Publication Date

1988

Document Type

Dissertation/Thesis

First Advisor

Pecenka, Joseph O.

Degree Name

M.S. (Master of Science)

Legacy Department

Department of Management

LCSH

Northern Illinois University--Employees; Insurance; Government employees' health--Illinois--De Kalb

Abstract

The nature of the study was exploratory research of a single case study. Its purpose was, with respect to the health benefit plan for employees of Northern Illinois University (NIU), to collect demographic data describing the beneficiaries of mandatory insurance continuation laws and preliminary data identifying the decision criteria applied in choosing to continue or to discontinue medical expense benefits. Demographic data were gathered on all persons who were eligible to continue their coverage under NIU health plan options between June 1, 1985 and May 15, 1987 from the computer files of Central Management Services. The variables for which data were collected were age and sex for both employees and their eligible dependents, marital status for employees and relationship-to-employee for dependents. Also, a questionnaire designed to elicit factors relevant to the benefit continuation decision was mailed to 233 current NIU employees. The data collected were analyzed using the computer to chart relationships between variables, to calculate statistical means and chi-square values, and to create frequency and crosstabulation tables. choose to continue medical expense benefits. Those who would continue their coverage were mostly single, while those who would terminate it were mostly married. Analysis of questionnaire responses identified a person's pre-disposition toward risk as the most important factor for respondees in making a benefit continuation decision. The cost of benefits ranked second in importance. The results suggest the addition of a court decree requirement to the list of factors utilized in a benefit continuation decision in order to improve the inclusiveness of the design of the questionnaire. Almost all respondees wanted to keep their medical expense benefits. In combining the results of the census and the survey, there is some preliminary indication of some success at keeping young, single employees insured through benefit continuation right laws. However, the study provided no evidence that these laws substantially reduce the size of the population of uninsureds. The results of the analysis of the data from the census of NIU employees eligible for medical benefit continuations were that the average age of the employee was 37 and that the group was predominately female, young and married. One in six from the census group would choose to continue medical expense benefits. Those who would continue their coverage were mostly single, while those who would terminate it were mostly married. Analysis of questionnaire responses identified a person's pre-disposition toward risk as the most important factor for respondees in making a benefit continuation decision. The cost of benefits ranked second in importance. The results suggest the addition of a court decree requirement to the list of factors utilized in a benefit continuation decision in order to improve the inclusiveness of the design of the questionnaire. Almost all respondees wanted to keep their medical expense benefits. In combining the results of the census and the survey, there is some preliminary indication of some success at keeping young, single employees insured through benefit continuation right laws. However, the study provided no evidence that these laws substantially reduce the size of the population of uninsureds.

Comments

Bibliography: pages [83]-86.

Extent

vii, 86 pages

Language

eng

Publisher

Northern Illinois University

Rights Statement

In Copyright

Rights Statement 2

NIU theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from Huskie Commons for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without the written permission of the authors.

Media Type

Text

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