European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - January 21, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page the stars and stripes thursday january 21.1988 Drivers blamed for problems of acceleration Detroit Dpi a monthly Magazine for car enthusiasts said tuesday ii has concluded Flor a nine month investigation hat a Driver s confusion Between the Brake and Gas pedal is the Only explanation for the thousands of reports of unintended acceleration plaguing numerous car makers. The Only explanation of unintended acceleration thai is both technologically feasible and consist Cut with fact is pedal error said John Tomerlin the Highway affairs editor of Road is track Magazine. On rare occasions something happens to distract or confuse the Driver causing him 10 push the accelerator instead of the Brake to Merlin said. In some instances the Driver Falls to recognize his error and continues la push the accelerator in an Effort to Stop whereupon an Accident  Tomerlin said the essential question remain ing after an extensive technological analysis of unintended acceleration is what causes the pedal error the problem of unintended acceleration has mostly plagued German car maker Audi and its 5000 Model. Other car makers have also been associated Witk the problem tic latest being general motors corp. This week pm was asked 10 recall about 700,000 full sized front drive cars for sudden acceleration linked 10 300 accidents 114 injuries and one death. Dan Howell a spokesman for the Center for Auto safety a non profit consumer group that has widely publicized the problem of sudden acceleration reacted to the Magazine s studies by saying they contained blatant inaccuracies. They reported that there were Only 13 Acci Dent reports on Audi in 1982, when in fact pub Lic records show the number was 90, Howell said. Dod health project focuses on dependents retirees by Norm an Blackcap military writer Washington the defense department using California and Hawaii a a Laboratory launched an overhaul of its health insurance system tuesday by contracting with a group of companies to set up a health maintenance organization for military dependents and retirees in those states. The contract could be Worth at least $2.8 billion and possibly 13 billion Over the next five years. Bui if All works As planned that could represent a saving ofj260 million compared with the current system said or. William Mayer the assistant defense Secretary for health affairs. We be striven for Over two years to iry to design away to belter manage our delivery of health rare Mayer added so for us this is a very uni fical  the demonstration project will initially be offered to 845,000 retirees and dependents of Active duty personnel living in California and Hawaii. If successful it could one Day be extended nationwide and affect the delivery of health care to More than 6.2 million people. In return for agreeing to use the doctors and Hospi tals specified by the contractor the retirees and dependents will be offered additional medical services at lower cd the Pentagon said. For example primary care and preventive services such As physical examinations will be available for a 15 office fee. At the same time the defense department expects to save millions by signing a fixed Price contract for the delivery of care rather than continuing to pay whatever Bill Are submitted by private doctors. The program will be voluntary however and dependents and retirees can Slick with the existing so called champs insurance system if they wish. The Pentagon said it had awarded the demonstration contract to the foundation health corp., it management concern and hmm operator based to Sacra mento calif., that was once known As the amen care health corp. Foundation will serve As the prime contractor for the demonstration project. It has Pul together a team of subcontractors to dispense medical care in the two states that includes the foundation health ran subsidiary the partners health plan which ii owned by the Aetna life insurance co. And voluntary hospitals of America and the Queen s health care plan which operates in Hawaii. Foundation and its subcontractors received $26.9 million on tuesday to Start activating the new system. The Pentagon said. Service to Pauels is to begin aug. I with the defense department planning to pay out s240.5 million for the first six month of work. The contract also includes two additional six month option periods which in turn can be followed by three one year option period Mayer added. The program could be expanded to Nevada no Mexico and Arizona during the last three years. All told. Foundation will have about 9,000 physicians and 96 hospitals available to military bin Chi. Claries a California and another five hospitals and roughly 400 physicians available in Hawaii. Champs inc civilian health and medical program of the uniformed services is an insurance plan that covers dependents and retirees when the turn to civilian Medicine for care either because they want to use a private physician or space is not Avail Able in military hospitals. Servicemen and women on Active duty arc Guaran teed treatment in military facilities. Under champs dependents and a Clireen who use private physicians or civilian hospitals must pay $50 or s100 annual deductible plus either 20 percent or 25 percent of their medical Bill. The remainder u then paid by the tax supported champs. The defense department wants to overhaul Cham pus because the system reimburses physicians on a billed charges basis meaning a doctor b under no obligation to hold Hii fees to any maximum limit. According to the Pentagon the cot of operating Champsi has skyrocketed in recent years reaching an estimated $2.3 billion this year. Enrolling in the new system will not change the de pendent or Retiree s right to use a military Hospital if space is available Mayer said. Educators restricted in expelling disabled Washington a tic supreme coun  limited the Power of Public school officials receiving Federal Aid for disabled students to a Sci or suspend emotionally handicapped children for disruptive behaviour. By a 6-2 vote in n Case from san fran Cisco the justices said Federal Law bar supreme court Roundup slate and local officials from unilaterally excluding from the classroom children whose disruptive conduct is caused by their disabilities. But the court said that in emergency cases a dangerous student May be sus Pended from class for up 10 10 Days. Justice William j. Brennan writing for inc court said that even an allegedly dangerous student May not be barred in definitely from school pending the out come of proceedings to determine if the child should be transferred or expelled. We think it Clear. That Congress very much meant to strip schools of the unilateral authority they had traditionally employed to exclude disabled Stu dents particularly emotionally disturbed students from  Brennan said. The Law the education for All Handi capped children act. Is aimed at Assur ing that removal of disabled students could be accomplished Only with the per Mission of the parents or As a last Sciort the courts Brenna said. The court acted in the Case of a Stu Dent identified by the pseudonym Jack Smith now to who had attended the . Giannini school in san Francisco. He was involved in a number of disruptions and on oct. 14, 1980, school officials reduced his educational pro Gram to a half Day schedule without in forming his grandparents the child s  officials then recommended expelling Smith of tar he made sexual com ments to several girls in the school on nov. 14 that  supreme court wednesday upheld a ruling by the 9lh . Circuit court of appeals that said local school officials violated the so called  provision of the Federal Law to Aid Handi capped  Law helps slates fund special Educa Tion programs. In Clum suites must Gua Rantee All handicapped children inc right to a free appropriate Public education. Brennan said the stay put provision places the Burden on school officials 10 prove that a disruptive child should be removed from  he said the 10-Day Cooling off period assures that officials will not be Hamstrung in emergency  those cases in which tic parents of a truly dangerous child adamantly refuse to permit any change in placement the10-Day respite gives school officials an Opportunity to invoke the Aid of the courts Brennan said. In other action the court ruled that Federal judges presiding Over a lawsuit that raises both Haie and Federal Law is sues May Send inc Case to a state court if the Federal issues Are dropped. By a 5-3 vote the justices said Carne Gie Mellon University in Pittsburgh must defend itself in slate court against a suit filed by fired employee. Collector s item up Kola Nellie Coni ully wife of former Texas gov. John b. Connally display a a do being Nurt Towd in Houston to raise Money to help i Ian. Cow ully swim i to airy bled or Boilini item us Stu