Price fixing is defined as, “an arrangement in which two firms coordinate their pricing decisions.” (O’Sullivan & Sheffrin, 2003). The price fixing case I chose was regarding Brown and Toland Medical Group. The company is a multi-specialty, for-profit San Francisco-based independent physicians' association (Rauber, 2004).
Brown and Toland Medical Group was charged by the FTC with violating federal antitrust laws by fixing prices and other terms under which it would contract with insurance companies for preferred provider organization (PPO) enrollees. The FTC contends that the company had physicians agree on prices and terms they would enter contracts with heath plans or third-party payers. The company also allegedly told doctors to terminate any pre-existing contracts. Then they asked others to join in their price-fixing agreement. This would raise prices for physician services in their home town San Francisco.
The FTC proposed a consent agreement that bars Brown and Toland from:
• Negotiating with any payer on behalf of any physician.
• Dealing or refusing to deal with any payer based on price or other terms
• Jointly determining price or other terms upon which any physician deals with payers
Another stipulation of the consent agreement is that Brown & Toland to notify the FTC at least 60 days before entering into any arrangement with physicians or contacting any payer, except for those arrangements under which Brown & Toland will be paid a capitated amount, and contains standard recordkeeping provisions to assist the FTC in monitoring the respondent’s compliance(www.
Hester Prynne, the protagonist in the book The Scarlet Letter, has committed the sin of adultery, but learned to use that mistake as a form of strength. Hester’s husband, Roger Chillingworth, sent her to America and was supposed to follow her, but never arrived in Boston. While Hester was waiting on Chillingworth, she had an affair with the town minister, Dimmesdale. As a result, Hester gave birth to a beautiful daughter and was forced to wear the scarlet
Even though many saw the difference in Hester there was still Chillingworth who still wanted his revenge. He becomes obsessed with the punishment of the "A" and does a devilish dance when he realizes the powerful effect it has had on Dimmesdale. (Blake, "Hester's Bewitched Triangle: Within the Spell of the "A") Chillingworth pretends to be a friend to Dimmesdale and becomes his physician. Dimmesdale becomes miserable because he hidden his true identity. Hester, hast thou found peace? Whatever of good capacity there originally was in me, all of God's gifts that were the choicest have become the ministers of spiritual torment. Hester, I am most miserable! ( Hawthorne 208–209) Dimmesdale begins to torment himself with all of his thoughts and tells Hester he wants to be apart of the family they’ve made together.
Guilt and shame haunt all three of the main characters in The Scarlet Letter, but how they each handle their sin will change their lives forever. Hester Prynne’s guilt is publicly exploited. She has to live with her shame for the rest of her life by wearing a scarlet letter on the breast of her gown. Arthur Dimmesdale, on the other hand, is just as guilty of adultery as Hester, but he allows his guilt to remain a secret. Instead of telling the people of his vile sin, the Reverend allows it to eat away at his rotting soul. The shame of what he has done slowly kills him. The last sinner in this guilty trio is Rodger Chillingworth. This evil man not only hides his true identity as Hester’s husband, but also mentally torments Arthur Dimmesdale. The vile physician offers his ‘help’ to the sickly Reverend, but he gives the exact opposite. Chillingworth inflicts daily, mental tortures upon Arthur Dimmesdale for seven long years, and he enjoys it. Hester, Dimmesdale, and Chillingworth are all connected by their sins and shame, but what they do in regards to those sins is what sets them apart from each other.
Fisher, Roger, William Ury, and Bruce Patton. Getting to yes: negotiating agreement without giving in. 2nd ed. New York, N.Y.: Penguin Books, 1991. Print.
It haunts the characters and makes them change whether it be for the worse or for the better. Hester changes for the better. She becomes more strong willed and is willing to accept her sin while Dimmesdale hides his sin and ends up suffering for it. Sachin Vaman Londhe, an Assistant Professor in English, concluded exquisitely the effects on sinning, “It causes pain and suffering and isolates the transgressor. It leads to the deterioration of both mental and physical health. It can also be said that hidden sin and guilt causes more suffering than open guilt” (Londhe 4). This sums up Dimmesdale, he suffered slowly for hiding his guilt and he deteriorated. He left Hester to suffer alone and he was the one to ultimately pay the price. It is stated in The Scarlet Letter “In the view of infinite purity, we are all sinners alike” (Hawthorne 245). Dimmesdale is saying that everyone is a sinner and they are all alike. They spent most of their time blaming Hester when they were sinning as
He fell in love with Hester because of her striking beauty and, he too, wants to keep his identity a secret to his peers. He feels guilty while he sees Hester standing on the scaffold, but he doesn’t stand up there with her. He should have been a man and admitted to the crime like Hester did. After a while, Dimmesdale’s guilt eats away at his health. Dimmesdale becomes ill due to the medical services given by Chillingworth. Chillingworth knows Dimmesdale is Hester’s lover and he will get the revenge he wants. Dimmesdale is oblivious to Chillingworth’s “kindness” and his health declines quickly. One night, Dimmesdale finds himself standing on the scaffold like he was going to shout to the world that he was Hester’s partner. (quote on when he was on the scaffold). This was the time to admit his sin so the guilt would lessen. Hawthorne is showing how weak Dimmesdale is as a person and that Hester doesn’t deserve someone as weak as
Another downfall to HMO coverage is selective-contracting. This is a process where hospitals deny treatment to patients because their...
Hester, although not happy for her act of wickedness, can come to terms with the fact that her life will never be the same. Although difficult to do this at the time, revealing her crime to the public allowed for her to live out the rest of her life with more happiness than she would have without committing a crime. Hester is described as having “a burning blush,” showing her embarrassment and guilt. But, as the story goes on, she is always said to have held her head high. The guilt, once spent, didn’t affect her physically. She now knows people will forever see her as the woman with the Scarlet Letter- but that understanding is what keeps the guilt from infecting her life. On the other hand, Dimmesdale doesn’t admit his sin, which slowly ruins his life. The closest Dimmesdale ever comes to admitting his sin, is in the middle of the night- only in the presence of Hester and Pearl. He climbs the scaffold, and upon seeing Hester and Pearl, invite them to the stage with him. He hold
...Generally, price regulation is most operative in a market with ample natural fences to competition, a few homogenous products, few providers to be monitored, and a single measurable objective. Such circumstances could not be more different than those prevailing in the health care sector.
Hester and Dimmesdale both bear a scarlet letter but the way they handle it is different. Hester’s scarlet letter is a piece of clothing, the “SCARLET LETTER, so fantastically embroidered and illuminated upon her bosom” (Hawthorn 51). Dimmesdale on the other hand, has a scarlet letter carved in his chest. This is revealed when Dimmesdale was giving his revelation, in which “he tore away the ministerial band from before his breast. It was revealed!” (Hawthorn 232). Since the Scarlet Letter on Hester is visible to the public, she was criticized and looked down on. “This women has brought same upon us all, and ought to die” (Hawthorn 49) is said by a female in the market place talking about Hester. She becomes a stronger person through living this hard life. Dimmesdale instead has to live “a life of cowardly and selfish meanness, that added tenfold disgrace and ignominy to his original crime” (Loring 185). He becomes weaker and weaker by time, “neither growing wiser nor stronger, but, day after day, paler and paler, more and more abject” (Loring 186). Their courage is also weak.
In The Scarlet Letter, Hawthorne analyzes Hester, Dimmesdale, and Chillingworth. In the story, Hester is the main character of the story and was called Mistress Prynne (Hawthorne 70). Dimmesdale, in the story was referred to as Reverend Dimmesdale (Hawthorne 90). Chillingworth was originally named, Roger Prynne but later in the story he changed his name to Roger Chillingworth. In the story, Hester committed adultery with Dimmesdale against Chillingworth and in the beginning she got punished and sent to prison and later she got to get out of prison but with the exception of having to wear the letter A on her breast every time she went out in to town.
Price gouging is increasing the price of a product during crisis or disaster. The price is increased due to temporal increase in demand while supply remains constrained. In many jurisdictions, price gauging is widely considered as immoral and is illegal. However, from a market point of view, price gouging is a correct outcome of an efficient market.
The express terms , that parties put down in the contract that is in writing and stated in the contract and cannot be ignored .
Unconscionability has been defined as “the absence of a meaningful choice on the part of one party together with contract terms that are unreasonably favourable to the other party.” Basically, unconsionabiliy is a stronger party enter into a ...
In English Law consideration is one of the three main areas of an enforceable contract. It may be defined as an act, forbearance or promise made by a single party that constitutes the price for which the promise of another, is bought. In simple terms, the basic understanding of consideration may be seen as a ‘give and take’ tactic between two parties.