How much is a human life worth? Individuals, families, companies, and governments routinely place a price on human life. The calculations that underlie these price tags are often buried in technical language, yet they influence our economy, laws, behaviors, policies, health, and safety. These price tags are often unfair, infused as they are with gender, racial, national, and cultural biases that often result in valuing the lives of the young more than the old, the rich more than the poor, whites more than blacks, Americans more than foreigners, and relatives more than strangers. This is critical since undervalued lives are left less-protected and more exposed to risk. Howard Steven Friedman explains in simple terms how economists and data scientists at corporations, regulatory agencies, and insurance companies develop and use these price tags and points a spotlight at their logical flaws and limitations. He then forcefully argues against the rampant unfairness in the system. Readers will be enlightened, shocked, and, ultimately, empowered to confront the price tags we assign to human lives and understand why such calculations matter.

Annuities are financial products that guarantee the holder a fixed return so long as the holder remains alive, thereby providing insurance against lifetime uncertainty. The terms of these contracts depend on the information available to insurance firms. Unlike age and gender, information about individual survival probabilities cannot be readily ascertained. This asymmetric information causes market inefficiencies, such as adverse selection.

Groundbreaking in its scope, "The Economic Theory of Annuities" offers readers a theoretical analysis of the functioning of private annuity markets. Starting with a general analysis of survival functions, stochastic dominance, and characterization of changes in longevity, Eytan Sheshinski derives the demand for annuities using a model of individuals who jointly choose their lifetime consumption and retirement age.

The relation between life insurance and annuities that have a bequest option is examined and "annuity options" are proposed as a response to the lack of secondary markets. This book also investigates the macroeconomic policy implications of annuities and changes in longevity on aggregate savings. Sheshinski utilizes statistical population theory to shed light on the debate of whether the surge in savings and growth in Asia and other countries can be attributed to higher longevity of the population and whether this surge is durable.

This book shows how understanding annuities becomes essential as governments that grapple with insolvency of public social security systems place greater emphasis on individual savings accounts.

Mit dern Inkrafttreten des Gesetzes Uber die Fortzahlung des Arbeitsentgelts irn Krankheitsfalle (Lohnfortzahlungsgesetz) vorn 27. 7. 1969 ist nach haufig geauBerter Meinung eine lang fristige Entwicklung irn Bereich der Einkommenssicherung fUr kranke und verletzte Arbeitnehrner abgeschlossen worden. Der Ubergang zu einer arbeitsrechtlichen Losung ist allgernein als groBer Fortschritt gefeiert worden. Dabei wurde irnplizit unter stellt, eine grundlegende Anderung in diesern Bereich der Sozia len Sicherung sei kUnftig nicht rnehr erforderlich. Diese Auffassung war fUr uns der AnlaB, abweichend von sonst Ublichen Kriterien unter konsequenter Anwendung des vorn Ver fasser in frUheren Schriften erarbeiteten Instrurnentariurns der sozialakonornischen Systerntheorie diese These neu zu Uberdenken. Der vorliegende Forschungsbericht ist irn Forschungsinstitut fUr Einkommenspolitik und Soziale Sicherung an der Universitat zu Kaln entstanden. Meinen Mitarbeitern rnochte ich an dieser Stel le fUr ihre unterstUtzung danken. Insbesondere danke ich Herrn Dipl.-Kfrn. Heinrich Niederfahrenhorst fur die Erstellung des problerngeschichtlichen Teils. FUr die Erstellung des Abschnitts Uber die niederlandische Entwicklung danke ich Herrn Dipl.-Kfrn. Werner Gerdelrnann, der rnir aufgrund eigener Forschungen den Zu gang zu den niederlandischen Quellen errnoglicht hat. Die DurchfUhrung des Forschungsprojekts ware nicht rnoglich ge wesen ohne die finanzielle Forderung durch das Landesarnt fur Forschung in DUsseldorf. Den Verantwortlichen des Landesarntes sei an dieser Stelle der aufrichtige Dank fur die groBzUgige Farderung ausgesprochen."

Directors' and officers' (D&O) liability insurance policy is one of the fastest growing areas in the world insurance market. D&O insurance possesses its own rules of law, principles, and features, making it unique in both its nature and operation. Despite being both commonplace and extremely complex, very little has been published to date on this vast topic. This book scrutinizes the rationale behind D&O insurance and provides a clear and comprehensive analysis of how and to what extent company directors are protected against the myriad of potential liabilities they may face. Contents include: the nature and legality of D&O liability insurance sources of directors' and officers' liability liability to third parties liability at civil law persons covered by D&O insurance D&O exclusions defense costs cover and allocation aggregation principles and D&O cover reinsurance of D&O policies.

This series of books focuses on highly specialized Emergency Management arrangements for healthcare facilities and organizations. It is designed to assist any healthcare executive with a body of knowledge which permits a transition into the application of emergency management planning and procedures for healthcare facilities and organizations. This series is intended for both experienced practitioners of both healthcare management and emergency management, and also for students of these two disciplines.

This series of books focuses on highly specialized Emergency Management arrangements for healthcare facilities and organizations. It is designed to assist any healthcare executive with a body of knowledge which permits a transition into the application of emergency management planning and procedures for healthcare facilities and organizations. This series is intended for both experienced practitioners of both healthcare management and emergency management, and also for students of these two disciplines.