Leave no employee uninsured : health insurance in small Texas businesses.
by Perry, Jed MacKay
2003
77 pages
HG 9397.5 T4 P47 2003 Public Affairs Library
This report examines how small businesses in Texas can provide health insurance benefits to employees. It describes programs in Florida, New York, and California that seek to improve the level of small employer health insurance coverage and evaluates the concept of health insurance purchasing cooperatives and alliances, a popular concept among small business employers in Texas. Concerns about employer/employee choice, access, market continuity, administrative savings, subsidy programs, and insurance rate regulation are all addressed. According to the author, there are several options for Texas to reform insurance regulations to increase the number of insured employees working for small businesses. However, no single approach is likely to produce dramatic increases in the number of insured employees. As a result, if Texas seeks to increase insured employees in small businesses, policymakers will need to develop initiatives that build on the options discussed in this book.

The Impacts of U.S.-Latin American Trade on the Southwest's Economy and Transportation System Case Studies of Coffee and Steel on the U.S.-Brazil Trade Corridor
by Leigh B. Boske & John C. Cuttino
2002
122 pages
HF 1456.5 L3 B675 2002 Public Affairs Library
This report, the second in a two-report series, traces economic and transport impacts of U.S.-Latin America trade through case studies of coffee and steel from Brazil to the U.S.-destination Port of Houston. It is the second of a two-report series on economic impacts, following T he Impacts of U.S.-Latin American Trade on the Southwest's Economy and Transportation System An Assessment of Impact Methodologies, and adopting a similar case study methodology to more adequately measure the cumulative impacts of trade along a commodity's value/supply chain. The recommended methodology entails the adoption of the transportation corridor and the commodity shipments as units for analysis, and the case studies of coffee and steel delineate how trade and transportation actually take place. The report follows trade and transport through various stages of production and consumption from the originating region in Brazil, through the Brazilian gateway ports of Vitoria and Santos, to arrival at the Port of Houston with analysis of the commodities movements along multiplicative supply chains. Cumulative impacts are measured in relation to actual movement and activity. In this way, the report identifies more policy-relevant impacts, identifies trade opportunities, and reveals factors aiding and impeding the effective functioning of a trade/transport corridor.

Managing Electricity Demand: Regulatory Perspectives on Demand-Side Management
by David Eaton and Leigh Boske
2001
129 pages
HD 9685 U6 T433 2001 Public Affairs Library
This detailed study describes the range of technical alternatives for energy conservation-otherwise known as demand-side management-and discusses the diversity of federal and state policies that encourage or discourage these practices. The report describes demand-side management measures and the financial risks that conservation imposes on electrical utilities. The report also evaluates the role of federal and state governments in energy conservation, with a special focus on regulations in all fifty states and the direction of demand-side management policy in Texas. A summary examines the environmental externalities associated with conserving energy.

The Impacts of U.S.-Latin America Trade on the Southwest's Economy and Transportation System: An Assessment of Impact Methodologies
by Leigh Boske and John Cuttino
2001
87 pages
HF 1456.5 L3 B67 2001 Public Affairs Library
Trade between the United States and Latin America has a significant effect on the Southwest's economy and its transportation network. Measuring the various impacts of trade provides strategic information that helps identify trade opportunities, infrastructure investment demands, and system bottlenecks. This report reviews current methods used to analyze the economic and transportation impacts of trade. Because there are few methods capable of adequately analyzing regional impacts of corridor-specific trade, the report presents a review of economic impact methodologies that are most relevant to this type of analysis. Since ports are the major gateways for U.S.-Latin American trade, special attention is paid to existing methodologies that address port economic impacts.

Insurance Redlining in Texas?
by Jeremy B. Mazur
2001
62 pages
HG 9986.35 T4 M39 2000 Public Affairs Library
Insurance redlining occurs when insurance companies discriminate against a class of consumers on the basis of factors beyond the consumers' control. These factors can include a homeowner's race, sex, marital status, income, or residence in a particular community. Before the 1968 Federal Fair Housing Act prohibited race-based discrimination in housing, insurance companies actively engaged in unfair discrimination against neighborhoods on the basis of racial composition. Today, insurers have taken affirmative steps to correct past practices and now underwrite policies through the use of supposedly objective criteria. Despite the industry's claims, consumer advocates argue that the insurance industry continues to use underwriting guidelines that have a disparate impact on minority neighborhoods.
This report outlines two studies conducted by the Texas Office of Public Insurance Counsel that demonstrate a lack of availability of homeowner's insurance in low-income and minority neighborhoods in Texas. The report examines the effect of certain underwriting guidelines used by insurers on the level of coverage in these communities. It also discusses additional factors that contribute to the lack of homeowner's coverage, including the high cost of insurance for low-income families, lack of consumer education, and the lack of insurance agents located in minority and low-income neighborhoods. The final chapter proposes solutions to reduce redlining and increase homeowner's insurance coverage in Texas. Those efforts include state-administered assistance programs, marketing and outreach by insurance companies in underinsured neighborhoods, and industry partnerships with nonprofit groups to provide solutions to insurance coverage. The report also discusses the possible benefits of state subsidies to insurers that agree to insure low-income and minority areas, and the potential impact of deregulation of the insurance industry.

Tort Reform Analysis 2: The Impact of Civil Justice on the Liability Insurance Market
by Cecilia M. Coleman, Robert J. Wood, David J. Eaton, and Jeffrey J. Goveia
2000
248 pages
KF 1301.5 I58 T77 2000 Public Affairs Library
In 1993 and 1995 the Texas Legislature enacted numerous civil justice reforms, popularly known as "tort reforms." The goal of these reforms was to reduce litigation costs and the size of litigation judgements, and to control escalating insurance costs.

This report is the second from a three-year study conducted by the LBJ School of Public Affairs and the Texas Department of Insurance on the effects of tort reform legislation. The first report, Tort Reform Analysis: A Study to Measure the Impact of Civil Justice Reforms, used information obtained from focus groups, individual interviews, and written surveys to assess how behavioral changes relating to tort reform affect insured loss in Texas.

Using the same methodology, the second report concludes that the Texas tort reforms have led to lower settlement and award values, which should lead to considerable savings to insurers. The first three chapters introduce the study methodology and summarize the findings of the focus groups. Extensive appendixes include a summary of the 1993-1995 tort reform laws and a detailed analysis of survey responses.

Exemplary State Rail Programming and Planning: Case Studies of California, Florida, North Carolina, and Washington State
by Leigh B. Boske and John Cuttino
2000
361 pages
HE 1780 B62 2000 Public Affairs Library
State rail programming and planning have matured greatly in the past three decades. State and local governments responded to widespread rail line abandonment in the 1970s by attempting to preserve local rail services and corridors through the adoption of rail freight assistance programs. States also sought to preserve existing passenger rail services by subscribing to Amtrak¹s 403(b) program. This program allows states to negotiate and contract with Amtrak to supplement existing service and build inter-city rail service along vital transportation corridors.

Prosperity in the mid-1980s changed the nature of state rail programs. States ventured into a variety of activities involving freight and passenger rail programs, grade-crossing safety, right-of-way acquisition and rail banking, high speed rail planning, and intermodal connectivity at seaports, river ports, and truck-rail terminals. Moreover, some states appropriated new financing to establish stable funding sources for the rail mode. The salient features of the 1990s have been the virtual disappearance of federal rail assistance and the tailoring of state rail programs to states¹ individual needs.

The purpose of this report is to provide an in-depth look at four diverse, yet exemplary, state rail programs: California, Florida, North Carolina, and Washington State. The report examines the evolution, characteristics, management, costs, funding sources and benefits of each program in detail. It also discusses lessons from these state rail programs that might benefit the State of Texas in the event that Texas considers more active participation in state rail programming. Detailed appendixes contain considerable documentation of state statutes, funding histories, program descriptions, feasibility studies, Amtrak 403(b) contracts, and similar source material.

What is FAIR? An Examination of the Effects of the "Fair Access to Insurance Requirements" Plan on the Availability and Affordability of Urban Property Insurance
"Innovations in insurance"
by Alice R. Zimmerman
2000
94 pages
HG 8535 Z55 2000 Public Affairs Library
This report examines the role of Fair Access to Insurance Requirements (FAIR) plans and their effect on the availability and affordability of property insurance in urban markets.

Disclosure in Life Insurance
"Innovations in insurance"
by Fang Zhang
2000
54 pages
HG 8951 Z48 2000 Public Affairs Library
This report reviews recent developments in the life insurance industry and concerns regarding the disclosure of life insurance information. The purpose of the report is to provide a reference source for the key players in the life insurance field, including consumers, insurers, and regulators; to identify options available to consumers; and finally, to discuss the insurance regulating process in Texas.

Tort Reform Analysis: A Study to Measure the Impact of Civil Justice Reforms
"Innovations in insurance"
By Alice R. Zimmerman
1998
105 pages
KFT 1398 C6 Z56 1998 Public Affairs Library
In 1993 and 1995 the Texas Legislature enacted numerous civil justice reforms, popularly known as "tort reforms." The goal of these reforms is to reduce litigation costs and the size of litigation judgments, and to control escalating insurance costs.
Relying on information obtained from focus groups, individual interviews, and written surveys, this report looks at how behavioral changes relating to tort reform affect insured losses in Texas and how rate reductions for certain lines of insurance can be adopted so that the insured public can enjoy any savings resulting from these reforms. The study also provides a methodology that can be used as a pattern for continuing study of legislative judicial reforms by Texas and other states.

What Customers Demand: Quality of Services in the Electric Utility Industry in Texas
By Cecelia M. Coleman, Robert J. Wood, David J. Eaton
150 pages
1998
HD 9685 U63 T42 1998 Public Affairs Library

State Programs for Financing Port Development
Project directed by Leigh B. Boske
298 pages
1997
HE 554 U6 S73 1997 Public Affairs Library
This book provides a detailed description of state programs for port development. Using nine case studies that cover a spectrum of funding levels, the book provides a "menu" from which policymakers can select the types of financial assistance that would be most advantageous and appropriate for making infrastructure improvements and for marketing port activities. The case studies include complete descriptions of the port development programs in California, Florida, Louisiana, Minnesota, and Oregon. Each case study provides background information, program specifics such as funding infrastructure improvement, equipment purchases, and dredging for new commercial navigation facilities, and a final section that outlines the lessons to be drawn. In addition, copies of the authorizing legislation for each program are included as appendixes, and a point of contact for each program has been listed for further information. This report is a continuation of two previous LBJ School studies: The Texas Seaport and Inland Waterway System and Port-Related State Programs and Federal Legislative Issues.

Emergency Medical Services in Travis County, Texas: An Assessment of Cost, Demand, and Performance
By Martin T. Schultz, Donald M. Meyer, David J. Eaton
135 pages
1996
RA 645.6 T4 S385 1996 Public Affairs Library
1996
135 pages
This report makes available information on emergency medical services (EMS) in Travis County, Texas with an emphasis on costs and activities during the fiscal year 1994. The key issues addressed include: the question of future demand for EMS, operational strategies for various patterns of demand, system performance, need for additional ambulance units, cost efficiency, existence of cross-subsidies among users, responsibility of the City of Austin to surrounding Travis County communities, and allocation of costs among tax bases. In addition to the analytical tables and figures throughout the report, selected results of this study are presented in a comprehensive table form.

Essential Community Provider Issues in Medicaid Managed Care
"Innovations in insurance"
By Maureen Ann Milligan
1996
139 pages
RA 412.5 U6 M55 1996 Public Affairs Library
This report makes available information on emergency medical services (EMS) in Travis County, Texas with an emphasis on costs and activities during the fiscal year 1994. The key issues addressed include: the question of future demand for EMS, operational strategies for various patterns of demand, system performance, need for additional ambulance units, cost efficiency, existence of cross-subsidies among users, responsibility of the City of Austin to surrounding Travis County communities, and allocation of costs among tax bases. In addition to the analytical tables and figures throughout the report, selected results of this study are presented in a comprehensive table form.

Binational Collaboration in Health Insurance Services between the United States and Mexico : Issues and Innovations for the Texas Health Insurance Industry
"Innovations in insurance"
By Jeffrey John Stys
1996
70 pages
HG 9397.5 T4 S797 1996 Public Affairs Library
This report examines the relevant issues and implications for the Texas health insurance industry resulting from increased interaction with Mexican medical providers and insurance companies through joint ventures. The possibility of establishing cross-border health maintenance or preferred provider organizations is also explored. An overview of the Mexican health care delivery system, an analysis of potential reforms and the results of a survey of all health insurance companies licensed in Texas on their proposed and current activity in Mexico are also included.

Health Care in Texas: A Data Book
Projected directed by William P. Hobby, David C. Warner
162 pages
1993
RA 407.4 T45 H42 1993 Public Affairs Library
Offers a wealth of information on the health care system in Texas. Its 104 tables and figures provide data on every aspect of health care provision and funding: private insurance coverage and costs, Medicare and Medicaid coverage and costs, state and local health departments, public hospitals and indigent care programs, community and migrant health centers, public health care expenditures, professional liability costs, state-mandated laws and benefits, and the health care provider network.

Determinants of Unauthorized Western Hemisphere Migration to the United States
Project directed by Sidney Weintraub, Robert T. Green
140 pages
1989
JV 6493 D4 1989 Public Affairs Library
Examines important social, economic, and demographic variables that affect the migration decision of undocumented immigrants to the United States from Mexico and other countries in the Western Hempisphere.

Policy Issues and Community Life in Texas: State Tax Issues, Child Care, Crime and Justice, and Hazardous Materials
Project directed by Robert C. Rickards, Laura Lein
80 pages
1989
HM 131 P64 1989 Public Affairs Library
Presents data and analysis of public reaction to policy initiatives in four policy areas based on a telephone survey of Texas citizens. A mail survey of Texas business managers is conducted to find out about their attitudes toward state tax reform.

Equity in the Distribution of Parks Services in Austin, Texas
By Rebecca Howard Project directed by David Eaton.
214 pages
1988
GV 54 T42 A93 1988 Public Affairs Library
Outlines a methodology for measuring the equity of municipal parks service distribution. Utilizes computer cartographic techniques to measure relative access to key recreational facilities in an effort to contribute to a better understanding of the effect of rapid urban expansion on the equity of municipal service delivery. (The results are compared to population distributions in Austin in order to evaluate patterns of service distribution by race, ethnicity, age, and income. The population distribution analysis reveals that the majority of Austin's population under 18 is located in the suburbs while the majority of recreational facilities designed for children are located in the central city. The analysis also reveals that areas in which the majority populations are black or Hispanic have overall greater access and numbers of facilities compared to other areas of town).

Management Review of the Texas State Preservation Board and the Office of the Architect
By Terrell Blodgett
1988
24 pages
NA 125 A95 B56 1988 Public Affairs Library
Reviews the basic statutes and operations of the two state entities responsible for preservation of the State Capitol, the State Preservation Board and the Office of the Architect. Makes recommendations for statutory and operational changes.

East Austin Survey: Educational Attainment, Job Skills, Employment Status, and Job Opportunities Project
Directed by John A. Gronouski, Suzanne K. Weiler
274 pages
1987
HD 8085 A953 G7666 1987 Public Affairs Library
Reports data on demographic characteristics, level of educational attainment (with special emphasis on high school dropouts), vocational skills, interest in training programs through which vocational skills could be acquired, and prevalence of unemployment and underemployment for residents of 16 census tracts in East Austin. Also assesses the number and types of entry-level jobs available in Austin, the skills that potential employees are expected to possess, the criteria used by employers in making a decision on hiring entry-level job applicants, and the wage level at which persons are hired for entry-level jobs.

Expanding the Medicaid Program in Texas: Funding Issues and Alternatives
By Anne Dunkelberg
237 pages
1988
HD 7102 U5 T4216 1988 Public Affairs Library
Examines three approaches for funding alternatives to expand medicaid coverage without requiring significant new state general revenue appropriations: (1) the reallocation of money from existing state programs whose clientele could be served under medicaid if eligibility were expanded; (2) voluntary contributions from hospitals to the state medicaid budget; and (3) instituting a system of local funding for the program or portions of the program.

Estimation of Demand for Emergency Medical Services
By Anthony A. Piasecki Project directed by David J. Eaton
202 pages
1986
RA 645.5 P427 1986 Public Affairs Library
Investigates methods of estimating future demand for emergency medical services (EMS) in order to place stations, vehicles, and personnel in locations within the city that will produce the shortest possible response times. Outlines recommendations for EMS systems in general and for the City of Austin EMS in particular.

Environmental Regulation and the Chemical Industry
122 pages
1982
KF 3958 E584 Public Affairs Library
Analyzes environmental regulations over the past two decades and their impact on the chemical process industries.

Far, Far to Go: Public Spending for Children and Youth in Texas
By W. Norton Grubb, Patricia Griffin Heilbrun, Christine Galavotti
1982
244 pages
HV 742 T4 G782 Public Affairs Library
Analyzes the state's spending patterns on programs related to children and youth and demonstrates the deficiencies and inequities that arise from these patterns.

Feasibility Analysis of a Regional Energy Development Bank
By Jared E. Hazleton
280 pages
1979
TJ 163.25 U6 H394 Public Affairs Library

Management Study of the American Educational Complex College District, Killeen, Texas
By Terrell Blodgett
350 pages
1989
LB 2331.5 B56 1989 Public Affairs Library
Studies the statutory authority, governance, organization, and financial structure of the American Educational Complex College District and makes recommendations for improvement.

Management Study of the Texas State Auditor's Office Project
Directed by Terrell Blodgett
167 pages
1984
HJ 9905 A23 1984 Public Affairs Library
A team of twenty auditors and management consultants provide a comprehensive examination of the organization and operations of the Texas State Auditor's Office. The report reviews the mission and functions of the office and recommends legislative and administrative changes to improve its effectiveness and efficiency.

Child Care, Higher Education, & Pension Systems in Japan and the United States
Project directed by Robert C. Rickards, Laura Lein
84 pages
1993
HV 800 J3 C445 1993 Public Affairs Library
Provides an overview of child care, higher education, and pension support in Japan and the United States by discussing the history, demography, and structure of each of these human service systems. Analysis of how and how well services are delivered in Japan and the U.S. highlights differences in approach but also reveals that the two countries face similar constraints that affect the success of their programs.

A Decade of Change: Public Education Reform in Texas 1981-1992
Project directed by Catherine Clark, Chrys Dougherty, William P. Hobby, Kenneth W. Tolo
82 pages
1993
LA 370 D42 1993 Public Affairs Library
Provides policymakers with a baseline document from which to consider Texas Public Education reforms in the 1990s in the area of student and teacher reforms, governance and accountability reforms, and school finance reforms.

Property Crime Victims: An Analysis of Needs & Services in Texas
Project directed by Laura Lein, Robert C. Rickards
1992
55 pages
HV 6635 L44 1992 Public Affairs Library
Reports the results of seventy-eight interviews with property crime victims living in one medium-sized community in Texas. The report explores the degree to which victims should be considered as a population of crime victims currently underserved and requiring services.

Sentencing Research in Texas: A Survey of Issues Relevant to Local Criminal Justice Officials Project
Directed by Robert C. Rickards, Laura Lein, Tony Fabelo
42 pages
1991
HV 8708 L44 1991 Public Affairs Library
Presents results of a survey of the attitudes of criminal justice officials in the state of Texas toward key sentencing issues such as overcrowding , the difference between the sentence given and the actual time served, repeat and serious offenders not serving enough time, and inconsistencies in sentences for the same crime. The report concludes with policy recommendations aimed to address these problems.

Community Mental Health in Texas: Four Case Studies Project
Directed by David C. Warner, L. Connie Harris, Scott Kier, Reymundo Rodriguez
250 pages
1990
RA 790.65 T4 C65 1990 Public Affairs Library
Comprises four case studies‹an urban center (Dallas County MHMR), a suburban center (Tri County in Conroe), a relatively isolated center (Concho Valley in San Angelo), and a state outreach center (San Antonio State Hospital Outreach). Each describes the center's history, geographical areas and populations served, organizing entities, and budgets and financing.

The Use of Public Attitude Assessment in the Development of Emergency Service Policy for the City of Austin, Texas
By William E. Coll Project directed by David J. Eaton, Lynn Anderson
218 pages
1989
RA 645.6 T4 C66 1989 Public Affairs Library
Presents the results of a survey of community leaders, emergency personnel, developers, and the media to determine their knowledge and attitudes regarding emergency medical and fire service within the city of Austin, Texas.

Senior Management Service for Texas State Government
Project directed by Terrell Blodgett
103 pages
1989
JK 4860.5 E9 S46 1988 Public Affairs Library
Proposes the creation of a Texas senior executive corps to confront some of the personnel problems faced by the state salaries and benefits for employees, employee accountability, recruitment and retention of high caliber personnel, and inequities across agencies caused by a decentralized state personnel system. (The Senior Management Service would provide increased salary, benefits, and educational opportunities to high-level government managers in exchange for increased accountability and improved performance).

Maternal and Child Health on the U.S.- Mexico Border
By Linda S. Chan, Roy McCandless, Bernard Portnoy, Chandler Stolp, David C. Warner
296 pages
1988
RA 407.4 A165 C546 1987 Public Affairs Library
Presents data on socioeconomic, demographic, mortality/morbidity, and health care system characteristics of each of twelve principal counties and twelve major municipios along the U.S.-Mexico border. Using statistical information from the U.S. and Mexico censuses, various surveys, and reports by health agencies in the twenty-four counties and municipios studied, the report identifies patterns and trends in fertility, births, use of midwives, childhood diseases, and other areas related to the health of the border populations.

Texas Health Care Data 1987
By Claudia H. Siegel Project directed by Wilbur J. Cohen
Special Project Report Series
1988
196 pages
RA 407.4 T4 S54 1987 Public Affairs Library

Runaways in Texas: A Statistical Estimate, 1985
Project directed by Lodis Rhodes
33 pages
1985
HV 742 T4 R562 1985 Public Affairs Library
Based on a survey of Texas households, provides data on the frequency of runaway behavior in Texas and the use of public services by runaways and their families.

Sourcebook on Central American Refugee Policy: A Bibliography with Subject and Country Index
Compiled by Margo Gutierrez, Milton Jamail, Chandler Stolp
Special Project Report Series
1985
69 pages
HV 640 S687 1985 Public Affairs Library Includes almost 800 entries on materials related to the background issues, legal settings, and policies of Central American countries, Mexico, the U.S. government, and the United Nations concerning the flow of immigrants and refugees from Central America.

Reappraising Social Security: Toward an Alternative System
By Jeffrey D. Dunn
244 pages
1982
HD 7125 D866 Public Affairs Library

Coordination of State and Federal Apprenticeship Administration
Volume One. Preparation for apprenticeship through CETA : a report.
Volume Two. Coordination of state and federal apprenticeship administration.
Project directed by Kenneth W. Tolo
81 pages
1980
HD 4885 U5 L9 1979 V.1 Public Affairs Library
HD 4885 U5 L9 1979 V.2 Public Affairs Library
Identifies major problems involving the coordination of state and federal administrative responsibilities in the apprenticeship field, and formulates appropriate responses.