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The insurance industry has been marked by exponential growth over the recent decade with more and more individuals and corporations appealing to the long-term security, which this service sector provides. As facts about ethical lapses and outright fraud emerge; however, the refuge that insurance companies were entrusted to provide may not be as embracing as first appears. As insurance CEOs and management teams are paraded before cameras into courtrooms, details about payoffs and kickbacks are disseminated, and financial reporting practices are scrutinized by authorities, public trust in this industry wanes. At best, public perception is tentative in light of recent scandals.

The purpose of this paper is to propose a new model of leadership in a volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous (VUCA) context, paying special attention to human resource management.

The paper is conceptual. It presents the challenges of the VUCA environment that from which technically empowered democracy movements around the world have emerged, needing a new leadership model that aligns human resources tools to the new leadership model.

New tools for human resource management are proposed.

The paper links technological changes and leadership skills, providing a novel framework that can provide a basis for further research into the profound nature of leadership. Implications useful for managers and leaders are discussed.

Health care spending in the U.S. continues to outpace inflation and wage growth, which is likely to keep the burden of rising health care costs in the spotlight. As health care costs increase, health insurers face the challenges of providing quality health care at a reasonable cost. Some health care providers and insurers use economic measures such as return on investment to assess the effectiveness of health care. How does one measure the value of health? What are some of the advantages and disadvantages of using economic measures to evaluate health care?

This paper looks health care costs and who pays for them. What portion of health care costs is borne by employers? What portion by employees? Who does or should pay for health care of people who are uninsured? What is the role of insurance? If people do not have health care insurance, does it matter whether the reason they are uninsured is because they cannot afford it or because they choose not to be insured?

Selvam (2002) belives that the number one ethical dilemma in the U.S. is how to address the almost 40 million Americans who lack health care coverage. With rising hospital costs, even the hardest-working and most prudent persons are at risk. Many workers do not have health insurance and even if they are covered, they may not get what they need. What are some of the ethical issues facing patients, health care providers and insurers? What role should government have in assuring that all people receive quality health care?