monday, january 29, 1979
daily nebraskan
page 7
Seminar focuses on national health insurance issue
By Cindy Johnson
National health insurance and its alternatives were dis
cussed Saturday at the third annual seminar sponsored by
the UNL Actuarial Science Club.
Lois Ann Rosen of Chicago, co-chairperson of the
Committee for National Health Insurance in Illinois,
which aided Sen. I'dward Kennedy in drafting the Health
Insurance bill, spoke in favor of national health insurance.
"Health care legislation has been introduced into
several sessions of Congress since its first introduction in
19 16," said Rosen, a former Iowa farm girl.
She said every industrial country in the world
employs health care insurance except the United States
and South Africa.
High costs
Approximately one ninth of a U.S. family's income is
spent on health insurance, she said, adding that she con
siders present costs too high.
"Health care is not readily available to people without
the money to pay the costs," Rosen added. "Therefore,
people needing services may go without."
The bill would cause a substantial reduction in un
necessary medical care, she said.
The health care plan, still in preliminary form, is ex
plained by its advocates as "legislation to cover every
resident of the United States with mandatory health in
surance, with federal financing of coverage for the poor,
unemployed and aged."
The bill would control hospital and physician costs,
and would pay them wages on the basis of prc-negotiated
amounts.
The program would be administered by federal public
authorities, who would contract witli each state to es
tablish state authorities to help implement the insurance
program.
Employers would pay a premium related to total
wages. According to the program, employers paying high
wages would pay more for health insurance than
employers paying low wages, although the base rate would
be the same. The self-employed would purchase coverage
at group rates through a certified issuer.
Risk pricing would not be a factor in issuers compet
ing for enrollecs. Insurance companies would not be
penalized for taking people with higher risks.
Rosen added that the overspending involved in the pre
sent health care system is a major concern to health care
advocates.
"For the money spent, we deserve a better system,"
she said.
Opposition
Robert Froehlke of Washington, D.C., president of the
Health Insurance Association of America is opposed to
the bill.
"If holding down costs of insurance is an objective of
the bill," Froehlke commented, "no federal government
program has ever successfully held down a cost over a
private individual."
According to Froehlke, the purpose of health care legis
lation is to insure that all Americans have adequate health
care at affordable costs.
Froehlke said he believes a plan such as the proposed
Kennedy bill that would displace the private insurance in
dustry and control medicine through tax dollars is not
likely to pass in the 96th Congress. He does, however, see
two alternative possibilities to national health insurance.
Possible alternatives
Froehlke cited a phase of national health insurance.
such as national catastrophic insurance, as a possible plan,
lie also mentioned a broader version of the Kennedy bill
that would move the date to increase taxes to pay for the
insurance into the 9N0's.
Pursuing an alternative to the national health insurance
is the goal of II. Pete Hudson of Indianapolis, president of
the National Association of Insurance Commissioners.
"I see no need for a new government bureaucracy to be
formed. State regulation, in opposition to a government
agency, provides greater accessability and input for in
surance purchasers." he said.
Hudson advises an appropriate structure of health in
surance and cost containment at a state level instead of a
national level.
The alternate plan would mandate availability while
the current plan mandates purchase. The plan would not
limit benefits or catastrophic insurance allowed.
The plan also would include mandatory cost sharing by
the insured, to avoid covering small budgetable health care
expenses.
Other arguments against national health insurance are
that everyone would be included in the plan and would be
forced to pay for it through taxes, whether they chose to
use it or not. Certain religious groups, such as faith
healers, were cited.
According to the plans' opponents, individual's
freedom of choice would be violated.
Also mentioned in a panel discussion was the notion
that the national health insurance would eliminate the
profit incentive in the medical and insurance industries.
Speakers also questioned if the lack of incentive would
decrease the quality of health care.
DUU
tuff
Circle K will meet Mon
day at 7 p.m. in the Ne
braska Union.
Hie I'NL Rodeo Club
will meet Wednesday at 7
p.m. in the Nebraska Fast
Union. They are taking
applications for rodeo
queen, due by Feb. 9. The
execs will meet at 6:30.
Annie Lenney will
exhibit her art. entitled
"Seasonal Landscapes" to
day through Feb. 7 in the
east union Loft. It is spon
sored by the UPC-L Visual
Arts Committee and the Old
Bergan Art Guild.
The UNL Chess Club will
meet today from 3:30 to
5:30 in the union. Room
number will be posted.
The ASA I; business
meeting is today at 6:30
p.m. in the Agriculture
Engineering Building! room
206. Ted Lyon will speak
on employment opportunit
ies at Sperry New Holland.
All persons interviewing
with Sperry New Holland
are asked to attend.
The UNL Finance Club
will have an organizational
meeting Wednesday at 7
p.m. in the union. All full
time students interested in
the finance field are wel
come. Room number will be
posted.
9 a.m. Executive Food
Service-Search Committee,
Svcamore Room.
12:30 p .m. -District V
Extension Awareness,
Golden rod Room.
1 p.m. Ag Communica
tions - Communications
Shortcourse. Sunflower
Room.
4 p. ni. Vice Chancellor
for Research-Tenure, Syca
more Room Review Com
mittee. 7:30 p.m.-University
Program Council-East Films.
Great Plains Room. Com
mittee presents: "Saturday
Night Fever"
UPC East-Annie Lenney
Art Exhibit.
dt's nt
JUST ANOT01H32
The book sales that we're famous for take
on a new dimension all this week as we
feature bcure university press titles,
recent bestsellers, and assorted books
that are simply impossible to categorize
starting at 99 cents each.
Save up to 702 on books all week long.
4 -I
American! iarus
liExgpEss Welcome
T7
Ha
Open 8-5 Monday -Saturoay
CD
CD
The Student Advisory Board
of The UNL College of Business Administration
PRESENTS
The Vice President
of Finance and Corporate
Treasurer of ITandT
fit I " '
di
JOHN P. PFANN
TUESDAY, JANUARY 30
UNION BALLROOM
TIME 1230-130
Topic:"Thc Ill-effects
of Inflation"
VISA' f-
vol
a. i w m vit
1979
1135 R
432-0111
mot