European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - June 4, 1987, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Thursday june 4, 1987 the stars and stripes Page 9 champs revising payment system prices to be set for Hospital care by diagnosis by Chuck Vinc Washington Bureau Washington champs will launch a pay ment system oct. I for most inpatient Hospital care in the United states that will Cut costs for beneficiaries and save the defense department about $200 million a year. Under the diagnostic related group drug payment system the civilian health and medical program of the uniformed services would pay hospitals a fixed rate for treating beneficiaries with the same diagnosis said a champs official. The fixed Price would be paid to the Hospital re Gard Ltd of the actual Cost of the care they provide the official Laid. The rate is an amount based on the average of what it costs to treat patients in each Diga Nostoc category no matter How Long they stay in  patients Are classified into groups based on age sex 2 lawmakers dump Senate s silverware for homemade kind Washington a two senators push ing for Extension of an import Relief program for specially steel producers have staged their own version of steel dumping using the senic s own silverware As a prop Sens. Howard my Lizenbaum a Ohio and John Heinz r-ps., on tuesday dumped foreign made stainless steel flatware used in Senate Din ing rooms into a symbolic scrap Heap replacing it with american cutlery. The senators pitched the foreign utensils into cardboard Box bearing the words made in Japan Korea  the words were circled and marked with a Diagonal slash. It s symbolic because they foreign steelmaker have been dumping steel in this country for a Long time said Metzenbaum. Well do our own Little dumping exercise Here  the trashed foreign made flatware had be envied in Senate dining rooms for More than a dec Ade. It will be replaced with 100 five piece sets of utensils donated by the specially steel Industry of the United slates and Oneida Ltd House members took similar action last january. "1 want to join Howard. In making shorts rift of this cheap foreign stainless steel said Heinz dumping the foreign made utensils into the Box. They have been forking out subsidies they have been cutting out Competition and Knif ing american workers and they have been spooning out platitudes about How they believe in free and fair Trade but they practice absolutely the  steel is part of a steel Industry Seg ment called specially steel. Specially steel producers Are based primarily in Ohio Pennsylva Nia new York new Jersey Illinois and  make steel for use in aircraft automobiles tools utensils and  Industry is lobbying for an Extension by president Reagan of a four year import Relief program due to expire july 19. The program relics on tariffs or quotas on various  said that if the import program is not extended Many foreign countries will shift their production emphasis to specially steel exports. Metzenbaum chairman of the Senate steel caucus said the group will be working to keep the program in  nation cannot afford 10 operate without a steel Industry Metzenbaum said. The principal diagnosis and discharge status which indicates whether a person has been released been transferred or died in the Hospital. Generally the new payment system will result i lower payments to hospitals for care provided under champs the official said. And when Overall hos Pital charges Are lower the beneficiary s share of those costs is  for each admission to a Hospital under the or system beneficiaries other than Active duty family members mainly retirees and their families would pay a fixed daily amount no matter How expensive the care the official said. Currently they pay 2i percent of the total costs he said. The exact amount of the new fixed rate has t been set yet but it s expected to be around$130." for each admission to the Hospital Active duty fam ily members would continue to pay a one time fee of$25 or the daily fee of $7.50, whichever is greater. The new system encourages hospitals to provide Quality care in an economical Way he Laid. If the Hospital s costs exceed the drug amount it loses Money he said. If the costs Art less than the drug amount the Hospital saves  but champs patients who need a longer Sta because they re ticker than the  won t be sent Home before they re ready the official said. The drug system would make allowances for More serious illnesses he said. The system would not affect certain services Tuch a psychiatric and substance abuse services kidney acquisition costs and heart and liver transplant. Addition ally certain hospitals such at psychiatric Long term can rehabilitation and cancer hospitals would not be affected the official  Tarn a Tecter to Otticia double amputee shows it s easy to get around without real legs Washington up Dave Evans struts when you get involved in something like this he saw air Kipu a a a Wpm on Gacitu Ron no turf Chrtt Rvl a Fml thu int it the Tai Vimr we if Arr a ii Artt Villa vill vial rent around a room so easily people Are shocked when they learn he lost two legs below the Knees while serving with the marines in Vit Nam. Evans thinks the Shock value works Well in i Salvador where he Bas launched a crusade to show hundreds of amputees i Tims of eight years of civil War that they can someday walk again As easily As he does. His trick is to walk into the Hospital Ward and Takeoff bisleg3. Evans 35, a Coal Miner s son from Elkview w. Va.,suffered Bullet wounds to both his legs in a North Viet namese ambush in que son Valley West of Danang in1970. Both had to be amputated below the knee but he recovered so completely that be eventually went to work for a manufacturer of artificial limbs in his native state. I be got to walk Good be says laughing. I be Gotto represent the company s  this month he will make his third visit to Al Salva Dor s hospitals and refugee Camps where he said War veterans Are ill treated and  kids there Are like we were when we got Back from Vietnam he said. They re just lying around and ignored in 1970, Evans spent six miserable months recovering in a Navy Hospital at a time when the . Gov pm mint came under harsh criticism for not giving first rate treatment to its War wounded. He made his first trip to Al Salvador in 1985 As Parton a group of Vietnam veterans who wanted to get a first hand look at the War in Central America. He re turned last year. Evans said Al Salvador sems like a repeat of Viet Nam a War the United states wants to win without committing the full  it of its military Power meanwhile the  Kereji mounting. One body bag is too Manv and 59,000 is not enough the Tik said citing the number of americans killed in Vietnam. His anti War sentiments which he repealed before congressional committee in Washington three weeks ago got him in hot water with the prosthetic company he  was fired but he says the company was the real loser. After his trips to Al Salvador in 1985 and1986, Evans arranged Lor a Liberal organization to buy $21,000 Worth of the company s artificial limbs an donate them to amputees. He now Hopes to make Simi Lar arrangements with a competitor of the  Money was provided in 1985 by medical Aid to Al Salvador a California based organization oppose to the War that sends humanitarian Aid to the country. Evans has gone to work for the  Are Only 10,000 Hospital Beds for Al Salva Dor s 6 million people a Liny number even for a coun try at peace. Government soldiers Are frequent victims of guerrilla land mines and civilians often come under government air attack or Are caught up in hit and run  injured civilians Are in worse shape Evans said. They can t even go to a  visited Al Salvador s refugee Camps As Well As hospitals on each trip taking measurements for plastic limbs and trying to inspire the More severely crippled amputees to keep up their Hopes. He usually saw a least 30 on any Given  it was precedent setting he said. They never had anyone go out there and do anything like that. Basically they had nothing going for them.1on june 1s, the former Marine Wilt slip on his Cus Tomary pair of Blue jeans for another Mission to Els Alvador s maimed. You know he said with a big Grin i took a Cut inlay to go to work for medical Aid. Am i crazy or what Kentucky s interstate Speed limit going to 65 Frankfort by. A the Speed limit inmost Kentucky interstate highways will increase to 65 Raph next week under an order signed by state transportation Secretary Les Dawson. The Speed limit signs will be changed this week but kept covered until the new limit lakes effect monday Dawson said. Dawson s action came tuesday after an opinion by attorney general David Armstrong that an increase of the Speed limit on Rural sections of interstate Highway Sis required by changes in Federal Law. Armstrong told members of a legislative transportation committee an increase in the limit should not reviewed As a giant free for All on interstate highways. Our quest to save time White driving should no diminish our concern for safety and conservation of Energy Armstrong said adding that the general As Sembly should consider mandatory Seatbelt Laws and other measures to ensure traffic safely. In april a new Federal Highway Law cleared the Way for states to raise the Speed limit to 65 Mph. On inter state outside the corporate limits of Large cities. Previously states risked the loss of Federal Highway funds if Speed limits exceeded 53. 3 medical facilities making appointments easier by the Stan and Stripe patients at the Frankfurt army regional medical Center the Lan Stuhl army regional medical cent Erand the army Hospital in Nuernberg should be Able to schedule appointments More quickly when automated appointment systems Are installed in september. Computers will Lap into available openings in various clinics and can quickly track cancellations and no shows a i 4said la col. John Szurek assistant chief of staff for info corp., he said. Mation management at the 7th medical come. The Cost to buy 20 to 30 terminals for each Hospital and the software and training materials is about $750,000, Szurek said. The terminals will be linked tothe existing computer systems at those hospitals. The army will buy the computers from the digital equip ment corp. And the software from National data the surgeon general s office the . Army an the department of defense health affairs office will fund the  Lack of funds prevented More hospitals from receiving the scheduling system Szurek said. The systems part of Dod s Iri service Effort to improve Access to medical information in military hospitals