European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - July 25, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse                                The stars and stripes Page 11 a negative View of the claims system question what army Agency has More bureaucratic red tape than the Pentagon longer lines than a medical clinic and hands out More excuses than a government spokesperson answer the claims department at your Law Center. I have never been treated in such a rude condescending manner. We All know the extreme care exercised in the handling of our household goods. Well in the unlikely event that one of your possessions was damaged Here s a news Flash for you you might not get reimbursed. Imagine that our television was working perfectly when the mov ers took it but when it arrived in Germany it did t work. First the people at the Legal department accused us of causing the damage through misuse of a trans former. When we convinced them that was t the Case they came to the conclusion that since it was such an old to three years a veritable antique it must have just Given out. You see if there is no external damage to an appliance the army assumes any inter Nal damage was t the mover s fault. By the Way this is stated As a simple fact do not expect any Small expression of sympathy. Now pm sure this internal external damage Rule saves the army a lot of Money each year. Think of your losses As contributions to the nato peace Effort another sacrifice for your country or if you re smart on your next move Send your television and stereo by insured mail. It will save you time headaches and Money. Faye Lindert Erlanger West Germany editor s note capt. Maria c. Fernandez chief of personnel claims . Army claims service Europe replies thank you for the Opportunity to clarify damage claims to personal property shipped at government expense. The military personnel and civilian employee s claims act title 31, United states code Section 3721 governs the payment of claims for damage to household goods. Under this act and its implementing regulations the claimant has the responsibility to substantiate that damage to his or her property was due to improper handling or packing rather than a mechanical defect or fair Wear and tear. In the Case of an item such As a television set the easiest Way to show that a malfunction was caused by Carrier handling is by external damage to the object which demonstrates that it was dropped or mishandled. The presence of external damage creates the inference that the problem was also caused directly or indirectly by the rough handling. For items where no external damage is present an estimate of repair by a qualified firm or individual is required to show that the damage was caused by the Carrier. Damage such As cracked circuit boards can indicate that the Carrier did not properly handle this item. Conversely burned out circuits deteriorated electrical connections or other damage of this Type is considered mechanical damage not caused by the car Rier and is not compensable. Similarly color realignment or adjustment is considered a Normal circumstance of moving and is not considered As damage in shipment. It is important to note that the United states seeks to recover All amounts that it pays claimants from the responsible Carrier up to the limit of the contract. This is Why it is so important to establish that dam age was caused by the Carrier and not from some other source. A Check with the claims office that you visited showed that it was staffed with Long term highly qualified personnel who attempted to assist you in processing your claim. When they Learned that a Sec Ond estimator had opined that the damage to your television set resulted from a defective Power Supply and High voltage Section they offered to compensate you for the first damage estimate and pointed out that such damage was not Likely to have been caused by the Carrier. Yon were also invited to ask for reconsideration of your claim but to Date have declined to take advantage of this administrative process. Claims personnel throughout the european theater try to administer the army claims program in a fair courteous and impartial manner. It is unfortunate that you View your experience with the claims system As negative. Out patient fee of $56 is explained i would like to know Why civilian employees serving on the surface the Flat fee of $56 civilian defens overseas who use . Army medical facilities must department employees must pay every time they use a at m. 11 of j _u.�12.a a�4 m�ix�4 my a Matt Tea am Vav Fenil it 1c re ski pay $56 every time we walk in the door. I pay for and am covered by a health insurance policy but nearly every claim is Only partially reimbursed with the explanation that $56 is in excess of what is customary and reasonable for the service per  would appear that civilians Are subsidizing Usa eur health care for Active duty military and retirees. The Standard response to this is for civilians to use civilian hospitals and doctors. This is not a practical alternative in Italy i have tried it. The attitude at the army Hospital is civilian make plenty of Money you can afford  a family with Young children cannot afford to be regularly ripped off for an essential service. The result could be an avoidance of needed medical care and another Rea son not to extend overseas. Is that the goal of the army medical command Dennis Mielke Vicenza Italy editor s note Julian Barber special assistant military out patient clinic May seem unfair. It is not however a form of subsidization of Usa eur health care for military members or retirees but rather a average of the Cost per outpatient visit of providing care. Military facilities do not have the resources or capabilities of charging a different rate for each outpatient service rendered during a visit the Way it is done in the civilian sector. An outpatient visit is generally defined As caregiver an eligible beneficiary consecutively on a single Day. For the same $56 a person can have a cold treated get a prescription visit multiple specially clinics receive a rays or a cat scan have lab work done be give chemotherapy undergo outpatient surgery or have kid Ney dialysis. Insurance companies should be aware of this use of Flat fee and should not disallow charges for in the Long run the charges will average out for them. Not withstanding it is recognized that the Flat fee can be expensive for individuals without appropriate insurance and with Large families. We understand this situate or. William Mayer assistant Secretary of defense for turn is being reviewed by the office of civilian personnel health affairs replies within the defense department. Dear Ann Landers i would like to respond to the person who said problems Are never solved by suicide. It was a touching letter but the write failed to take into consideration the growing number of old people whose bodies Are waiting and whose minds Are not far behind. We have served our time an dread the awful emotional and financial burdens that our loved ones must assume when we can no longer drag ourselves out offed or think rationally. Tragically there comes a Point of no return when we feel that suicide is right for us but a Stern society will not condone it nor will physicians participate in the supreme act of compassion for a suffering human being. When our pets reach this age we take them to the vet Don t we Why do less for loved ones i am 70 years old not terminally ill but in constant pain and declining rapidly both physically and mentally. My children Are grown and Independent and my wife swell provided for. I have paid my dues to society and contributed All that i can to justify my place in this world. So while i am still Able and rational Why can t i take my own life or ask that it be done for me in the name of humanity l.j.h., in Long Island dear . Suicide is considered by Many religions a serious affront to  american medical association and Many local medical societies have approved of disconnecting life support systems and artificial feeding equipment when the brain Waves Are Flat. But this is not the same a giving a physician the right to kill a patient even if there is severe pain and no Hope for recovery. My heart goes out to you and to others who have Bee Given years they do not want. It is sadder still when one considers the number of people who would give anything for More time. What an irony and i have no answer. Dear Ann Landers you certainly stirred up a Hornet s nest with that column about Rock concerts. A few Days later i read a item by the Scripps Howard news service that gave Strong support to the theory that Rock music is More damaging than we thought. Here it is a physicist and a Neur biologist recently con ducted an Experiment to test the effects of background sounds on Laboratory  Bird of Fairleigh Dickinson University in Rutherford n.j., and Gervasia Schreckenber of georgian court College in Lakewood n.j., had one group of mice spend eight weeks exposed to the Discor Dant drumbeat of  placed in a Maze says Schreckenber these mice took much longer to find their food. They were wandering off with no sense of direction. The Mic that had spent eight weeks listening to Johann Strauss Waltzes performed  dissected the brains of the mice that had been subjected to eight weeks of Rock music revealed abnormal Neuron structures in the Region associated with learning and  interesting it proves what i have Long suspected. Continual assault on the auditory system can cause brain damage. Ohio Reader dear Reader brain damage from Rock music i doubt it. Disorientation is a More Likely possibility. I also doubt that this study will cause a Stampede of Rock fans Rushing to switch to Strauss Waltzes but i do thank you for the input. Los Angeles times Syndicate columnist Landers welcomes your letters. You can write to her in care of the stars and stripes Apo 09211, . Forces european edition col Jeffrey m. Cook Usa commander editor to chief it col Suzanne l. Phillips Usan Deputy commander editor in chief Marie Kominicki Mert Proctor Deane b. Mcdermott production manager managing editor circulation manager this newspaper is an authorized unofficial publication for members of the military services overseas. Contents of the stars and stripes Are not necessarily the official views of or endorsed by the . Government the department of defense or the . European command. The appearance of advertising in this publication including inserts or supplements does not constitute endorsement by the department of de sense or the stars and stripes of the products or services advertised. Everything advertised in this publication shall be made available for Purchase use or patronage without regard to race color religion sex National origin age marital status physical Handicap political affiliation or any other non Merit actor of the purchaser user or Patron. Military address the stars and stripes Apo 09211. International mail the stars and stripes Postrach 11 14 37, d-6100 Darmstadt 11, Germany. Tel military Darmstadt Airstrip 2376 741 Griesheim civilian 06155 6010 ets 348-5741 or 348-5823. Telex 0419-332. Tel fax 06155-601376. New York office room 401, 252 seventh ave., new York 10001. Tel area code 212 620-3333. News bureaus bit Burn Germany Mark Walsh building 102, room 21oa, Pitburg a Box 2994, Apo 09132 Telephone ets 453-7052 or Pitburg Civ. 06561 5779. Bremerhaven Germany building 103, Carl Schurz Cavern Apo 09069 Telephone ets 348-5741 or civilian 06155-601237. Kaiserslautern Germany Daryl Green Deedee Arrington Doke building 2699, Pulaski Barracks. Apo 09227 Telephone ets 489-6585 or Kaiserslautern Civ. 0631 -52104. Munich Germany Charlie Bowden building 16, b stairwell 2nd floor Mcgraw Cavern. Soured Apo 09407 Telephone ets 440-7320 or Guntert Civ. 089-690-1800. Nurnberg Germany building 21, William o. Darby Cavern Apo 09696 Telephone ets 348-5741 or civilian 06155-601237. Stuttgart Germany Joseph Owen building. 2302, room 223, Patch Barracks Box 171, Apo 09128 Telephone ets 430-8449 or Stutt Gart Civ. 0711 -6877826. Mediterranean j. King Cruger and Alba Bragoli Naples. Italy Asa Box 56, Fpo by 09521 Telephone Auto on 625-1110 ext. 4880 or Naples Civ. 0039-81-7624049. United kingdom Dave Diehl building 436 Cess us Raf Mildenhall Apo 09127 Telephone Auto on 238-2226 or Mildenhall Civ. 0638 512226. Washington . Chuck Vinch William Bartman. Oast a the Pentagon room 2e756. . Box 46095, Washington. . 20050-6095 Tele phone 202-697-6695. Wurzburg Germany Janet Howells Tierney Telephone ets 348 5741 or civilian 06155-601237. Circulation offices Germany Berlin Civ. 8331846, Mil. 6187, ets 332-4412 Bremerhaven Civ. 85168. Mil. 8119, ets 342-8119 Rhein main Frankfurt Civ. 069 692050 or 692565, Mil. 6025 or 7103. Ets 330-6025 or 7103, telex 412712 Kaiserslautern Civ. 57070 or 57079. Mil. Vogel Weh 7100, ets 489 7100 Munich Civ. 6901503 or 6901504, Mil. 6556, ets 440-6556 Nuernberg Civ. 712558, Mil. 7001, ets 460-7001 Stuttgart Civ. 0711-8701496, Mil. 7175. Ets 420-7175. Greece Athens Civ. 9923390. Italy Vicenza Civ. 515358. Spain Madrid Mil. 00341 205-6600 or Civ. 00341 6561465. Turkey Istanbul Civ. 664372, telex 26174 sans to. United kingdom Greenham common Civ. Newbury 0635 44768 Mil. Newbury 0635 46263 ext. 209