European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - June 12, 1987, Darmstadt, Hesse Page 10 tetters the stars and stripes Friday june 12,1987 support urged for medical malpractice Bill once again Congress is considering legislation concerning the military. I am referring to the Bill thai would allow service members to sue for peacetime medical malpractice. The Bill has already cleared the mouse by an Over whelming majority 317-90but according to a recent surs and stripes article is having trouble getting through the Senate armed service committee i would like to urge readers to write to their senators and express their opinion on the Mailer. It is pretty important legislation and t think that we in he Mili tary of it to ourselves to Lell our lawmakers where we stand. I tear we Don t often do that. While i m it i would like to express my opinion on the matter. I m for i. 1 have never been a victim of medical malpractice in the military but i be heard of cases. I Don t look at the malpractice Issue As one that will encourage revenge or help people get Rich rather in i a Good incentive to help ensure the Best medical care possible. As it is presently Quality Assurance and 1c investigations Are All in House safeguards. There s always a danger when people Are expected to police up after themselves. It s human nature to be understanding of one s own mistakes. That goes for individuals and far institutions. I think it would be Good to have an ave nue of recourse that can expose problems for All to see thus ensuring those problems Are corrected and one that also provides sufficient penalties to encourage those involved to try harder to avoid those penalties. As it stands a supreme court decision made j 7years ago denies military members the right to sue for malpractice. It s inc so called feres doctrine. Well it s not the business of the supreme court to make Laws it s supposed to judge the legality of matters. 11 is the legislative Branch of our government Congress that is supposed to make the Laws. They Are getting around to it now and 1 once again urge my fellow Servic members to write and Tell our lawmakers what they think. While i m on the subject what i be just been refer ring to is the system of checks and balances we have Bull into our government. There Are three branches of government legislative Congress executive the president and judicial supreme court. This system is specified in the first three articles of the american Constitution the separation of Power which coincidentally happens 10 be the army s theme this year. By dividing the Powers of government we have a natural system that allows the different branches Tocheck up on each other nol on themselves. If such a system is deemed necessary for our highest and mos trusted government officials Why not for military Medicine according to a recent Oao report 86 percent of patient injuries harm done in a hospitals go unit ported. The system in the a it one of a House Quality Assurance. If this is the Case with the a military Medicine must be similarly suspect. People Are the same All Over and checking up on one s self is just not smart especially when it comes to life and death situations As there Are in Medicine. From the Stan and stripes Story it appears that some senators Are opposed to the because they believe it would be unfair. Ivy say that since military people can t sue because of harm done by a military bus Driver it would t be fair to allow Servi Camembert to sue for medical malpractice. Well when i was a boy my Mother told me Tibai two wrongs Don t make a right. Besides i can Tell when a bus Driver is driving too fast for conditions or is doing something unsafe. I la straighten him her out Quick enough 1 have a Chance there. But Medicine it to specialized i Don t know if they re doing something wrong. It s just not the same. Again i be never been a victim of malpractice and i certainly Hope that 1 never am. I just think that the passing of this Bill will help ensure hat i m nol name withheld puerto Germany claiming of hotel vat could save gis millions millions of dollars Are being lost because United slates personnel do nol claim the value added tax vat of 14 percent olt bowels jag has slated tax Relief May not be granted for hotel Bills of temporary duty toy travellers when services Are contracted with appropriated Why nol representatives of the Minot Els Germany which have Over 60 hotels in its Chain told me they would Grant it to any military personnel who have the. Proper form. Jag Stales tax Relief May be granted to individuals who rent a hotel room for their personal use and pay for the room with their own How Many people know hat Why can t Basic ordering agreements be worked out with major hotel chains to avoid the vat when individuals use the hotels while on . Government Busi Ness the owner of a Mintel in Germany told me their Chain is ready and willing to help the i save some of his Bucks. As a matter of fact this suggestion should earn someone Money. Nin withheld Wiesbaden editor s note we reached two replies to this letter tie tint is from John Altred mar staff offi cer Usa eur Community and family support Agency replies we Welcome to Opportunity to respond to your ques Tion on Villa added to or vat. Right Usa Reuh Ren Latroa 215-4, which a prenup tax fret procure Emit in tie Federal kept bile a Germany auteur to is. Forces member to obtain tax Relief on hotel Bills for personal travel Tut Twa Etc. At far is tax Relief far try is concerned we Are in be process at some changes since Sabeur staff judge advocate of ficus have recently determined that tax Ellef can be offered for official annl appropriate ution is Paw being taken to revise the Reg Union to permit Community vat officers to process tax Relief for official military Tel regarding the establishment of bask ordering Agni Nib for hotel communities Al ready Hare the authority to initiate such actions Chr ugh heir Terr be contracting office. Contract awards Homer Hare la be made on a compete tit basis with Conraid Enthy Jiten to a Comil rates accommodations and of traint. Every hotel Chain not just the one Yon mint Ioard would be inter ested la Inch a contract of the end result would most Likely be an increase in workload and Cost in the is. Government. The Best solution then is the one we Are currently pursuing be changing to regulation to permit lax Ellef for both oth Batand unofficial Towel. Thank Yon for your letter and your concern for in in ring oar living and working foodie Tow in Earpe. 7f i Anil it for a from u. Col. William f. Peal it fat director of moral Wolf ten and of a Safe the payment of hotel costs toy or leave in the Federal Republic of Germany u currently ill theorized using the Safe vat program. The Normal vat procedures where the individual pan the Central a fund Jbf and the Jbf Pali the he Tel apply. The dents Hes Finan amt requires that payment 10 the Vendor must be made by an authorized Agency of the is. Forces rather than the individual because the Force not the member is technically authorized the tax Relief. Because of this technical Jimial it is often difficult far a member to use lit vat pro Gram for hotel Bills As most hotels Are unwilling to allow the member to Check Oul without payment. Agreements Are made with hotels for not contract quarters. The us. Gave Nunt Don not pay vat in these agreements. We know of no restriction on vat Relief for hotel Bills of to v travellers. Owner of stolen Wallet tosses in her sleep its been two weeks now since 1 lost my Wallet. My car was parked on Leighton Barracks in the main Exchange parking lot. I had both of my daughters with me and put my Wallet on the trunk of my car so 1 had both hands free. I bad driven past Burger King before 1 realized that 1 forgot to get my Wallet off of the trunk of my car. Traffic was t heavy so in less than five minutes i was Back in the parking lot. But it was too late. You had already stolen my Wallet. At tint 1 did t think you were dishonest. In fact t figured it was just a matter of Lime before you came knocking at my door or i received a phone rail saying you found my Wallet. You know the 20 marts hat you stole would you believe i had planned on giving that to you As a Reward when you turned it in did you take Lime to look at the pictures in my Izmir reunions planned i m Irr Turq Tiv a Toner in a cams of Vic Henrj pm Watts Tea Farmer mud Turli from us. Letey we it my is is Wei in of 4l 1 Nutak if tax a i on a in few Hubli Punk a Tler. A it pm Chr Tang. Fri Hope u hex a own Rev ought Jettjr up. Farm Stoutm of Una Aro new Mart stfxjohl71 we m up mag 4. In urn Bith Jwj Raizk Rudat we Al la Vagun i. Juty s-12. 1907. Of mrs Metto rant a Naff. W to re Nacri b can Fatwa Hom remt Vitura of Toutt to a Kim by a thing or or Tang i. Fld new How Sefl 63. It telex to 46h or 364 Tav moan Cerar onto. La Faa. A. 99109. Tat you Iri Mhz iks Futon b a indy Tor group Mes for Mort not Mason tit Fojt Ramn and by qum ton Wallet i m married Wilh two children a iwo year old and a two month old. Did you Ever Slop to think what would happen if my husband was in the Field since you have my id card i can t gel onto any military Cavern. Without my License which you also have the German stores Aren l much use o me either. I m thankful i did t need any milk bread or diapers. What if one of my children had been sick you know How the military hospitals Are when you show up without your id card. As for my Check Book Well luckily i keep a separate record of my account balance Here at Home. Hope you weren t foolish enough to try and forge my signature on Hose checks. I stopped payment on them immediately. I m sure All you were interested in was the Money. So Why did t you take the Money and turn the Wallet in without giving your name or throw it in a mail Box i know you would t have my Wallet had i not been so careless but if Sou had an infant a toddler and a Wallet in your hand and had to set one of them Down you d Sel the Wallet Down too. No i guess you would to my family seems to be suffering for my mistake the most. Next week my husband has to use his free time to take me All Over to replace my id card my License social Security card Etc. And yes i la have to drag my children out in this Rainy weather too. I would have signed my name to this but you know who i am. I bet you never thought your greediness would cause so much trouble. I know i la be tossing in my sleep tonight will you name withheld Wuerzburg Germany pen pals i would Khi u Wrt i Popi a 3d vat a do my ixjuh4 it a Tut a exr relm vol Gong id chuch. I a 20 a Wei of. A in a jaw a ate 4 ?0ymr-old pc. Bax a Rno get on. In up twi Puim la rim in your pan pm column. 1 tur i Kkt 10 Tiu px1 my try a 0v4f do or old. My i would to a Cut pen Pila Kwh people cd Coon it. I in 1ft Yutt of my Hoart cock. Pm eng to of Nuoc. Reing. A lining vim a new a. 7 1 we i in mum not Tacl a Ami xxi tuner. Site Sou i Ptim at Raj. La a. No 09120. To me Phona 17czi 435-2917. 4 4k 1 Turvon d4mh c in o a Nili Vail u. U a Plum it 8w 03 Usu Yafuku be 252 pub Tran my Nam in your pan p4j. . I Pill. Kitro hum i3q Gay my. Yet. \ and Hoahng up of our rom Cartr re a a. My Habbu in Artong a Tenn mav4v a Tong out . To. And
