Page 18 The Broncos' Voice September, 1991
(con't from page 4)
Alexandria McMillan
Age: 22
Alexandria is an FSU graduate
who majored in Political
Science/Public Administration.
Her hometown is Jacksonville,
N.C. She graduated from
Southwest High School. She
serves as Assistant Residence
Director for Student Life and was
founder of the ABLE Builds.
Leadership and Excellence
organization. She is a 3rd. year
Orientation Leader. Her goal? are
to pursue a career in student
development. . T '
Yolanda Melvin
Age: 34 ' ■ '
Volanda is a sophomore rfiajoring
in' Elementary Education and
Psychology. Her hometown is
FayetteviJJe, N.C. arid she
graduated from E.E. Smith High
School in 1975. She is a non-
traditional student with 3 teenage
children. She is involved in the
University Choir and Psychology
Club. Her hobbies include
reading and singing. She is a 1st
year Orientation Leader. ' '
Donald Moore
Age; 20
Donald’s hometown is
Wilmington, N.C. and he
graduated from E.A. Laney High
School. He is a junior Speech
Communication major.
Richard Sumpter
Age: 21
Richard is a senior majoring in
Political Science/Public
Administration. His hometown is
Charlotte, N.C. and he graduated
from West Charlotte Senior High
in 1988. His accomplishments
include: Kappa Alpha Psi
president and Dean of Pledges,
Attorney General of the Student
Judicial Board, former Freshmen
class president, former program
director for SGA, NAACP,
SAAP, LEEP, and Resident
Assistant for 2 years. He is a 3rd
year Orientation Leader. His goal
is to become president of a
university.
Claude Wilson
Age: 25
Claude is a junior majoring in
B u s i n e s s
Administration/Economics. He is
a graduate of John Ehret High
School in his hometown of New
.Orleans, LA. He works in the
Veterans Affairs. Office., He is a
veteran of 82nd Airborne
■ - _ \ j.
Division and. a "1st year
Orientation Leader.
'.I - • t
- Division of Student Affairs^
(coh'tfroiii page 9)
.coverage.  j,
Consequences of lack of coverage
; • Every American without
health insurance coverage is an
American tragedy waiting to
happen. In today’s world of
expensive health care, an illness
can' easily lead to medical and
hospital bills that mean financial
ruin for the average family.
According to the Roben
Wood Johnson Foundation,
fifteen million Americans are
denied health care every year
because they cannot pay - either
because they are turned away or
because they do not even seek
care they need, because they
know they cannot afford it.
Health care costs are out of
control
Health care costs in the
United States were $676 billion
in 1990, and continue to rise at
double-digit rates each year. If
costs continue to increase at
current rates, the U.S. will spend
more than one trillion dollars
annually on health care before
the end of the century. In 1965,
total health spending equalled
less than 6 percent. This figure
has grown to 12 percent today.
This explosion in health
care costs threatens to price
health care out of the reach of
the average American family and
burdens American businesses
struggling to compete in world
markets. The United States
spends more per person on
health care than any country in
the world - 40 percent more than
Canada; 90 percent more than
West Germany; and more than
twice as much as Japan. Last
year, the health care costs of
'large American businesses rose
an average of almost 22 percent.
It is no wonder that in 1990, 78
percent of labor disputes centered
ardund health benefits. .• ?
Rising health care.'costs
burden businesses of all sizes.
Business spending for health
services as a percent of corporate
after-tax profits has soared from
14 percent in il965, to 45 percent
in 1980, to over 100 percent in
1989. '
An increasing portion of
family budgets is going to pay
for health care. Between 1980
and 1990, out-of-pocket expenses
rose 157 percent (excluding, the
cost of employe premium
contributions), from $63 billion
to $162 billion.
■ According to a survey
■ conducted by Foster Higgins, an
employee benefit consulting firm,
the average cost of health
coverage jumped from $2,600 per
employee in 1989 to over $3,100
in 1990. Continuing at this rate,
the average health premium will
top $22,000 per worker by the
year 2000.
The health care cost problem has
four parts:
(1) Cost-shifting. Those
who buy health insurance pay too
much because others do not pay
their fair share. The cost of
health care for the insured is 10
to 15 percent higher than it
would be if everyone had
coverage, because the cost of
care for the uninsured is passed
on in the form of higher
premiums and charges to those
who can pay.
(2) Unnecessary care.
Studies by the RAND
Corporation have shown that as
much as 15 to 30 percent of
medical procedures are
unnecessary. Studies of care
under the Medicare program also
show substantial amounts of
unnecessary care. The threat of
malpractice litigation is one
factor that may encourage
providers to,- practice "defensive
medicine" involving unnecessary
tests and procedures.;
(3) Excessive
administrative costs. Small
businesses pay a high price for
health insurance. Administrative
and marketing costs are excessive
for small business. The extra
costs to the system of fbrcing
hospitals and physicians to deal
with 1200 separate insurance
companies with; different forms
and procedures leads to billions
of dollars a year in waste.
(4) Open-ended
reimbursement to providers.
Because market forces in health
care are weak, patients and
insurance companies often pay
whatever providers charge. The
lack of incentives to keep charges
and costs down has contributed to
the explosive growth in health
care expenses.
Special problems of small
business
Small businesses face
severe problems, because the
health insurance system for them
is in a state of collapse. Prices
are much higher, because
insurance companies keep 25
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