The introduction of Long-term Care Insurance in 1995 in Germany brought a fundamental change in long-term care policies related to social rights, mode of funding and care provision. Before the introduction, long-term care was defined as a responsibility of (mainly female) family members with public support means-tested. The essay examines the principles of Long-term Care Insurance and some significant adaptations since then. It draws on a new-institutionalism approach and analyses the role of actors, their interests and ideas as well as institutional conditions of the reform process. In addition, it considers the reform’s effects. The research reveals both processes of fundamental change and gradual adaptations.only subscribers can see the full article

The paper gives an overview of the historical evolution and characteristics of the s in Germany, the Uk and the Usa. The article also proposes an economic interpretation of differences between the three countries. Germany and the Uk, through different models, assure universal access to health services. In the Usa the residual role of public funding doesn’t manage to make up for shortcoming in the private sector, leaving almost a third of the population without any insurance or with insufficient insurance coverage. High health spending in the Usa, incrementing the diffusion of increasingly expensive new technologies and therapeutic approaches, can put universalistic systems under pressure. To maintain the present structure of European health systems, it is necessary to manage the diffusion of new technologies.only subscribers can see the full article

The article analyses developments in German union policy in the metal sector in the light of economic and contextual changes which characterised the 90s and the effects produced on industrial relations. The consequences of the partial loss of union power have become evident with the rise in derogations on the collective agreements and in the impossibility of their «automatic» application in the enterprises. The most recent example of this deterioration is represented by the signing of the collective contract called «Pforzheim» in 2004, made possible by the considerable pressure posed by the possibility to export production sites thereby saddling with productivity and competitively costs , not only in terms of wages but also working times.only subscribers can see the full article

With a shift in the political debate to more market-driven social policy approaches during the past decade, politicians in a number of European countries have argued that employers should take on greater responsibilities in the provision of social policy. Corporations have indeed expanded their provision of family policies over the past decade. The puzzle to be addressed in this chapter is: why do employers get involved? Looking at Britain, Germany, and the Us, our findings show that for the overwhelming majority of employers engaged in firm-level family policies their main aim is to recruit and retain (highly) skilled employees. However, the industrial sector and the national political economy are key context conditions, influencing employers’ agency in the domain of family policies.only subscribers can see the full article