wants * The customer shipping labels should be printable on standard A4 label paper * Payment is made through another system but there must be an option that can be check to show which customers have given correct payment. * The stock level should be updated each time an item is booked out. Test strategy: Now that I have a functioning system it is vita that I thoroughly test each form, report, query, macro and any other code that I have to make sure that any problems are sorted before the system is installed onto Mr Hulls computer system. The parts of my database system that will be tested are: * Each and every form, report, query, macro and all other code as it is created. * Testing each button and rollover under different circumstances e.g. is it possible to close the order form is only half of the order is compete * Tests will be carried out to ensure that improper, invalid and extreme data cannot be entered * Combined module testing in which one aspect of the system is thoroughly tested like creating an order from start to finish or printing out customer shipping labels. * The last type of testing will be to see whether the system meets the end users (Mr Hulls) requirements. Test Plan: I will now carry out a variety of tests on as many menu options as possible without going hugely over my word limit. These test carried out below will check that all operations work properly every time with out fail, if there are any problems I will fix them, and state how, and redo the test to prove that it now works. I will first test the system starting at the login screen and work my way through the different forms and menus testing each as I go. Password test: When the correct password is typed in it should load the main menu form, the correct test password is inferno Test result successful, system does not login if wrong password is typed in. Roll over test (main menu): When the mouse is rolled over a link to another form the link colour changes to make the user aware to which link they are hovering over and to show that the link has go focus. The test will make sure that all link rollovers work. Test successful, as you can see the link with the focus has changed colour. Validity checks: I will now check that irrelevant data cannot be entered into the wrong text field. On my system there are way to many text fields to list each individual test result here. I will show an example of one of these tests below so you can see the result. The test below tests to see whether a letter can be entered into a numerical text box. From the above screen shot you can see that an error message pops up when a letter is wrongly entered into the house number field. The above shows an example of the customer table design, all other table screen shots can be found in the appendix. You may have noticed that the PhoneNumbers data type is text this is because when entering area codes like 0117 with a numerical data type the 0 is remove automatically. Obviously I need to be able to enter full area codes that begin with 0 so I have had to change the data type to text. These are the types of errors that rigours testing can find and iron out. The above screen shot shows the validation input mask used for the PhoneNumber input field. The mask only allows numbers to be entered, this fixes the text data type explained previously. The mask enables a user to type in a phone number with the option of adding area codes if needed and extra digits, the 9 represents optional number input and the 0 are compulsory number input. Other validation techniques and input masks for all other table can be found in the appendix. The above screen shot was taken from the order form. Unfortunately it is possible to change customer details here, this should only happen in the add edit delete customer form. To fix this all field were locked by choosing yes by the locked option in the text field options. Record deletion: When I decide to delete a record I need to make sure that a verification message pops up, this will make sure that any accidental deletions of any field type are very low. The below screen shot show the default Access verification pop up, this will do the job perfectly and needs no altering. Stock level adjustments: When orders are completed the stock levels need to be updated to take account of each booked out item. To do this a SQL statement was used and called from within some VB code. The code I eventually used was: DoCmd.RunSQL UPDATE [Logos] SET [UnitsInStock] = [UnitsInStock]-1 where [logo ID]=' ; LogoID ; The above code works with no problem even though it took a while to get the syntax correct. When you book out an item this code is run and a default Access verification box pops up double-checking that you want the order to go ahead. This is very useful, as I dont have to make my own verification dialogue boxes. Payment received testing: After an order has been placed and the payment has been taken a simple check box by each order line should be checked to show that the customer has paid. If the payment received box is not check the order will not appear on the final master order report. As you can see from the above screen shot only one order line of Simons whole order has been paid for, therefore on the master order line report Simon should only have one entry. After printing out the report it is plane to see that this test is yet another success, the report is in the appendix of the project for all to see. Report testing: The last piece of testing that I will write about is the testing of the reports. To test that these work I will just need to press print on the form (screen shot below) and see if the printouts meet the designated criteria set out in the previous sections. After examining the printed reports I can safely say that they work and all the necessary detail is in place. They could do with some tidying up but these are small problems which if I do not have time to fix I am sure that Mr Hull can change them at his discretion if he so wishes. System maintenance: Once the system has been installed it is vital that there is a structured system maintenance program in place so that any modification or problem fixes can be made. There are three types of system maintenance that are used almost all the time when new systems go live onto clients computers, these are then used throughout the softwares life cycle. A Technical manual will also be written in my spare time but will not be added to this report, as it does not count towards any of the marks. A technical manual will enable other individuals who are competent with Access to gain a quick understanding of how I put the system together and how to change key options. This manual would also include reports of know problems and their possible cause, this would help and system designer to quickly identify the problem and fix it with in a shot time period. Corrective maintenance: This type of maintenance will be used very frequently just after the software has been installed. Corrective maintenance deals with fixing major problems that were not found even though the system was thoroughly tested prior to the final implementation. After Mr Hull installs the system I would be more than willing to come back to his company and attempt to fix any problems that arise even though he is more than capable of fixing them himself. As this system is not built by a highly skilled professional I would expect many problems to arise within the first few weeks of operations. Fixing these problems could take a long time, as I have no one else working for me who could fix the system. The only thing I could do is try my hardest to fix each problem as it arises but keeping on top of all of them would prove hard. Perfective maintenance: This type of system maintenance is also ongoing there are many things with in the project which could be done just the little bit better. These minor updates and fixes can in some cases be very time consuming for the rewards that they reap. Before starting out to fix any problem no matter how small it is vital that the time and costs of fixing the problem dont outweigh the end result. One part of the system that I would like to change is the way orders are booked out. After each item has been booked out you have to click yes on the check pop up box, it would be much easier if all the items were booked out for one customer then a only one single check pop up box appears to make sure that you do want to book out the current selected items. Adaptive maintenance: Adaptive maintenance is concerned with adapting the current system as the needs of the company change. There are two major changes that could happen with Mr Hulls Infernowear Company that would result in the system being adapted. If the company expands it would be necessary to employ extra telephone staff to take orders. If this were to happen the system would have to adapt from a single user station to a multi user environment installed over different types of network. Mr Hull would also like to modify the system slightly in the future so that a similar system could be uploaded onto the Internet so that the customer does not need to phone up instead they can order any item over the Internet. User manual: This manual will give a brief overview of the system and how it works. It will include step-by-step guides for the most communally used tasks. As this software and user manual is purpose written for Mr Hull who is competent with Access I will not have to go into great detail on how to get to the design views on tables so large amounts of data can be entered quickly and other simple tasks. If you are updating from a manual pen and paper system you should hold the SHIFT key while the program loads. This will bypass the main login screen and will allow you to manual enter customer details from your old paper files into the blank customer table. Once you have entered in all the details follow the guide below. When first loading up the program you should be confronted with a password screen like the one below. Enter the password that you have been given when you brought this software and click the login button. You will now be logged onto the main option menu, follow any of the links to the separate forms. If at any time you want to return to the main menu or just shut down the form you are on just press the back out button, top left: If you want to create an order click on the create booking order button this will then bring you to a screen like the one below: To create an order first find a customer using the navigation provided. Then form the sub form choose a type of clothing and a logo via the dropdown combo box. Repeat this as many times as needed to keep adding orders to an individual customer. After each item has been book you will have to click ok to a confirmation pop up box. After payment is taken make sure that the payment received boxes are checked by the side of each order line. To add edit or delete customers and to add edit or delete clothing/logos simple choose the relevant option from the menu and follow the simple onscreen instructions. If you are going to add edit or delete clothing/logos make sure you know what you are doing as any changes cannot be undone. It would make sense to make a backup copy of the database just in case you lose important data. If you want to print any reports click on the print reports option from the main menu. You will now see a selection of reports that you can either preview or print straight way by clicking the appropriate button. The screen you should see is the one below: To exit the system back out to the main menu and press the log out button, this will bring you back to the password screen where the program can then be shut down via the X in the top right hand corner. Evaluation: I will evaluate the system I have made based on the performance criteria outlined earlier in the design section. The first criterion was to be able to enter a customers full details within 20 seconds. After trying and timing my self the best time I have been able to achieve is 18 seconds. This is just within the propose time limit but looking back on it 20 seconds is a very fast time to enter in over 10 lines of details. There is no problem with the system here but its down to the speed of the user. The second performance indicator was to be to make an order within 30 seconds. After timing myself again I have been consistently able to create an order with in 15 seconds, this is very quick and even surprise me. This shows that I have met this performance indicator very well and have succeeded here. The third indicator was for any customer to have more than one order line. This has not been a problem at all, I have made of 50 order lines for one customer and it still let me add more. This performance indicator has been easily met. The next option was to print customer-shipping labels on A4 label paper. I have not been able to test this part of the system, but the report is set up to print on standard A4 labels so I see no reason why it would not work, obviously the label paper would have to match what the system is set up to print. A payment-received option has been added thus only showing orders that have been paid for, on the main master order report. This is a complete success and works with out any glitches or problems. The last performance indicator stat that the stock level should be updateable after each item is booked out. This has eventually been done after a lot of research into SQL and after a lot of time spent getting the syntax just right. It is a small simple piece of code that has fulfilled this last performance criterion. Future enhancements: At this point in time there is no report for printing customer recites, this is quite important but is easily doable and will be completed after Mr Hull gets back from his holiday cruise. Each item could be given a stock location as well as an amount. This would then make sure that if the stock room were to grow the system would already be able to store the individual stock location of any one item. Last but not least it would be a nice idea to include some sort of mail merge so that whenever a letter has to be sent out to all customers it can be automated saving a lot of time manual work. Mr Hull is currently using this system to see whether its the sort of program that can do the tasks he specified earlier in this document. If this system proves to b built to a high standard he will use it until it needs updating or extra more complicated features are needed, at this point he may be forced to invest in an off the shelf package solution. Unfortunately Mr Hull is on holiday and I am unable to contact him and get any further feedback.

Three Sisters Scenework essays

Three Sisters Scenework essays Three Sisters, by Anton Chekhov, embodies many different themes and ideas. In my exploration of the play I will be referring to those which involve Olga, the character I represented in our first scene study. The main themes of Three Sisters include frustration, eviction, and the idea of family. The sisters are frustrated at not being able to go back to their hometown, Moscow. This is something they have dreamed about for a long time. Olga says in Act One, Oh God, I woke up this morning... I saw the spring, and I felt such a great surge of joy, such a passionate longing for home [Moscow]. This is the central plot of the play, but of course each of the characters has their own frustrations. Olga is frustrated at her career. She has been given the position of headmistress at a school, a job she did not willingly take. Olga also has to deal with many of her siblings problems, since their mother passed away and Olga became the mother figure of the family. In our scene (Act Three, lines 322-439), Olga enters on Irinas line, Throw me away, throw me away, I cant go on...! She comforts and counsels her on the subject of marriage and a womans duty in life. Masha awakens, and Olga promptly expresses her discomfort for Mashas affair with Vershinin, clearly showing her disappoi ntment in her younger sisters decisions. In addition to her sisters problems, she also deals with her frustrations over not getting married. This makes it emotionally difficult to help Irina with her romantic situation, and even more difficult to listen to Masha speak of love. Olga clearly embodies frustration in this scene, as well as in the play as a whole. The idea of eviction is also presented in this play. The sisters feel evicted from Moscow, as they find out that they are never going back. This is part of the main driving plot. They fe ...

Ciudadana para hijos por naturalizacin de padres

Ciudadana para hijos por naturalizacin de padres Una de las grandes ventajas de adquirir la ciudadanà ­a de los Estados Unidos mediante naturalizacià ³n es que automticamente tambià ©n se convierten en estadounidenses los hijos del naturalizado que son menores de edad. Para que esto sea asà ­ deben cumplirse una serie de requisitos. Este artà ­culo explica cules dichos requerimientos, cules son las ventajas de esta forma de adquirir la ciudadanà ­a, cà ³mo se prueba que se es ciudadano. Y, por à ºltimo, quà © se puede hacer cuando no se cumplen todos los requisitos y, por lo tanto, los nià ±os y   adolescentes no adquieren la condicià ³n de estadounidenses aà ºn cuando uno de sus padres se naturaliza. Requisitos para obtener la ciudadanà ­a americana automticamente por naturalizacià ³n de los padres Se exige que se cumplan TODAS las condiciones siguientes: Ser menor de 18 aà ±os.Que la naturalizacià ³n del padre o de la madre se produzca o haya producido con posterioridad al 27 de febrero de 2001.Que el menor tenga una tarjeta de residencia permanente, tambià ©n conocida como green card o una visa inmigrante sellada en su pasaporte (I-551).Que el menor resida habitualmente con el padre o la madre que se naturaliza, que debe tener la custodia fà ­sica y legal.   Es decir, no se produce un derecho a la nacionalidad derivada si se convive habitualmente con un progenitor que es diferente al que se naturaliza.   Ventajas de adquirir la ciudadanà ­a americana derivada En este caso, el menor se convierte automticamente en ciudadano. Es decir, no tiene  que aplicar para naturalizarse ni pagar ningà ºn tipo de aranceles. Tampoco tiene que rendir un examen de inglà ©s o conocimientos histà ³ricos y cà ­vicos ni jurar lealtad a los Estados Unidos. Probar la ciudadanà ­a americana adquirida automticamente Aunque no es necesario, es importante poder probar que se es ciudadano de los Estados Unidos. Puede hacerse de dos formas, mediante un certificado de ciudadanà ­a o mediante el pasaporte. En principio, el menor que adquiere asà ­ la nacionalidad no recibe de forma automtica un certificado de ciudadanà ­a (certificate of citizenship). Sin embargo, si asà ­ lo desea, puede solicitar uno aplicando mediante la planilla N-600. Por supuesto que se puede solicitar un pasaporte americano. En este caso o bien se presenta un certificado de ciudadanà ­a, o si no se tiene se deber probar una serie de circunstancias como que: el padre o la madre extranjero del menor se ha naturalizadoque se era menor de 18 aà ±os cuando se produjo tal naturalizacià ³nque se era titular de una green card o de una visa inmigrante sellada en el pasaporte.que existe realmente una relacià ³n de padre/madre- hijo, para lo que hay que presentar el certificado e nacimiento o el de adopcià ³n.y tambià ©n hay que probar que se residà ­a en Estados Unidos bajo la custodia fà ­sica y legal del padre o madre naturalizado en el momento en que se produjo la naturalizacià ³n. Adems, habr que seguir el proceso habitual para solicitar el pasaporte por primera vez, teniendo en cuenta las caracterà ­sticas propias que aplican cuando el solicitante de pasaporte es menor de edad, como por ejemplo, presencia de ambos padres en el momento de aplicar, cumplir con los requisitos de consentimiento de los progenitores en los casos de separacià ³n o divorcio o presencia de los nià ±os. Quà © pasa en los casos en la que la naturalizacià ³n ocurrià ³ antes de 2001 Uno de los requisitos que podrà ­a no cumplirse es el de la fecha de naturalizacià ³n de los padres. Las leyes que regulan la ciudadanà ­a derivada han cambiado a lo largo del tiempo. En estos momentos la que aplica para estos casos es del aà ±o 2001.   Sin entrar en detalle de la legislacià ³n a lo largo de la historia es conveniente saber que en las naturalizaciones que tuvieron lugar entre el 5 de octubre de 1978 y el 26 de febrero de 2001 tambià ©n los hijos podà ­an adquirir la ciudadanà ­a automticamente, pero con mayores condiciones. La principal diferencia es que antes del 2001 se pedà ­a que los dos padres se naturalizasen para que los hijos menores de 18 aà ±os y que fueran residentes permanentes para que los hijos pudiesen adquirir la ciudadanà ­a americana automticamente. Por ejemplo, en estos momentos, un muchacho de 15 aà ±os que es residente permanente ser automticamente ciudadano si su madre se naturaliza y ambos viven juntos habitualmente. Pero hasta el 2001, un adolescente con una green card no adquirà ­a la ciudadanà ­a por el mero hecho de que se madre –o su padre- se hubiera naturalizado si el otro progenitor seguà ­a siendo extranjero. Esa es una diferencia muy importante. Quà © sucede si los hijos son mayores de 18 aà ±os cuando el progenitor se naturaliza En estos casos, la situacià ³n de los hijos no cambia. En el caso de que fueran residentes permanentes lo seguirn siendo,  porque no adquieren la nacionalidad americana de forma automtica. Podrn, si asà ­ lo desean y reà ºnen los requisitos, pedir la naturalizacià ³n para ellos mismos rellenando el formulario N-400 y pagando los aranceles correspondientes. En la mayorà ­a de los casos, ser ciudadano en un periodo de 5 à ³ 6 meses desde la aplicacià ³n. Quà © sucede si los hijos son menores de edad pero no viven con el padre o la madre que se naturaliza. Si son ya residentes permanentes, seguirn en ese estatus hasta que adquieran la mayorà ­a de edad y decidan pedir ellos la naturalizacià ³n. A menos que el padre o la madre con la que viven se naturalice. Si no son residentes permanentes, el padre o la madre que recià ©n se han convertido en ciudadanos pueden pedirlos. Los ciudadanos pueden pedir a los hijos, que estn divididos desde el punto de vista migratorio en 3 categorà ­as: hijos solteros menores de 21 aà ±os. Se les considera familiar inmediato.hijos casados de cualquier edad. Se conocen como categorà ­a F3.hijos solteros mayores de 21 aà ±os. Se conocen como categorà ­a F1. Los tiempos de tramitacià ³n son muy distintos segà ºn la categorà ­a. Consejos sobre la naturalizacià ³n y por quà © es importante Los residentes permanentes que ya han cumplido tiempo suficiente para adquirir la ciudadanà ­a americana por naturalizacià ³n deberà ­an animarse a ello, ya que adems de poder transmitir a sus hijos la ciudadanà ­a por derivacià ³n hay importantes diferencias entre ser ciudadano y ser residente. Sin duda la primera opcià ³n tiene mayor proteccià ³n legal y derechos. Si lo que da miedo es tomar el examen de inglà ©s y conocimientos cà ­vicos e histà ³ricos. Adems,  este es un ejemplo del  test de respuestas mà ºltiples  sobre conocimientos. Es bueno practicar antes de rendir el examen. Ley que regula este derecho Para las personas interesadas destacar que la ley que regula el derecho a la adquisicià ³n automtica de la ciudadanà ­a de los Estados Unidos mediante la naturalizacià ³n de uno de los padres es la Child Citizenship Act del aà ±o 2000, conocida por sus siglas en inglà ©s de CCA. Esta ley est incluida en INA, seccià ³n 320. Este es un artà ­culo informativo. No es asesorà ­a legal.

Inventive Spelling, should we convert Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Inventive Spelling, should we convert - Essay Example Moreover, it allows a person to write and experiment with letters without being bound in a specific set of rules (Goswami, Ziegler & Richardson, 2005). Purpose of Inventive Spelling The purpose of inventive writing is to encourage children to communicate their thoughts without worrying if they are able to express it correctly. People who advocate the use of inventive spelling claim that children who are taught through this approach present a developing comprehension of the sounds corresponding each letter, wherein a more advanced inventive spelling approach encourages a student to write the sounds that represents the words they hear (Goswami, et. al, 2005). In addition, advocates of this approach share that students who are constantly corrected in the way they spell usually lose interest in writing and eventually develop a low self esteem. Instead of hindering a child to express his or her thoughts due to spelling lapses, the inventive spelling approach enjoins the children to write as they please, and correct them from there (Andrews, et. Al, 2005). The process of inventive spelling is one of the new means of teachers in helping their students to learn. It had been established on the premise of children's comprehension, which follows the context of encouraging children to express their thoughts first before teaching them the restrictive measures of spelling guidelines. Through inventive spelling, students are free to express their thoughts through using the letters and spelling patterns they know (Frisson,2002). In that regard, inventive spelling has been formulated towards the children's developmental process. When students use inventive spelling, the teacher would be able to identify what the child knows and doesn't know about proper English spelling. This would then help the teacher to know what aspect of the writing form she must focus on in teaching the students. In addition, inventive spelling also helps a child understand that words should be spelled ba sed on how you say them (Bowman& Treiman, 2002). As stoodents lern haw tu spel, it iz hrd tu xpek dat day wud bee eibel tu spel everi wrd korekly. It iz dan imprtan tu nat dat invintiv speling iz an aproch tuwards tradishoal speling, end nat a speling porm in itself. It ken bee regardd as an edyukeishonal tuol dat wud hlp stoodents tu lern da konvenshonal mins, by alawng stoodents tu wraite yusng invintd speling end gaid da chaildren in rekognaizng mizspeled wrdz end tich da korek ones. In diz maner, a stoodent's speling abilty wud impruv, daus enayblng dam tu spel mor wrdz korekly (Richgels, 2001). Advantages of Inventive Spelling Research indicates teaching students how to spell entails a process of memorizing words. However, inventive spelling allows children to communicate their thoughts, and later on adapt the correct form as they get exposed to correct spelling. The context of visual memory was associated with the ability of a child to visualize what a word should look like, w hich is deemed an integral aspect of spelling. On the other hand, an expert noted that visual memory can be developed through learning word patterns and using these words in the process of reading and writing, as opposed to simply memorizing a list of words (Richgels, 2001). In essence, children are able to learn how to communicate their thoughts in writing and learn how to spell these properly afterwards. This would then help students to express their ideas, without beings restricted by spelling guidelines. Through this

There are 3 parts in this assessment and i decided to write about Ipod Essay

There are 3 parts in this assessment and i decided to write about Ipod this product. The titles are in the assessment brief and pleas use them as the title for each part of the assessment - Essay Example It is time that Apple makes a move to intervene in iPods product life cycle (PLC). iPods first-movers advantage is waning, and needs a revival of customer interests or find new ones (Abel, 2008). In todays volatile business environment characterised by changes such as new market development, technological innovation, regulatory requirements, and changing consumer behaviours, technology based companies like Apple need to harness factors that are within their control. Zook (2004) recommends that companies or brands should progress by simultaneously investing in current business and responding to the new opportunities. To achieve this, companies must scan the environment and evaluate its current marketing programme in order to revise its marketing strategies for achieving growth (McGrath 2001). In the following sections, the author shall study these aspects pertaining to Apples iPod brand particularly relating to the UK market, and offer recommendations for improvement. Every business must operate within its macro and micro environment. The micro environment refers to factors that operate and immediately linked with the firm while the macro and competitive environment is the general factors that affect all firms. The environment can be evaluated so that the best opportunities can be capitalized to the advantage of the brand (Porter 1980). iPods macro and competitive environments are discussed as follows: Political - The UK is undergoing tremendous social and political change which influences its consumers as well as businesses. The British society has become more aware of their environment and their legal rights. They want the government to take active part in passing bills and implementing laws which have positive impact on the society, environment and the country at large. Even in technological innovation, they are concerned

Analysis of the US Healthcare System

Analysis of the US Healthcare System Cost, Efficiency, Choice and Equity in the United States Health Care System While excellent medical care is available in the United States, health care economics and the service delivery system present many challenges for the consumer and practitioner alike. This paper addresses four dimensions that are pivotal to the successes and failures of the system: cost, efficiency, choice and equity. The interplay of these dimensions across the canvas of health care options defines a system in flux, policymakers seeking a fair balance, and a nation in need of quality, affordable, accessible care. How do Americans pay for health care? The cost of health care in the U.S. is the highest in the world today. A higher percentage of national income, and more per capita, is spent on medical care by the United States than by any of the twenty-eight other country members of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). The United States spent $4,178 per capita on health care in 1998, more than twice the OECD median of $1,783, and far more than its closest competitor, Switzerland ($2,794). U.S. health care spending as a percentage of gross domestic product (GDP), 13.6 percent in 1998, also exceeded the next most expensive health care systems, in Germany (10.6 percent) and Switzerland (10.4 percent) However, the U.S. government finances a smaller portion of health-care spending than does any OECD country except Korea (Friedman, 2001; Hilsenrath et al., 2004). Being without medical insurance is synonymous with a lack of access to medical care. In the absence of a coherent, all-encompassing national health policy, such as universal coverage, Americans, under the age of 65 and above the low-income mark, face the necessity of obtaining some sort of private health insurance. However, more than forty-two million Americans (15.5 percent) were not insured in 1999 (Bureau of Labor Education at the University of Maine, 2001). Most of the uninsured have no employer-provided health care options and are unable or unwilling to bear the cost for the few types of plans available to them. If ineligible for government assistance, the uninsured have little choice but to wait until their health concerns justify emergency room treatment, an extremely costly option for hospitals. In fact, these emergency facilities may turn patients away unless their conditions are deemed to be medical emergencies. Of those who are insured, some can afford to pay, while others are covered by their employers for at least a portion of the cost. Employer-provided health care coverage, once an expected benefit, is becoming less common in the contemporary American workplace. Also, over the years, the array of services covered has become more limited, while the cost of insurance has risen. Rather like a black hole, the insurance industry, and the medical establishment in general, appear to suck in more resources while emitting less output. What are the private plan options? Cost, efficiency, freedom of choice and equity vary across the assortment of private health care insurance alternatives. The following includes a brief description of each type of plan (derived, in part, from Levchuk et al., 2000), and thoughts on the balance of these dimensions across alternatives. The traditional fee-for-service plan, while still a key part of the Medicaid and Medicare vocabulary, is a rarity in todays managed care world. Under this type of plan, freedom of choice is high for patients and for the medical establishment. Patients with a fee-for-service indemnity or reimbursement plan can choose any physician or facility. Out-of-pocket costs apply until a deductible is satisfied. Each service performed is the unit for payment and treatment decisions are not limited. Efficiency of service providers is not so precious a goal given these contingencies. While fee-for-service remains an option, the need for increased cost control and accountability drove reform that took the shape of managed care. Managed care organizations vary in cost, efficiency and freedom of choice across an alphabet soup of plan types. To the degree that equitable access to services can be seen as a function of cost for those services, equity also varies across plan types. However, some characteristics are shared among all these plans. In service of cost-effectiveness, these organizations manage the financing of care delivered to members. For example, buying in bulk achieves lower prices for services from hospitals and practitioners. Efficiency and cost control are enhanced by limiting choice; members are limited to a list of approved physicians, and doctors are restricted to formularies and sanctioned procedures. Another cost-saving measure is the prevalent requirement for referral from a primary physician in order to consult a specialist. This restriction may undermine efficient service delivery, as well as access to services. Choosing a pricier plan can mitigate the restrictions on freedom of choice; however, this poses the broader issues of equity and access. Of course, the member realizes efficiency benefits in that the plan manages the delivery system: the where, what and by whom of health care. Perhaps the best example of this is the one-stop shop of the HMO. Health Maintenance Organization (HMO) staff-model. Everything the member ordinarily needs is efficiently contained in a single location; caregivers and customer service, pharmacy and labs. The HMO premium is paid in advance by the plan member or the members employer. The size of the premium is independent of the individual plan members pattern of service utilization. Therefore, the actual cost to the plan for services delivered to members at the high end of the utilization distribution serves to raise the premium for all members. The premium covers all in-plan services, with the exception of deductibles and co-payments. This is an efficient fiscal arrangement in that it saves administrative costs for the billing process and the members time in responding to requests for payment. The inclusion of preventive care is a cost-saving strategy, as is the requirement for a referral process. Requiring referrals may benefit the patient by screening out unnecessary and, thus, inefficient procedures. If misused, however, this requirement becomes a barrier to obtaining necessary care. The potential for misuse is heightened by the practice of casting administrators, rather than caregivers, as architects of the guidelines for appropriate referrals. Health Maintenance Organization (HMO) independent practice association (IPA) model. With this type of HMO, the member sacrifices the efficiency of convenience for a greater freedom of choice; the plan sacrifices a modicum of control but gains facility-maintenance cost savings. IPAs are comprised of primary care doctors and specialists who see plan members in their own offices. Each doctor may be a participant in several IPAs, thus defraying the added facility-maintenance cost. Equity can be a greater issue with IPAs than staff-model HMOs; physical/geographic access to care is more variable with the IPA model. Preferred provider organizations (PPOs) are structured to offer members more freedom of choice in selecting a health care provider than do HMOs. In order to ensure coverage of cost, however, the member is constrained to choose from a defined network of physicians and treatment facilities. Typically, premiums are more costly for this type of plan. Providers within the network have contractual relationships with the PPO plan, agreeing to treat plan members at a discounted rate. The plan is responsible for recruiting/selecting an equitable mix of providers across locations, as well as for referral coordination and treatment plan review. Providers, who serve at the pleasure of the plan, must operate efficiently or operate at a loss to remain participants in a network. The final two types of private insurance plans to be discussed are hybrids of those previously described. Point of service (POS) plans offer greater freedom of choice than other managed care plans, and, therefore, command a higher price. Each point at which a health care service is desired presents an opportunity for the member to choose any service professional at any location to provide that service. Typically, resources characteristic of HMOs, PPOs and traditional fee-for-service plans are available to the POS plan member. The contingencies that condition this freedom are based on out-of-pocket cost to the member and are part of the agreement for membership in the plan. A different level of cost may be associated with each type of service; e.g., a visit with a physician outside the HMO and PPO entails higher out-of-pocket expense. In many POS plans, choice also is conditioned by the requirement for a primary care physician referral. Flexibility is high here. A member who prefers the efficient containment of an HMO for a routine physical and lab work may make this choice. The same member, experiencing headaches, may seek service from a clinic specializing in migraines, knowing that a portion of the cost will be absorbed by the plan. However, the cost for this degree of flexibility brings equity into question. Managed indemnity plans combine the freedom of choice and cost base characteristics of fee-for-service with certain cost-control measures inherent in managed care plans. Members may visit any physician they chose. Typically, members must seek prior approval from the plan administration before certain outpatient procedures and inpatient stays are warranted as covered by the plan. Often, preventive health care is not covered by managed indemnity plans, an arguably inefficient decision. Freedom of choice is quite pricey with this type of plan. Reimbursement for services is a relatively cumbersome process. The physician or member is required to submit fee-for-service claim forms to the plan. After the members deductible is satisfied, most plans pay a percentage of what they consider the Usual and Customary charge for covered services. The plan generally pays eighty percent of this amount, leaving twenty percent, known as coinsurance, for the member to pay out-of-pocket. If the chosen provider charges more than the Usual and Customary rates, the member is responsible for both the coinsurance and the difference. As with many of the plans discussed, the expense associated with a managed indemnity plan bars many Americans from taking advantage of the benefits offered. These are the privately-insured health care plans available, in varying degrees, to the American people. Each has strengths and weaknesses, evident in the relative balance of cost, choice, efficiency and equity across plan types. What publicly-funded options exist and who is eligible? Medicare is the federally funded health insurance program for Americans age sixty-five and older. Younger citizens with qualifying disabilities also are covered under this program. Medicare falls within the Social Security administration, the federal program charged with providing financial assistance to older Americans, the unemployed and the disabled. The program is funded by taxing employers and employees nationwide. Sounds like a good and straightforward idea; few would contest that the program has a great to offer and that these benefits are sorely needed. Medicare is really two health care plans: Medicare Part A insurance applies to hospital costs. Stays at other 24-facilities, including nursing facilities, psychiatric hospitals and hospice care, also are covered. Part A is free of cost to any Medicare recipient. Medicare Part B covers many outpatient procedures, doctor visits, lab test, some home health care and in-home use of medical equipment. Medicare-qualified individuals are enrolled automatically in Part B, and the monthly fee is deducted from the persons Social Security payments. However, a good deal of the medical care one is likely to require is not covered by this program. For example, Medicare does not cover nursing home care or long-term care in the home. Prescription drugs and routine physicals are not covered. Medicare also requires co-payments and deductibles. For seniors and others on a fixed and limited income, these charges add up over time and can serve as a real disincentive to appropriately seeking health care. Choice also is limited by the fact that many doctors do not accept Medicare and, of those that do, some do not accept the Medicare assigned amount as payment in full for all services. This means more out-of-pocket expense for health care services. Fewer doctors opening their doors to Medicare beneficiaries is an access problem, compounded by other barriers, such as the need for transportation and specialized services seniors may require to facilitate health care use. As a result, seniors able to afford the extra cost (an equity issue) are enrolling in private insurance plans structured to supplement Medicare benefits. Medigap offers one of the most widely available sets of plans for this purpose. Plans A-J, the ten plans available in most states, vary widely in coverage and in cost. Such plans help defray the expense of Medicare co-payments and prescription drugs, for example, but they do not apply to any service that is not covered by Medicare. Given that an acid-test for Medicare coverage is medical necessity, seniors and other Medicare beneficiaries still are in the cold with respect to such services as preventive care and regular check-ups. A fairly recent Medicare reform is the introduction of the HMO as a potential care provider. Traditionally, Medicare operates on a fee-for-service basis; patients are billed for each service received. Increasingly, states have begun to offer an HMO alternative to Medicare recipients. This type of public-private partnership for health care service delivery has many proponents and an equal number of critics. As discussed, HMO services can be more efficient, convenient and comprehensive than a fee-for-service plan. HMOs can compliment Medicare services by offering lower costs, much less paperwork, and a primary care doctor for coordination of care. However, without paying more, the patient is restricted to care providers within the organization. This can be especially troubling for seniors who may bring a long and complex relationship with a particular physician. Also, under HMO guidelines, the patient cannot seek service from a specialist without referral. The HMO model is particularly unsuitable for seniors who spend part of the year is a different location; services simply may be unavailable. The most terrifying health care issue in the Medicare arena is its potential bankruptcy. According to U.S. Census projections, the Medicare-eligible population will burgeon between the years 2010 and 2030 (when the baby boom generation reaches age 65). By 2030, there will be about 71.5 million older persons, more than twice the number in 2000. People age sixty-five and older made up12.4% of the population in 2000; that percentage is expected to increase to 20% by 2030. The number of people eighty-five and older is projected to increase from 4.6 million in 2002 to 9.6 million in 2030. To compound health care equity issues, minority populations are projected to represent 26.4% of the elderly population in 2030, up from 17.2% in 2002 (AoA, 2003). There are many proposals on the table with the aim of saving the Medicare program. This is one example of a political hot potato that deflects policymakers from the task of solving the overall health care dilemma in America. In President George Bushs proposal to strengthen and modernize Medicare, public-private partnership is at the forefront. He contends that, through private health plans competing for the business of Medicare beneficiaries, better coverage at lower prices can be achieved; also, government gets out of the medical price-setting business. He also foresees government leaving the field of crafting coverage guidelines because competition, again, will yield more flexible and innovative plans. What about a safety net for Americans who need health care but lack the resources to obtain it? Medicaid is that safety net for Americans. This is the joint state-federal program for financing health care delivered to people with sufficiently low incomes, or to the chronically ill and disabled. As with Medicare, services traditionally are reimbursed on a fee-for-service basis. Each state commits funding for the program and the Federal government provides a percentage match for these state funds. The rules by which states must run their Medicaid programs are dictated by the Federal government; however, many aspects of the program structure are at the discretion of each state. Therefore, the shape of the program varies from one state to another. Medicaid is subject to the same problems as Medicare, problems of access, cost, choice, equity and efficiency. Low-income recipients have difficulty locating providers, partly because low-income neighborhoods typically are underserved, but also because many doctors will not accept Medicaid patients. Often, the limited amount Medicaid pays for services is below market rates. Therefore, as previously mentioned, Medicaid recipients are forced to rely on emergency rooms for primary health care services. Another similarity to the Medicare program is the move by states to adopt a managed care model for Medicaid recipients. Managed care may correct some of the problems faced by Medicaid beneficiaries. If enrollment is achieved, then locating a provider is unnecessary. Access to preventive care may increase, and the range of coverage may improve. In the last part of the twentieth century, Medicaid expansions led some to see this as the path to universal coverage; yet it remains a means-tested program, subject to threats of political retrenchment (Grogan Patashnik, 2003). It should be noted that, without the Medicaid program, the majority of the current 51 million beneficiaries would be without coverage, because, according to the criteria that private insurers currently use to determine whom they will insure, most of these people need not apply (Iglehart, 2003, 2418). Conclusion Iglehart (1999) points to the painful conclusion that, for whatever reasons, the United States is alone among industrialized nations in its failure to develop a health care policy that offers basic benefits to all Americans, regardless of their ability to pay. The idea of a single-payer, publicly-funded plan has vocal and prestigious advocates (see Friedman, 2001); equally vocal and powerful advocates speak for the insurance industry and the medical establishment. The great American nationwide debate regarding how to make health care more widely available to all and still to control cost continues. Questions such as how best how best to measure efficiency in the provision of services, how to structure efficient care, and how efficiency compares with other health care values (e.g., equity and choice), continue as a focus of the debate. The World Health Organization (WHO) defined a fair health care system as one that provides a fair distribution of medical responsiveness across population groups and of financial support, so that everyone is protected equally from the financial risk of illness (Bureau of Labor Education at the University of Maine, 2001). For the United States, the overarching balance of cost, choice, efficiency and equity remains elusive. References Administration on Aging (AoA), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (2003). A Profile of Older Americans: 2003. Washington, D.C Bureau of Labor Education at the University of Maine, (2001). The U.S. health care system: Best in the world, or just the most expensive? Issues Brief, Summer, pp. 1-8. Friedman, M. (2001). How to cure health care. The Public Interest, 142, pp. 3-30. Grogan, C. Patashnik, E. (2003). Between welfare medicine and mainstream entitlement: Medicaid at the political crossroads. Journal of Health Politics, Policy Law, 28(5), pp. 821-858. Hilsenrath, P., Hill, J., Levey, S. (2004). Private finance and sustainable growth of national health expenditures. Journal of Health Care Finance, 30(4), pp. 14-20. Iglehart, J.K. (1999). The American health care system: Medicaid. The New England Journal of Medicine, 340(5), pp. 403-408. Iglehart, J.K. (2003). The dilemma of Medicaid. The New England Journal of Medicine, 348(21), pp. 2140-2148. Levchuk, C.M., Kosek, J.K., Drohan, M. (2000). Health care systems, in Healthy Living, ed. A. McNeill, Farmington Hills, Mich.: UXL, Vol. 2.

Reporting Abuses Essay

Every child must be protected from harm because it can cause many negative effects like trauma, physical and psychological disorders and any other illness that may effect their growth. So, the government makes a law that helps the child from being abused. This law can be found on Penal Code Section 11164 – 1174.4.3 (California Child Abuse and Neglect Law, 2007). This law aims to protect children and to give the rights of every child. This law also states that failure to report any abuses will consider a crime. In this way, everyone will be aware that they have the responsibility to protect every child, even if you don’t know them (California Child Abuse and Neglect Law, 2007). There are several cases of child abuse in our society but with the help of other people, it has been stopped like the story of Jenny (not her real name). She is a 4 year-old girl that lives with her father. Her mother was in the other country to work. Jenny was abused by his father and the poor little kid can’t do anything. One concerned neighbor report this incident. She reports all the maltreatment Jenny’s father do. Jenny’s father was caught and the child was claimed by the social welfare society until her mother arrives. Now, Jenny is living with her mother and her father was still in jail. This incident is an example of child protection. Jenny’s neighbor, even though she never knew her, helps Jenny and gives her the right to enjoy childhood. Based on Ethical Standards of Human Service Professionals, we must protect them from any harm. We must guide, educate, and provide them what they need for them to grow physically, psychologically and socially normal (Ethical Standards of Human Service Professionals, 1996). Reporting child abuses doesn’t mean that you won’t get any protection. The law also states that any reporters will get the protection needed to protect them. In this way, the concerned people won’t be afraid of reporting anyone who commits this crime. Their identity will remain confidential and they will have immunity for civil and criminal liability. The government also ensures that every report is true because if it is false, the reporter will suffer the consequences (The Code of Ethics and Good Practice for Children’s Sport in