Newspapers / Daily Tar Heel (Chapel … / Sept. 7, 1982, edition 1 / Page 1
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Play it again sun Mostly sunny today, with a high in the lower-80s and a low around 60. Mm Writing test Everyone who took the D77V writing test last week can come by the DTH office in the Carolina Union today to check the results. Copyright The Daily Tar Heel 1932 Volume Cj, issua 4j Tuesday, September 7, 1S32 Chapel Hill, North Carolina NewsSports Arts 962-0245 BusinessAdvertising 962-1163 y w SHS considering plan to reduce bud. get By DAVID M. POOLE Staff Writer' Student Health Service administrators are con sidering a plan that could shave nearly 15 percent of their costs off the $3.5 million SHS budget, said Dr. Judith Cowan, SHS director. Under the plan, SHS would recover costs of inpa tient care, X-rays and other diagnostic, tests which can be claimed under health insurance policies held by a majority of UNC students. "It is an effort to better inter-phase the SHS fee and existing health insurance plans," Cowan said. The third party payment proposal could help hold the line on future student health fee increases, Cowan said. Students currently pay $142 a year for use of SHS facilities, up from $75 in 1978-79, representing a 90 percent increase in five years. Although the recommendation to recover costs through third party insurers was unanimously ap proved by the SHS advisory board in April, several ' kinks must be hammered out before the plan is for mally submitted to Vice-Chancellor of Student Af fairs Donald Boulton in October. covered by some form of health insurance. This is not the case at present. According to a 1981 survey conducted by the of fice of the vice-chancellor of student affairs, roughly 75 percent of UNC students are listed as in sured dependents in their families' insurance policies or own their own policy; 15 percent choose the Blue Cross-Blue Shield policy offered through SHS, leav ing approximately 10 percent uninsured. According to Donald Willhoit, chairman of the SHS advisory board's insurance committee, two solutions to this problem are under consideration. In the first proposal, health insurance would become a precondition of matriculation. New students without health insurance would be given the option of buying the Blue Cross-Blue Shield policy or other policy of their choosing. But mandatory health insurance would be dif ficult to monitor, Willhoit said. "Who's to say that a student won't take out a policy and then let it lapse a month after he enrolled," he said. The plan assumes that all UNC students are The second and more likely solution appears to be requiring students who do not want health in surance to sign a waiver recognizing their liability to pay for services that SHS would normally recover through insurers. For example, if SHS began recovering money for inpatient care, this service would then be considered outside basic free services. Therefore, if an unin sured student required inpatient care, he would be billed as if SHS were a private medical facility. "These students (who did not buy insurance) must recognize that this represents a potential liability," Willhoit said. One risk would be that an uninsured student might run up a high medical bill at SHS, which would be transferred to his student account in Bynum Hall. If the student was unable to pay, he would not be allowed to preregister, and in effect, be expelled for bad health, Willhoit said. Beyond settling the issue of uninsured students, lie further uncertainties about the plan. Last spring Blue Cross-Blue Shield representative R.F. Donnan informed SHS that premiums for an individual student policy would increase from $52.47 to $78.90 per year, effective this fall. This substantial premium hike has led University officials to consider the feasibility of alternative in surance plans. Cost is prohibitive for most students who decline to buy the Blue Cross-Blue Shield protection, according to Willhoit. "If you increase the cost of Blue Cross-Blue Shield, then the number of stu dents without coverage will swell," Willhoit said. "With the premiums going up so, it would make any discussions of premiums incidental." One possibility would be to institute a state funded program similar to the new state employee insurance plan which goes into effect Oct. 1, Willhoit said. Whichever company issues the policies, some assert that third party recovery schemes will not save money. Brad Lamb, faculty adviser to the Student Consumer Action Union, has argued that such plans do not cut medical costs, but merely transfer payments from the SHS fee to insurance premiums. "It's a good idea, but you've got to be aware that you're not saving money," Lamb said. "The whole issue is you're not going to be paying as much out of the pocket, but you're still paying as much, because they (SHS) are not cutting costs." According to SHS's own projections, third party cost recovery, while reducing the SHS fee, will ac tually mean higher health care costs for some students. The in-house projections reveal that third party billing will cause a net reduction of $23.70 in the stu dent health fee. However, increased Blue Cross Blue Shield coverage for the plan would boost premiums $28.96, making a net increase of $5.26 in health costs for 15 percent of the student body. Similarly, required health insurance would more than double health costs for the nearly 2,000 students without insurance. Nevertheless, 75 percent of students would enjoy a decrease in health costs, barring unforeseen premium hikes by their insurance companies, Willhoit said. Cowan stressed that the third party billing pro posal was still in its formative stage and that no decisions will be made until the SHS advisory board meets. No date has been set, but the final proposal must go to the office of student affairs by late October. September i Sickle Cell Month in N.C. By IVY HILLIARD Staff Writer September has been proclaimed Sickle Cell Month in North Carolina by Gov. Jim Hunt During this month, efforts will be made to inform thepublic about the much misunderstood disease, including its symptoms, methods of detection and treatment. . Sickle cell anemia is a hereditary genetic disorder that affects 10 percent of the black population. While there is no known cure for the disease, treatment is available to help victims lead more productive lives. George Cherry, manager of the Department of Human Resources' Sickle Cell Program, said the focus of the month would be on education and testing. "Our program will focus on education and testing for sickle cell anemia on a voluntary basis at the local level," Cherry said. "There will also be assistance in areas such as counseling, financial assistance and medical treatment." The state currently offers free tests at local health departments and sickle cell centers for people who suspect they have the disease or carry the sickle cell trait. One such program is located at North Carolina Memorial Hospital in Chapel Hill. The sickle cell program and clinic at NCMH was begun in November of 1981 by Dr. Eugene Orringer, an associate professor of medicine, and Dr. Lee Berkowitz, an instructor in the Department of Medicine. Orringer currently is conducting research in Paris to aid in the treatment of sickle cell. He has been investigating how red blood cells behave when they lose oxygen by measuring their pliability and how different substances affect these sickle cells and their rigidity. "We have a clinic that meets once a week for both adults and children: a comprehensive team including two adult hematologists, a pediatric hematologist and a social worker, as well as available sub specialists for specific problems that may arise," Berkowitz said. Although sickle cell anemia primarily affects the black population, it may also attack people of Mediterranean, East Indian, American Indian, Mex ican and Caucasian descent. The idea that sickle cell is merely a black disease is one of the major miscon ceptions about the disease. "Some of those who come into the clinic believe that they can catch sickle cell from others or that they will die when they are 20 years old," Berkowitz ex plained. While normal red blood cells are disc-shaped, red blood cells in a sickle cell victim are shaped like a farmer's sickle. These hardened and misshapen cells do not carry enough oxygen, and when they block blood vessels, a painful attack known as a crisis often results. The pain of a crisis strikes in those areas of the body that oxygen is unable to reach. Generally these areas are extremities such as the head, hands or legs. . Symptoms of the disease include physical weak ness, headaches, nausea and pain in the muscles and joints. Untreated, sickle cell anemia may lead to chronic health problems such as kidney disease, blindness, convulsions, paralysis or speech loss. Sickle cell anemia develops when a child inherits one sickle cell gene from each parent. A person with only one gene carries the trait and could pass it on to his children. A child whose parents both exhibit the trait, has a one-in-four chance of developing sickle cell, a 50-50 chance of carrying the trait and only a one-in-four chance of having normal hemoglobin, Cherry said. "It is ironic that we understand so much about how it occurs, but that hasn't led to an effective cure. We (NCMH) just finished evaluating a new drug, called cetiedil, to help patients in crisis. These evaluations were compiled over two years, but a deci sion on its effectiveness has not been reached," Berkowitz said. See SICKLE on page 4 (-"mw,..W."Wi 0mmiMim. MWMMfr " aam"jtWt . ''' 11 " ''"'L"11 imiih i il wi hmmmi n mim imiu i iwMMMMUl.wiiini.iiiiMiiiii.uuiii.iiJiilinii u mi n ir,iitiwiiiiiijyJUHimiiww.ii-Lii i u mi ( - t VfjY ifr.-. A vYW -' x: v x -v. y tSi J v IO "ti a S q k - fA .p. r fs? - J .;tz.- rr- V? I .. vVVC- C - ... - - - .- S . . V Ifj I 1 ; if i 4 y - ..s ----- x ?a zt - 111 ':;:x;::: Helping out OTI-iZane Saunders Freshman Marvin Powell, a resident of Connor Dorm, helps a friend move back into Morrison Dorm. It was a familiar story yesterday as many students returned to Chapel Hill after the Labor Day weekend. Theatre 98 PRC serves the University and community with --'drama By MARC ROUTH Staff Writer Mayor Joseph L. Nassif and the town of Chapel Hill have declared Sept. 6-13 Playmakers Repertory Company Week in honor of the resident professional theatre based on the UNC campus. ' Since 1976, Playmakers Repertory Company has served as the professional performing arm of the Department of Dramatic Art. The current performing season begins Sept. 22 with the preview performance of the company's first full-scale musical, Life on the Mississippi. A new management team has been formed to guide the Department of Dramatic Art and Playmakers Repertory Company to a structure which can meet the needs of both the student body and the community. Milly S. Barranger is the new chairperson of the Department of Dramatic Art. She also serves as Pro ducing Director of Playmakers Repertory Company. Her dual role demonstrates the new interlocking of the professional and educational goals of the dramatic art programs. A major change instituted by Barranger and her staff is the creation of "The Incredible Student Pass," which allows students five admissions to the theatre. The pass may be used in any combination of scheduled performances. "The Incredible Student Pass is a major step in making professional theatre more accessible to the students," said George Parides, the theatre's new managing director. "At only $15; the cost of admis sion to see live, professional productions is even less than the cost of.a movie." Parides and Barranger are joined by new staff members Elizabeth Bulluck and Ann Benson, both business managers. Since 1976, Playmakers Reper tory Company has served as the professional performing arm of the Department of Dramatic Art. The current per forming season begins Sepf. 22 with the preview perfor mance of the company's first full-scale musical, Life on the Mississippi. "The new management approach is to involve the theatre with undergraduate and graduate students, as well as the University, on every conceivable level," Parides said. Other changes which will become more apparent during the present school year are a more extensive student performing schedule and a completely student run season in the Laboratory Theatre. Major student productions this season begin with a new English version of Anton Chekhov's Three Sisters, co-authored and directed by Gregory Boyd, the company's associate artistic director. This is followed by Star Crossed Lovers, a new musical produced with a totally undergraduate cast. A Christmas Carol will be presented in December, and The Caucasian Chalk Circle is scheduled as the spring production. The expanded schedule will be supplemented by a season of experimental works produced by the Laboratory Theatre. The complete process, from play selection to set construction, will be overseen by a stu dent advisory board elected by the Department of Dramatic Art students. Students also will appear this season with the com pany. Life on the Mississippi includes graduate students in its cast and future productions may be sup plemented with talented undergraduates. The professional season will continue with A Moon for the Misbegotten, Eugene O'Neill's final play in the Tyrone family saga, and Pygmalion, George Bernard Shaw's classic comedy on which My Fair Lady was based. In February, PRC will present The Greeks, the Royal Shakespeare Company's epic interpretation of the Greek play cycles. "The Greeks is the most daring project ever attemp ted by the company," said company Artistic Director David Rotenburg. "It is one of the most exciting and innovative theatrical experiences of the 20th century and is the kind of event which assures the value of PRC's contribution to the University and to the na tional theatre community." Town clears bike lanes by towing, ticketing By KEITH TAYLOR Staff Writer As 3 p.m. drew closer, some of the cars parked on the north side of Cameron Avenue were moved to the other side of the street; others were driven away. But a few cars remained after 3 pm. And they got $25 tickets for parking in what becomes, at that hour, a bike lane. One student walked up just after Chapel Hill police officer Tim Coffey had placed a ticket on the windshield of her Volkswagen. She just said, "I was late," frowned at the ticket and drove off. Another student took the ticket off his windshield and seemed surprised, saying he did not realize it was after 3 p.m. "What time is it, anyway?" he asked. At the same time, a steady stream of bikers was headed toward Carrboro. One cyclist tried to drive through the narrow space between an illegally parked station wagon and a car that was stopped at the intersection of Cameron Avenue and Ran som Street. She lost her balance and fell into the bike lane, spilling her belongings. Coffey said she probably would not have fallen if the station wagon had not parked in the bike lane. After ticketing the half dozen cars park ed from Kenan to Pittsboro streets in the bike lane, Coffey called for a tow truck. Some people moved their cars before the wrecker could tow them away. One way or another, all the cars in the bike lane were gone by 4:15 p.m. The fines and towing have become almost a daily occurrence on Cameron Avenue, residents of that street and Chapel Hill police officers said. But many policemen and students believe that part of the problem is confusion over which park ing regulations apply to that street and when. The bike lanes on either side of Cameron Avenue run all the way from Pittsboro Street to Merritt Mill Road. Coffey said they were put there to make it safer for cyclists to pedal from Carrboro to class and back. Consequently, it is illegal for cars to be parked on the right side of the- road heading toward Carrboro between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. The same rule applies to the side of the road on which cyclists head towards campus between 7 a.m. and 10 a.m., although Coffey said the problem with parking is not as bad in the mornings. There are signs along both sides of the street to remind motorists of those times. But cars can be towed any time of day if they are parked in front of a fire hydrant, or too close to a driveway or intersection. State law says it is illegal to park within 25 feet of an intersection when the street has a curb and gutter, which applies to Cameron Avenue. Often, such zones are marked with no parking signs or with a yellow line painted on the curb but not always. In some places along Cameron Avenue, there are no signs and the yellow paint has faded badly. Still, drivers are expected to know park ing laws, said Maj. Arnold Gold, uniform patrol commander for the Chapel Hill Police Department. See TOW on page 4
Daily Tar Heel (Chapel Hill, N.C.)
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Sept. 7, 1982, edition 1
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