Policyholders Research Articles

Public Perception Towards Insurance Companies in Malaysia

Nowadays, the insurance sector is regulated and driven by profit maximization, just like other providers of financial services. We have been taught that insurance is essential for peace of mind, yet customers generally have a poor perception of insurance providers, and this view is even more evident among younger clients who are so important to the industry's future. The objective of this study is to investigate factors that influence public perception of insurance companies in Malaysia, including fraud, claim settlement, and knowledge. The study adopted a cross-sectional survey research design. This survey was conducted using questionnaires and 110 randomly selected insurance policyholders. The study's findings suggest that the public's perception of insurance companies is significantly influenced by knowledge. As a result, this outcome will assist insurance companies in developing new formulas that take the criteria mentioned above into account to serve the public interest.

Challenges Faced By Prospective Policy Holders To Select The Life Insurance Products With Special Reference To Chengalpattu District

Challenges Faced By Prospective Policy Holders To Select The Life Insurance Products With Special Reference To Chengalpattu District

Legal Enforcement of Corruption Criminal Act PT Asuransi Jiwasraya (Case Study of Decision 2931 K/Pid. Sus/2021)

This study aims to evaluate the judicial decision in the corruption case involving PT Asuransi Jiwasraya (Persero) based on Verdict Number 2935 K/Pid.Sus/2021, as well as examine the liability of insurance companies in cases of policy payment failures. The research employs a normative legal method with a statute approach, relying on secondary data from documents and legal literature. Data analysis is conducted qualitatively by categorizing and selecting data, which is then analyzed deductively and presented descriptively. The findings indicate that the judge in Verdict Number 2935 K/Pid.Sus/2021 affirmed the legal violations that harmed the policyholders. The liability of the insurance company can be addressed preventively through regulations that provide legal certainty and repressively through criminal law enforcement and civil lawsuits by policyholders for PT Asuransi Jiwasraya (Persero)’s default. Law enforcement authorities are expected to be more proactive and stringent in handling corruption cases, and the government needs to enhance regulations related to policyholder protection, including the establishment of a Policy Guarantee Institution Act. Educating the public about their rights as insurance policyholders is also crucial for raising awareness and vigilance. Further research is necessary to explore the factors contributing to insurance companies’ failures to fulfill their obligations and the effectiveness of existing regulations. Implementing these recommendations is anticipated to create a more just and transparent legal environment, providing better protection for the public.

Implementation of The Electronic Application for Marriage and Pregnancy (Elsimil) to Accelerate Stunting Reduction

Denpasar City is one of the areas that has succeeded in reducing the prevalence to 5.5%, one of which is by providing guidance to prospective brides to reduce the risk of stunting cases by implementing the ELSIMIL application. This study was conducted to obtain an overview of the factors that influence the behavior of using the ELSIMIL application in Denpasar City so that it can be an effort to accelerate stunting reduction. Data were collected from 14 informants, both users and policy holders. Data collection methods through interviews, observations, and document studies with validity testing through source triangulation and method triangulation. The results of the description of the ELSIMIL application implementation show that performance expectations, effort expectations, social influences, and facility conditions affect usage behavior along with behavioral intentions according to UTAUT theory. Performance expectations, which include perceived usefulness, motivation, relative advantage, and belief in the future potential of the application, are the main factors supporting usage behavior. Effort expectations include perceived ease and complexity of information can be a factor that supports behavioral intentions. Social support from family and friends and application conditions can also influence ELSIMIL usage behavior

Role of policyholders’ beliefs in life insurance lapses: a model building approach

Purpose This study aims to understand the lapse behavior of life insurance policyholders. Despite being accessible for nearly two centuries, only a small fraction of individuals purchase such policies and many of those who do let them lapse. The belief hypothesis model (BHM) is introduced to elucidate the correlation between policyholders' beliefs and their decisions regarding life insurance lapses. Design/methodology/approach BHM establishes a comprehensive linkage between core beliefs, external data and the lapse behavior exhibited by policyholders. To derive policyholders’ core beliefs about life insurance lapses, the authors conducted a semistructured, in-depth interview with 42 policyholders and 11 insurance advisors, using a grounded theory approach with zero-order, first-order and second-order coding. Findings The study's findings reveal that policy lapsation is influenced by various factors such as policyholders' beliefs about life insurance, process-related attitudes, trust in insurers and advisors and personal financial viewpoints. Policyholders who consider life insurance unnecessary or misunderstand its purpose are likelier to lapse their policies. Cumbersome documentation processes and technical issues also contribute to policy lapsation, emphasizing the significance of simplified procedures. Trust in insurers and advisors, personal financial literacy and payment preferences influence policy lapsation. Practical implications The findings of this research can be practically applied by companies to improve customer retention and by regulatory bodies to encourage policyholders to honor their insurance commitments. Originality/value Distinguishing itself from conventional hypotheses-driven and factor-centric models, BHM integrates consumer beliefs, thus enriching comprehension and decision-making insights.

Key Determinants to Drive Motor Insurance Customer Acquisition in Western Province, Sri Lanka: A Focus on the Marketing Mix

Purpose: There is a significant need for a comprehensive insurance policy for all vehicle owners, especially considering the growing emphasis on health and safety, and public protection. The substantial preference for 3rd party insurance over comprehensive policy covers has created a hurdle for insurance companies, both in terms of acquiring new customers and retaining existing ones. This prevailing trend has presented a significant challenge to the growth potential of general insurance firms in the market. The main purpose of this study is to investigate how factors such as product, price, promotion, and distribution network influence the customer purchase intention towards motor insurance. Design/methodology/approach: This was a cross-sectional study using a deductive research approach. Data were gathered from 412 policy holders in Sri Lanka using a self-administered structured questionnaire. Multiple regression analysis was used to determine the most influencing factor among product, price, promotion and distribution network influencing customer purchase intention towards motor insurance. Findings: Based on the analysis, the insurance service [product], insurance premium [price], promotion and distribution network have a significant relationship with the customer purchase intention towards motor insurance policies in Sri Lanka. Among the factors tested, distribution network and insurance service have the most significant impact on customer purchase intention with reference to motor insurance segment. Originality: This study provides a unique contribution by highlighting the critical role of the distribution network, particularly the combination of Place and People elements, in driving motor insurance customer acquisition in Sri Lanka. Unlike prior studies that emphasize price and promotional strategies, this research focuses on the integrated influence of accessibility and personalized service. The findings demonstrate that a well-established distribution network outweighs traditional marketing factors in influencing purchase decisions, offering a new perspective on consumer behavior in the Sri Lankan motor insurance industry. Implications: The findings of this study will pave the way for a paradigm shift where, insurance firms could understand and develop relevant strategies to improve services provided to the existing and potential motor insurance customers. By analyzing what truly matters to Sri Lankan drivers, both insurance service providers as well as regulatory authorities can ally and develop a holistic insurance policy that comprehensively covers all aspects of vehicle ownership, filling the void in the current market. According to the findings, it can be advised that the insurance corporations should focus more on providing a product with more unique features and invest in creating a solid network of branches across the country which are fortified with skilled and service-oriented personnel who could persuade the customers in buying comprehensive insurance covers. Future researchers can also focus on income and educational level as moderators since both of which have an impact on consumer behavior as suggested in prior literature. Also, there is a possibility of widening their scopes by considering other types of insurance products and expand the geographical area as well.

Analyzing the energy markets and financial markets linkage: A bibliometric analysis and future research agenda

AbstractThis study has been conducted using 200 articles from 1984 to 2023, by undertaking a meta‐literature review on the subject of energy markets and financial markets linkage (EFML). Our study consists of content analysis of 200 articles along with other analyses such as (i) co‐citation analysis, (ii) co‐authorship analysis, and (iii) cartographic analysis. We have identified five research streams: (1) Oil, stock, commodities markets, crypto currency, real estate, exchange rate linkage; (2) Oil and stock market linkage; (3) Energy as a portfolio diversification tool; (4) Dynamic linkage between the oil‐commodity market and stock market; and (5) Oil and other market linkages with respect to the COVID‐19 pandemic, the subsequent financial crisis, and other events. We have performed a comprehensive review of the EFML literature and provided the influential aspects of top journals and authors, the characteristics of the most studied topics, past and current key research streams in the EFML literature. We have also suggested 63 future research questions. Looking at the widespread interest of finance scholarship in the area of energy market linkages, the assessment of energy market linkages, and possible portfolio diversification opportunities and benefits, is of great importance and interest to researchers, policy holders, and portfolio managers.

Customer Churn Prediction for Life Insurance Using Binary Logistic Regression

One of a major problem for many industries including life insurance is customer churn. Because insurance contracts are often renewed every year, insurance businesses have a much harder time retaining customers than other businesses. The main objective of this research is to mitigate expected customer loss and retain potentially lost customers by increasing incentive product and service offerings on behalf of PT. XYZ Insurance, one of the life insurance companies in Indonesia which was founded in 2008. With a total of 123,982 policyholder data were included in the data set for this research, which covers a one-year data period as of December 2022. These data include details about the insurance holder, age of the insured, payment frequency, tenor, premium, and the product chosen by the policyholder of customers at PT. XYZ Insurance. In this research, the data is processed based on binary logistic regression in SPSS, where the data is processed in such a way as to produce output that meets the researchers' expectations. From the results of this research, there are around 16,951 insurance customers who have the potential to churn customers. So, company must implement customized value propositions based on research findings to help retain customers and reduce churn rates effectively in the competitive insurance market. Then the results of this research can also be used to target identified customers in marketing campaigns aimed at reducing churn rates while increasing profitability

Analisis Pengembalian Dana Tabarru Bagi Pemegang Polis Yang Berhenti Sebelum Masa Perjanjian Berakhir

This research aims to analyze the return of Tabarru Funds for policy holders who quit before the agreement period ends at PT Sun Life Syari'ah Medan Branch from a sharia insurance perspective. This research is a type of quantitative research, namely by conducting field research. The data sources used in this research are primary data and secondary data. Data collection was obtained from interviews, documentation and observation. To analyze the data, researchers used descriptive analysis methods. Data analysis techniques are carried out by reducing data, presenting data, and drawing conclusions. Research subject to related and authorized parties at PT Sun Life Syariah Medan Branch. The research object is the return of Tabarru Funds for policy holders who quit before the agreement period ends. The research results show that the implementation of the Tabarru contract at PT Sun Life is in accordance with the Fatwa of the National Sharia Council regarding Tabarru contracts for sharia insurance and Sharia Reinsurance. Based on the results of the interview, PT Sun Life stated that the Tabarru Fund return procedure which stops before the agreement period ends must still meet the requirements, where the return is in accordance with the type of product the customer purchased and the return is not in full, but in part after deducting administration fees and policy issuance. , and other costs that have been incurred.

On Epidemiological and Actuarial Analyses of Health Insurance Models for Communicable Diseases

This article examines an SIDRS disease model design for insurance contracts, in which the insured population is exposed to the risks of communicable diseases. For the epidemiological models, the population is structured into four demographic groups, namely: susceptibles (S), infected PHs undergoing treatment (I), infected PHs who are diseased (D), and infected PHs who recovered (R) from the disease, with part of the latter thereafter re-entering the group of susceptibles (S) and continuing with the insurer by paying premiums until he or she is infected again. The infective class is a union of the class of those undergoing treatment, deceased policy holders (PHs), and those who have recovered. The number of deceased PHs is counted as part of the insured population because the number PHs who die of the disease must be accounted for and are entitled to claims. The insurance policies are designed for the members of the susceptible group: the latter constantly face the risk of infection and death due to the disease. The probability of PHs remaining susceptible for the SIDRS disease model is formulated. The probability density function (PDF) and cumulative distribution function (CDFs) for the SIDRS disease model for an insurance policy are obtained. For the actuarial part, we used actuarial techniques and principles to determine the financial obligations of the parties and the insurance amounts for the insurer and PHs. The cumulative insurance reserve for an annuity and a lump sum plan are also considered. To ascertain the risk of insolvency, premium adjustment for the PHs is considered. Some numerical computations of the results arising from our model analyses are also considered in this article. This article has practical applications in health insurance schemes. It is also applicable in the determination of insurance premiums payable by PHs who did not have the disease and insurance claims receivable by those who are hospitalized or die of the disease. Our model can also be practically applicable in the determination of health insurance reserves for communicable diseases.

Birth Weight and Labor Market Outcomes: Findings From Tohoku Medical Megabank Data

ABSTRACTBackgroundEpidemiological and economic literature has revealed that low birth weight (LBW) is related to poor health conditions and a broader range of negative socio‐economic outcomes, including academic achievement, income levels, and working status. However, Japanese evidence for labor outcomes is particularly lacking, as is the question of whether the impact of LBW on adulthood worsens when disasters occur. We aimed to reveal the impact on LBW on labor outcomes during the disaster recovery phase.MethodsWe used a cross‐sectional data set of 4156 national health insurance holders, males aged 40–60 years, from the Miyagi and Iwate prefectures during the earthquake recovery phase. Employing a multinomial probit and logistic model, we estimated the impact of LBW on the employment status, changes in income, and the propensity to face a decline in income with a job change.ResultsThe very low birth weights (VLBWs) have a disadvantage in all labor market outcomes. Compared to the non‐LBWs, the VLBWs were 15.2% less likely to be full‐time/self‐employed and 17.1% more likely to be contingent/temporary/part‐time workers. Moreover, 32.9% are more likely to face a decline in income and approximately 3.7 times more likely to change jobs leading to income decline. The LBWs were likely to face a decline in income by 8.6% and 4.6%, respectively, but no other significant effects were found on other outcomes.ConclusionsThe effects were apparent for the VLBW, but not so much for the LBW. The effects became larger during the disaster recovery phase, even though the regional economies were boosted.

Impact of proton versus photon adjuvant radiotherapy on overall survival in the management of skull base and spinal chordomas: a National Cancer Database analysis.

Chordomas are rare tumors that originate from undifferentiated remnants of the notochord. Currently, there are no established guidelines regarding the choice of adjuvant radiation modality for patients surgically treated for chordomas. Using a nationwide, multicenter database, the authors aimed to compare long-term survival outcomes associated with the use of proton or photon adjuvant therapy for the management of chordomas of skull base and spine. The National Cancer Database (NCDB) was queried for chordoma cases from 2004 to 2017. Patient, tumor, and treatment characteristics were extracted from the database. The primary outcome was overall survival (OS). Kaplan-Meier survival analyses were conducted to investigate differences in outcome on propensity score-matched cohorts of patients treated with proton or photon adjuvant radiotherapy. Of the 3490 patients available, 424 met the inclusion criteria for this study. In the prematching analysis, patients receiving adjuvant photon therapy were significantly older (median age 57.0 vs 45.0 years, p < 0.001) and were more commonly male (61% vs 43%, p < 0.001) compared with those receiving proton therapy. Races were equally distributed among radiotherapy modalities (p = 0.64). Patients with chordomas of the mobile spine or sacrum were less likely to receive proton compared with photon therapy (37% vs 58%). Patients receiving proton therapy were more often represented among private insurance holders (69% vs 52%, p < 0.001) as well as in the highest income quartile (52% vs 40%, p = 0.008). Patients traveled farther to receive proton, as opposed to photon, therapy (median 59.0 vs 34.9 miles, p < 0.001). On postmatching Kaplan-Meier analysis encompassing all chordoma cases, no difference in OS between photon and proton therapy was revealed (HR 0.75, 95% CI 0.39-1.44; p = 0.39). A Kaplan-Meier analysis only including patients with skull base chordomas reached similar results (HR 0.83, 95% CI 0.31-2.22; p = 0.71). In patients with spine chordomas, however, a significant difference was found, as proton therapy exhibited a superior OS over photon therapy (HR 0.28, 95% CI 0.09-0.81; p = 0.012). Based on this nationwide analysis, patients with private insurance and higher income were more likely to receive proton adjuvant radiotherapy, while those with spinal or sacral chordomas were less likely to receive this modality. Despite this disparity, an OS benefit was observed in patients with chordomas of the spine and sacrum who received adjuvant proton therapy, in comparison with a matched cohort of patients treated with photon therapy. Conversely, this advantageous outcome was not evident in cases of chordomas located at the skull base.

MODEL INVESTASI POLIS ASURANSI JIWA BERBONUS TIPE DWIGUNA DENGAN AMERICAN PUT OPTION

Insurance is a form of protection against the concept of risk transfer that may occur from an uncertain event. One type of insurance is life insurance. With the changing times, life insurance launched innovative products, one of which is endowment life insurance. Endowment life insurance is a type of life insurance that provides compensation benefits if the policy holder dies during the coverage period, as well as providing cash value and bonuses if the policy holder is still alive until the end of the period. This study aims to determine the fair price of insurance policies and the price of bonus life insurance policies. Determination of the value of the American put option with the binomial method using a numerical approach, the formulation of the portfolio model includes determining the model of the unit price with Geometric Brownian Motion, solving using Black-Scholes, determining the structure of the bonus life insurance policy with the formulation of a single premium payment, bonus rate, and benefits. then analyze the movement of the price of a reasonable bonus life insurance policy with a surrender option based on the age of the insured, technical rate, participation level, and volatility. The surrender value obtained is the difference between the value of the American Put option and the European Call Option. Based on the simulation, the conclusion of this analysis is that the price of the endowment type life insurance policy can be estimated using the binomial method at around 0.78 for a fair policy price and around 0.27 for a policy price with a surrender option. This gives an idea of the relative value of the policy price to the expected benefits under certain conditions, such as the death of the insured in the first year of the contract.

The impact of behavioral biases on investment decisions: a serial mediation analysis

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to investigate the impact of behavioral biases on investment decisions through a serial mediation of overconfidence and disposition effects.Design/methodology/approachThe authors assess the behavioral biases affecting the investment decisions of life insurance policyholders through the serial mediation of overconfidence and disposition effects using a structured questionnaire. The study included 501 life insurance policyholders who were selected using a snowball sampling technique.FindingsThe results of this study revealed that behavioral biases influence the investment decisions of life insurance policyholders. The results also support the serial mediation model, where behavioral biases influence the investment decisions of life insurance policyholders via overconfidence and disposition effects.Research limitations/implicationsThis study makes a theoretical contribution to the field of behavioral finance by exploring the influences of behavioral biases on investment decisions. It also introduces overconfidence and disposition effects as serial mediators between behavioral biases and investment decisions. The study will be helpful for researchers, academicians and policymakers in the development of a more comprehensive model in the area of behavioral finance and in raising awareness regarding those biases among policyholders in order to improve their investment strategy.Originality/valueThis study has extended the ongoing simple mediation model by integrating overconfidence and disposition effects in a serial mediation model between behavioral biases and investment decisions. The study will contribute to the area of behavioral finance, as it is the first time this particular study has been conducted according to the authors’ knowledge.

A STUDY ON POLICY HOLDERS PREFERENCE TOWARDS LIFE INSURANCE POLICY IN ERODE DISTRICT

Insurance is basically working on the principle of ‘many sharing the loss of a few’. People facing common risks come together and make small contributions to a common fund and it can be called a co-operative venture. Insurance is also an effective risk management tool. The responsibility of taking care of the family, ensuring the security of the family are shifted from the shoulders of an individual to the life insurance companies since it curtails risk and substitutes certainty for uncertainty in human life. Life is a roller coaster ride and is full of twists and turns, one cannot take anything for granted in life. Life insurance policy helps in not only mitigating risk but also provides a financial cushion against adverse financial burdens suffered. A life insurance policy is distinct from other financial instruments because of the risk cover provided. It is one of the basic needs of an individual; every individual for his own sake and for the sake of his family should invest in life insurance. Life insurance provides for risk, life and health cover, investment, savings and tax shelter. This study Aims to findout to identity the Satifaction level of the policy holders in Erode District.

Glycemic Control Impacts the Quality of Bowel Preparation in Patients Undergoing Elective Colonoscopy: A Multicenter Retrospective Cohort Study

Introduction: Diabetes Mellitus has been linked to poor quality of bowel preparation (BP) but the impact of various glycemic control levels remains unclear. The primary objective of this study was to investigate the relationship between the quality of BP and the glycemic control in patients with diabetes. Methods: Data was collected retrospectively to identify adults who underwent elective colonoscopy from March 2020-December 2022. The patient population was subdivided into two groups based on the quality of BP. Univariate and multivariate analyses were used to assess associations between glycemic control, medications, sociodemographic factors, and BP quality. Results: A total of 1458 patients who met the inclusion criteria were included in the final analysis. Of these, 6.3% of patients had suboptimal BP. Non-diabetics, prediabetics, and well-controlled diabetics had lower odds (0.28, 0.20, and 0.32;p&lt;0.001) of having suboptimal BP as compared to poorly controlled diabetics. Insulin users had higher odds (5.39;p&lt;0.01), non-smokers and former smokers had lower odds (0.54, 0.40;p&lt;0.04), and medicare and commercial insurance holders had lower odds (0.49, 0.28;p&lt;0.001) of suboptimal BP. Gender, body mass index, and the use of glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) agonists were not shown to impact the quality of BP. Conclusions: This study shows that poorly controlled and insulin-dependent diabetics have higher rates of suboptimal QBP, leading to missed lesions and increased colon cancer risk. Limited access to healthcare due to low socioeconomic status indirectly contributes to poorly controlled DM and higher rates of suboptimal QBP. Identifying poor preparation risks allows targeted interventions to enhance QBP in high-risk patients. By prioritizing bowel preparation optimization, we can enhance the overall quality of colonoscopy screening, leading to earlier detection of colorectal malignancies, improved patient outcomes, and a reduction in the burden of colorectal cancer.

Judicial Decision Analysis on the Debt Restructuring of Inc. Insurance Jiwasraya (Case Study of Verdict No. 170/Pdt.Sus-Pkpu/2021/Pn Jkt.Pst)

Insurance is one way of anticipating risk. Insurance function is ensures risks. However, sometimes insurance companies fail to pay so they cannot fulfill their ability to pay their debts to the policy owner, as experienced by Inc. Insurance Jiwasraya. This legal research aims to determine the arrangements for payment of insurance companies debts to insurance policy holders in Delaying Debt Payment Obligations.The Method used in this legal research is a normative juridical approach. The technique of data collection is done by library research. From the results of the research conducted, it was found that debt restructuring arrangements are regulated in Article 222-294 of Law No.37 of 2004 concerning Bankruptcy and Suspension of Payment but are not regulated in detail. The settlement through this Suspension of Payment is discussing the peace plan with a debt restructuring pattern, one of which can be done by rescheduling or reconditioning.

A comparative analysis of several multivariate zero-inflated and zero-modified models with applications in insurance

. Given that insurance companies often operate across multiple lines of insurance business, where claim frequencies on different lines are often correlated, it often becomes advantageous to employ multivariate count modeling where dependence between lines of business can be included in the modeling. Due to the operation of bonus-malus systems where there is a reward to the insurance policyholder for not claiming, claims data in automobile insurance often exhibits an excess of common zeros, a characteristic known as multivariate zero-inflation. In this article, we propose two approaches to address this feature. The first approach involves utilizing a multivariate zero-inflated model, where we artificially enhance the probability of common zeros based on standard multivariate count distributions. The second approach applies a multivariate zero-modified model, which separately handles the common zeros and the number of claims incurred in each line given that at least one claim occurs. We present several models under these frameworks, along with detailed inference procedures. In the applications section, we conduct a comprehensive comparative analysis of these models using data from an automobile insurance portfolio.

The integration of big data analytics in examining the effects of mental illness screening on mortality and burden of illness among patients with cancer.

e23083 Background: Cancer patients receiving cancer care in US hospitals undergo notable psychological suffering, characterized by manifestations of multiple psychiatric disorders and a further doubling of healthcare spending each year. The psychological burden of illness (BOI) frequently accompanies the physical obstacles of the disease, hence increasing the intricacy of cancer care. Analysis was conducted on cancer patients admitted to hospitals in the US in 2017 for the treatment of prostate (PC), cancers of the lip, oral cavity, and pharynx (CLOP), lung (LC), and leukemia. The aim was to understand better and compare the differences in mental illness screening (MIS) and its impact on these patients. Methods: We employed generalized linear models to examine the association between MIS and outcomes––BOI, such as cost, total charge, length of stay (LOS), and in-hospital mortality after controlling for clinical and patient variables. Results: Among 224,540 LC, 178,470 patients underwent MIS. This was 151,285 vs. 58,125 among PC; among CLOP, 35,770 vs. 18,495; for leukemia, this was 53,019 vs.18,759. In the adjusted analysis, MIS among the LC cohort was associated with lower length of stay—(coefficient, 0.96, 95% CI, 0.92-0.98), lower total charges, (0.94, 0.92-0.96), and lower mortality (aOR, 0.77, 95% CI, 0.73-0.82). In the LC cohort, when compared to Whites, Blacks (1.11, 1.05-1.17) and Others (Native Americans, Asians, and Others (1.1, 1.02-1.20) had longer LOS. Compared to high-income neighborhoods, low-income neighborhoods showed higher LOS (1.09, 1.03-1.153), and compared to "Central" counties of metro areas of ≥ 1 million population, Not metropolitan or micropolitan counties had a lower LOS (0.86, 0.80-0.92). Private insurance holders had lower total charges than Medicare beneficiaries (0.84, 0.81-0.88). Females, when compared to males, had a lower total charge (0.96, 0.94-0.98), and when compared to Whites, Hispanics (1.35, 1.25-1.45), and Others (1.28, 1.19-1.37) had a higher total-charges. And compared to Whites, Others had a higher in-hospital mortality (aOR, 1.16, 95% CI, 1.03-1.31). Further, the analysis was stratified into surgical and non-surgical cohorts in the LC cohort. Compared to LC, none of the other solid or liquid cancer cohorts, MIS showed no beneficial association with BOI or mortality. Conclusions: The LC cohort showed a positive association between MIS and BOI and in-hospital mortality. To provide holistic treatment for all cancer patients, including MIS as a standard practice is advantageous. This study can offer helpful information for future research on the impacts and implementation of routine mental illness screening among patients with cancer.

Cross-Sectional Study to Evaluate Disparity in Healthcare Access for Patients With a Headache Having Cigna or Medicaid Insurance.

This study aims to study the disparity in Cigna and Medicaid insurance holders, to secure an appointment for a patient with a headache for two days unrelieved by over-the-counter medication. This is a cross-sectional "secret shopper" type study, assessing the three most populated cities in seven stateswith the lowest Medicaid coverage and Internal Medicine specialists within a 10-mile radius, with a minimum rating of 3 stars and a willingness to accept new patients. There was a statistically significant difference in the average waiting period for those with Medicaid and Cigna in the states of Missouri, Nebraska, and Utah, as well as the total average for all seven states. Moreover, there were more healthcare providers who accepted Medicaid rather than Cigna in New Hampshire; whereas in Wyoming, the numbers for Medicaid and Cigna were almost equal. The significant Medicaid-Cigna acceptance rate disparities should be corrected to ensure higher healthcare access.