European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - June 16, 1987, Darmstadt, Hesse                                To your health it Gen Quinn a Becker plans to improve outpatient care stories by Janet d Agostino medical writers soldiers and their Lam Hes living in Europe can receive treatment Tor serious illness of injury easier Ihan for a minor medical problem the army s top doctor said i do believe thai our major problem is Access to pulp client Caro it Gen. Quinn h. Becker the army surgeon general said in a speech to the Frankfurt subchapter of the association of the us army people have a great Deal of trouble gelling into our institutions for that kind of care. If you Are very sick and terribly Hurt and you re lying dowry prone on a Stretcher you get taken care of pretty  Becker described iwo plans on the medical drawing Board Hal could improve the limited Access to outpatient care one plan would allow military families to gel free care in German emergency rooms when military clinics Are closed and military hospitals Are car away not Only would the program be Cost Leo to patients in would be ree of paper work also said Backer who recently visited military titular and medical facilities in Germany. The army would pay the medical Lees which Are now shared by military families and the civilian health and medical program of the uniformed services champs. Hosa a. Called the champs demonstration project the plan must be approved a the department of defense and could begin in about seven months Becker said. We Hope it will solve the problem of thin coverage near the smaller clinics he said. The other plan Calls or civilian walk in clinics to be contracted by the army. The new program called primary care for the uniformed services or Primus is proving successful in the United states Active duty or retired service members and their families can walk into the clinics and be treated at no expense and without paper work to the patient. The army Becker said pays $40 Pef person which includes the cos o treatment a rays Laboi Alory less and medications. The parents love it of course he said i would like to bring that concept Over  european Siles under consider lion Are All in Germany the Contr Clois Becker said would have to Able to communicate or hour patients in English " ii the plan is approved for Europe 1 would be two to three years Bolo re the clinics Are opened Becker said Whon Becker was visiting Europe last Yea he said to would work to Eli male the expense military farm ies in Europe Bearil they need emergency health care after army clinics close for the night. A study Becker initiated in t9b5 when he was commander of the 7lh medical come led to recommendations for closing some clinics at night. As a result some clinics scaled Back their Normal duty hours. Becker was concerned thai soldiers and their families were passing by Good civilian hospitals at night Tor us. Clinics staffed by medics. Becker said there would to no major changes in army medical care in Europe in the next Lew years. For the next two or three years i Don t see any culs As Lar As health care to concerned but i Don t Seo much growth either he said it will be a status quo  the army medical budget now before Congress at $1 a billion is 5 percent larger Ihan the previous year he said t suspect they will fan ,1 Little Olf of that he said Page 16 the stars and stripes tuesday Juno 16, 19b7