European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - February 15, 1987, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Magazine Otis Bowen is the first physician to head tie department of health and human services. Otis Bowen s Victory for catastrophic health care by Larry Lipman Cox news services or Otis h Bowen the phrase Calass Sophic healthcare is not an abstraction he s lived it. The Lisl physician Ever to head the massive department of health end human services Bowen was the Man chosen by president Reagan last year to propose a solution to what Many have called the greatest unmet medical need of our society. His plan to expand medicare and limit the Cost of care to the elderly has drawn Praise from Liberal democrats and older citizens groups and oppose Ion from conservative groups and lha president s economic advisers. But last week in a Victory for Bowen preside t Reagan finally proposed that Congress Giva 30 million elderly americans that last full measure of Security by providing catastrophic health care under social Security. The plan would limit out of pocket Hospital and Dot or expenses to $2,000 a year. It would not cover such expenses As prescription drugs Eye or denial care or Long term nursing Home care. Bowan a Short White haired country doctor with the Black Frame glasses had been popping up at one congressional beating Afler another to dispense his prescription Lor acute care Reform. Lawmakers from both parties eagerly sought to climb aboard he Bowen plan and expand it to cover Long term care such As nursing Homas and Acuto doctor and Hospital care for those under age 65. One subcommittee even trolled out witnesses to testily about the need Lor catastrophic care. Nobody needed of Leli Bowen about the need. In the final Days of his second term As governor of Indiana. Bowen s wife of 41 years lied. Bel b Bowen had suffered from multiple myeloma Bone marrow cancer for 3 i years. The last six months of her life were spent in bed. Her Bones crumbling the pain at times unbearable a physician for Moro than 30 years Bowen was frantic to relieve his Wile s suffering. In a controversial move he provided Hor wifi three federally unapproved drugs the the Active ingredient in marijuana dm50 a pain killer used for Large animals and an experimental French drug used to haal Bones. He fought like crazy to keep his wife alive said Ben Cole a retired Washington Bureau chief for the Indianapolis Star being a medical doctor he probably Felt the frustration even deeper than a  Bowen Alao knows something about Jong term care. His Mother who is 86, has been confined to a nursing Home in Indiana Lor the past �7 months. Observers say the experiences of his wife and Mother have sensitized him to the problems of comprehensive and catastrophic care he s not just someone who is playing with a calculator be some people Saia John Rolter. Legislative affairs director for the american association of retired persons. He knows whal s going on in the real world and he s Able id talk about  at 68, Bowen has the look and Demeanour of a Small town country doctor a description he savors. He also has the resume at a Tough highly successful politician who knows How to play political hardball. For More than two decades he s been a major Force in Indiana politics. After graduating from Indiana University in Bloomington in 1939 and earning his medical degree sunday february 1s, 1987 there. Bowen solved three a cars with Hie army medical corps in the Pacific he resumed irom the War and resumed his medical career in Bremen in Nisi soul i of South Bond in 1952, Marshall county was in need of a Coroner to ran and Wasele cled ii washes first Laslo of pod lies four years later. Bowen ran Success Lily Lor Iho slalom legislature he lost a re election bid in 1958 by tout Voles but won m i960 and remained in the legislature the next \2 years including two years As Iho Republican minority  and live years As speaker of the House. Always his Black medical bag was with him. To ran on a ticket lha i promised common sense and lax cuts but his attention was never far irom Medicine. Under his prodding the Indiana legislature in 1975 enabled medical malpractice reforms thai Are still considered among the nation s Best while governor Owen served annul la Neoushy As chairman of the National governors association the Midwest governors association and the Republican governors association the Only person to hold nil i Roo posts at once he became the first person in this Century to nerve two consecutive terms As Indiana s governor. As his second term Drew o a Coso. Associates urged him to Challenge democratic sen. Birch Bayh in 1980. Preoccupied with his wife s declining health a refused and in 1981 returned to his Atma Maler where he assumed the duties of professor of family Medicine and director of undergraduate family practice education. He remarried Lato in 1981. Shall. He could t stay away from government service. Three presidents picked him to serve on special advisory commissions and he was chairman of Iho advisory Council on social Security my 1982 to 1984. Thai Council s work which included a recommendation Hal medicare eligibility be raised to 67. Laid Nuch of the foundation for Bowen s catastrophic care proposals. Reagan plucked Bowen from the University Aller dispatching former has Secretary Margaret Hewer to Ireland As ambassador. The sprawling Dep Arlmon is the government s largest civilian employer with More than 127,000 employees and a budget of $380 billion 1he world s fourth largest before coming to Washington Bowen Drew up a list of More than two dozen priority items he wanted to tackle but he reduced it to four major areas fighting illegal drug use finding a cure Lor aids promoting the family and improving qualify health care including providing catastrophic to ally care and reducing infant mortality. While he has nol sought the Lime Ghl. His actions have focused attention on him. Two Days alter arriving Al has Bowen clashed Wilh the office of management and budget Over plans to slash spending for medicare aids and the Nal Ronal institutes of health More. Recently his government based catastrophic he ally proposals have put him Al Odds with a Whito House Bent on the privatization of government services. Petose aide says Bowen experienced Somo frustration Over the catastrophic plan because he was shut out Al White House deliberations Bui the aide said Bowen is confident that the president understands and appreciates where he is Corning  Bowen s administrative skiffs have won him Praise Al has and so have his dealings Wilh employees. The Secretary and his wife Rose have hosted numerous receptions Lor has employees including a recent Coffee and Orange juice gathering for the Agency s clerical Stalf a rare event in status conscious Washington. He keeps him sett very Well connected into what everyday people arc thinking about an aide said. A s not officious. He s not if Cabinet Secretary with a capital c and a capital s 1 think Hal gives him a grounding in  since becoming Secretary Bowen i., cords a weekly 60-second House Calls message that is available to radio stations nationwide. One of his sources Lor those messages is a stack of several thousand alphabetized homilies that Bowen collects religiously on file cards. The card Lile is a resource or his speech writers bul despite 35 years in Public Oitice. Bowen has a speaking style that is so Dull he jokes the Only Way 10 slay awake through an ohs Bowen speech is to give  the stars and stripes Page 13