Last quiz posted on Tuesday

After class on Tuesday, May 1st, I will post the last quiz of the semester.  It will have 10 questions from Chapters 20 and 21 (the homeowners chapters).  You will have until the start of class on Thursday to complete this last quiz.

Quiz 4 will be posted Tuesday

After class on Tuesday, April 24th, I will post quiz #4 in Blackboard.  It will cover the health insurance chapters (chapters 15 and 16), as well as chapter 19.

There will be 5 quizzes in all for the class.  I will try to squeeze in another homework assignment to, making 4 total.

Videos for this week

I won't be available this week so we will not meet as a class.  Instead, I've put together videos on health insurance (chapters 15 & 16).  You can review the presentations all at once or just watch a video at a time based on the time you have available (I give an estimate of time for each video below).

If you have a general comment about using videos as an alternative to class presentations, let me know.  Do you think a "blended" class would be useful (some videos online, some in class case studies or problems)?

I know the production quality is not great - I definitely need some practice talking to my computer!  There are new tools out there to make the presentation more engaging.  (Sadly, I didn't use these)

Here are the notes to the video presentations.  Let me know if you experience any problems accessing the videos.  You may need to download the Flash player if you are experience some problems.

1. US health care problems and individual medical expense plans (23 min)
2. HSAs and long term care (17 mins)
3. Group underwriting principles (13 mins)
4. Group indemnity (8 mins)
5. Managed care plans (20 mins)
6. Disability and group health provisions (17 min)
7. Health care recommendations and conclusion (9 mins)

Other notes: don't forget about the paper assignment which will be due on Tuesday the 24th.  Make sure you review your paper for any errors before turning it in.

Increasing satisfaction with claims - homeowners

Interesting report showing that despite the increase in weather related catastrophes last year, insurers seem to be doing a good job when it comes to claims.

Quiz posted after class today

Right after class today, I will post the next quiz on Blackboard.  It consists of 10 questions from Chapters 12 and 14.  You will have until the beginning of class on Tuesday to complete the quiz.

Office hours

I apologize, but I have to cancel office hours today.  If you'd like to see me, please contact me to set up an appointment.

Issues paper rubric - criteria for grading

Rubrics are used by instructors as an assessment tool to define expectations of quality.  What are the specific criteria for determining the grades for your insurance industry issues paper? Aside from the “fatal errors” policy regarding spelling/grammar mentioned in the original assignment, the following items will considered when determining the overall grade for your report.

1. Indicate some relationship between your audience and your report’s purpose. Recall that the potential readers of your paper are classmates from FIL 250. You can assume the audience has been exposed to class topics so there is no need for significant review of background material. However, this does not mean that you totally ignore the material that has been covered in class.  As you introduce your topic, it will be helpful to bridge the gap from 250 topics to your specific topic. This will help the audience stay connected with your subject and help them consider your specific contributions. 
2. The paper’s organization should contribute to identifying your major topic/idea. Your paper should likely be a blend of background/review and your area of focus.  As mentioned in #1 above, you want to bridge your topic to FIL 250, so some review is useful.  But you also need to be able to express exactly how your paper extends topics discussed in class.  All of this in 5- to 7-pages might be a bit tricky.  Pay careful attention to the structure of your report as it will assist the reader in relating your topic to what they have already learned.  Make sure each section/paragraph has a clear purpose that helps the overall flow of the paper.  Finally, be sure the introduction is specific enough, so that the reader can see what will be covered.  A conclusion may seem redundant, but it should reiterate what you wanted to convey to your reader.
3. Make some quality contribution to the topic.  A good part of your paper will be providing some background for the reader and introducing the topic to those who are new to the area.  But also be sure that your paper adds something significant to what has already been written.  Whatever your topic, take time to think about exactly what the unique "hook" of your contribution will be.  Is it a comparison of two ways to provide coverage or a criticism of one way to do business?  If so, think about your contribution being advantages and disadvantages of existing alternatives.  Is your paper an explanation of a new type of insurance?  Perhaps you can include a specific example of coverage (maybe even include an appendix that includes an actual policy) and walk through the coverage carefully.
4. Reference materials should be appropriate and accurately documented. While there is no formal required style for references, they should be recognized in some consistent fashion. When choosing sources, there should be at least one source that is "substantial." Ideally, this would include a published book.  However, it may also include a consulting report or journal article of substantial length/breadth.  The idea of these major references is that if the reader was very interested in your topic, you could point them to at least one high quality resource that would expand on your contributions.  Other references to trade journals or newspapers can then supplement your major sources.

Hope this helps.  Let me know if you have questions or concerns about any of these major points.