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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 4, 1992)
Health insurance group proposes coverage retorm plan NEW YORK (AP) — The insur ance industry look a big step toward shaping health-care reform Tlwsday by proposing a sweeping plln for universal coverage that would be fi nanced partly by taxing Americans with generous benefits. The Health Insurance Association of America said the draft proposal approved by its board will “jump start health-care reform.” A cornerstone of the plan is to cut costs and provide a package of “es sential” benefits to all Americans. Those arc goals championed by Presi dent-elect Clinton. Clinton spokesman George Slcphanopoulos said it was a break through for the insurance industry trade group to “come around and say that we need a national health-care system.” ThcasSociation’sproposal reflects insurance-industry thinking long be fore Clinton’s victory, as it became clearer that the nation’s $8(X) billion health-care system was out of control. The proposal should give insurers a more influential voice in the reform process. Stcphanopoulos said the group has a right to try to influence future legis lation. ‘if there is strong support across the country for national health insur ancc with real cost containment, and that is causing the insurance industry to cooperate with us, we want to work with them.” Private insurers would agree to provide coverage to every American. People would be covered either through thcircmploycrs or “their own means.” The essential-benefits pack age would pay for catastrophic ill ness, as well as primary and preven tive care. Showing they are wiiiing to com promise, insurers would accept people with pre-existing conditions. Such people typically arc rejected for cov crage because they arc considered expensive risks. The plan also includes cost con trols that would discourage excessive doctor visits, as well as unnecessary testing and hospitalizations. Private and public studies indicate that 25 percent to 33 percent of all medical procedures and tests per lormed are unneeded, said Stephen Young, director of the association’s New York office. Some experts contend the United States is a leader in medical technol ogy partly because of the tendency for insurance companies lo pay lor any trcauncnl without regard to cost. For employed Americans who con tinue lo receive generous benefits, anything beyond the value of the es sential benefits package would be taxed as income. “If people want the Cadillac,” Young said, “then they’have to pay extra.” Those tax revenues would help the government foot the bill to cover the poor. Private insurers and health pro viders would give people below the poverty line primary and preventive care. Job wanted Ousted Congress members vie for spots in new Clinton administration WASHINGTON (AP) — Less than a month after losing his re-election bid, Rep. Tom Downey, D-N.Y., was already working on a new government project — helping Bill Clinton’s transition team. Rep. Dennis Eckart was a latcClinton backer, but he pitched in to help Vice President-elect A1 Gore prepare for h i s debate. Sen. W ychc Fow lc r, D-Ga., on the night of his runoff defeat, said his future would include doing whatever he could to help out the new president. This year’s tumultuous national election has created a large talent pool of ex-legislators for President-elect Clinton as he begins to put together the first Democratic executive branch in 12 years. Three Democratic senators and 30 House Democrats lost cither their primary or general election campaigns, and others retired rather than face almost certain defeat. Now, many are making it known they are available for work. Choosing an election loser for a Cabinet post may seem like dredging, but in fact there arc advantages over choosing an incumbent. If Clinton chooses Senate Finance Commit tee Chairman Lloyd Bcntscn for Treasury Sec retary, as he apparently is considering, he might solve one problem but cause others. The Democrats could easily lose that Texas Senate scat to the Republicans in a special election. In addition, Clinton’s key economic programs would have to be sent to a new Finance Committee chairman, probably Sen. Daniel Patrick Moynihan, D-N.Y., who is untested in that job. If Sen. Bill Bradley, D-N.J., moved over to Secretary of State, as has been rumored, his seat could fall to the other party. President Bush, whose cabinet included sev eral former House members including HUD Secretary Jack Kcmpand Labor Secretary Lynn Martin, also plucked a couple of incumbents out of their congressional posts, including Sec retary of Defense Dick Cheney. But Rcpubli canskncw they could hold Cheney’s Wyoming scat. Losing re-election campaign often says little about a lawmaker’s knowledge or talent. Rep. Stephen Solar/., D-N.Y., a recognized expert in foreign affairs whose name often appears on guest lists of the Clinton administration, was sloppy with his House bank account but lost mainly because of rcdistriciing. Downey, chairman ofasubcommittccoflhc powerful House Ways and Means Committee, is considered a sure bet for an administration posL Although he was a late supporter of Clinton, he is a close friend of Gore’s. For the Clinton transition, Downey heads a group that is preparing a report on the Depart mentof Health and Human Services. He has let itbc known hc’dconsidcr deputy dircctorof the Office of Management and Budget. Les AuCoin, D-Ore., a House colleague of Downey’s who narrowly failed to unseat in cumbent Republican Sen. Bob Packwood, has quietly put his name on the market too. Poll finds consumers more hopeful m MCH1 -\jr\n\s / a n\ r> • , .. . - _ * _ _ ' I At tw l \ru J - LA.UIIUIIIIW optimism has begun to outpace pessi mism as substantial numbersof Ameri cans gain hope from falling interest rates and the election of a new presi dent, according loan Associated Press poll. The poll of 1,002 adults Friday through Tuesday found that 47 per cent feel more hopeful,compared with 28 percent less hopeful, since Bill Clinton’s election. Even one in five Republicans feels more hopeful since Clinton won. Overall, 29 percent believe the economy is improving, up from 5 percent in a comparable poll a year ago. The pessimistic share that thinks the economy is getting worse fell to 27 percent from 69 percent. Those from high-income house holds were most likely to be in the 43 percent who said they feel more hope ful because of lower interest rates. The poll was taken by ICR Survey Research Group of Media, Pa., part of consultants, kcsuiis nave a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 3 percentage points. The number intending to spend more money on gifts this Christmas season compared with the last few years has almost doubled to 13 per cent, from 7 percent in a comparable poll a year ago. Those who plan to spend less dropped from 40 percent to 32 per cent. The rest plan to spend about the same amount as in past years. Another change this year is a much stronger tendency of women than men to expect to spend less this holiday season. Optimism about the nation’s economy is lower among women than men. While 37 percent of men believe the economy is improving, only 23 percent of women do. A majority of men, 53 percent, said they expect to have more money in their household next year com pared with this year. But only 44 percent oi women have the same hope. Overall, 48 percent of Americans ex pect their personal finances to im prove, 23 percent expect to have less money. The rest expect little change or don’t know. Economists would tell people that since personal income after inflation has been falling on average around the country, their best hope of having more money is to take advantage of lower interest rates. Lower mortgage rates, for example, spur home sales and free up money for consumers to spend on other goods, helping the whole economy. But more than a third of those polled said the fall in interestrates has no effect on their hopefulness about the economy. Seventeen percent said the lower rates make them less hopeful, a view especially strong among those over age 65 and in the lower-middle in come category. EMamwD Hiring »ppy, hip people for an exciting e, high energy night club, and part-time openings for Little King Corp. operating under bankruptcy rules OMAHA (AP) — The Little King Restaurant Corp. of Omaha is operat ing its 18-stale chain of submarine sandwich shops under thcumbrcllaof a Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing. The company filed for reorganiza tion on Nov. 25 in Phoenix, where Mammoth Resources Inc., Little King’s owner, is located. Robert Cook, an attorney repre senting Little King, said he is confi dent that the company will emerge successfully from bankruptcy court proceedings. “The company has good cash flow and a good product,” he said from - Phoenix. “The surviving company will be able to serve the franchiscs and will have controllable debt.” * Sidney Wertheim of Omaha, Little King’s founder, sold the company to Mammoth Resources Inc. A dispute followed involving a group of busi nessmen, including two former Little King executives who were fired last summer. However, Cook said the Chapter 11 filing had nothing to do with that dispute. He said Little King received notice Nov. 23 from Douglas County Bank & Trust of Omaha that the res taurant company was in default in repaying its major operating loan, Cook said. Dennis Bocsen, bank assistant vice president, declined comment Thurs day. r HAVE YOURSELF A BLUE, BLUES I The Alligator Records Buddy Guy & Junior Wells The Alligator Records Christmas Col lection' ‘Alone A Acoustic* 20th Anniversary Collection’ Plus-Alligator Records Entire line Is Also On Sale Now At Plcklesll! • Koto Taylor "Jump For joy* • Lonnie Brooks 'Satisfaction Guaranteed" • Charlie Musseiwhite "Signature" • Tinsley Ellis Trouble Time" • Katie Webster "No Foolin'!" • Delbert McClInton "Live From Austin"