European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - February 7, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Friday february 7, 1992 the stars and stripes b Page 3 tax deductions included in Bush health care plan Cleveland apr president Bush on thursday unveiled a $100 billion election year package that would help the uninsured buy health insurance by limiting the growth of medicare and medicaid. A my plan will give americans a greater sense of Security a he said. A in these hard times we simply cannot accept the fact that one in seven americans is uninsured. There a a better Way a he said. Bush denounced democratic alternatives As a a prescription for disaster and a backdoor route to an even costlier system of National health insurance. A i done to believe people want to be shovelled into some new. Health care bureaucracy a Bush said in a speech to the greater Cleveland growth association. It was his first Stop in a Cross country swing promoting his health care package. The Centrepiece of Bush a plan is a system of tax credits and deductions to help the poor and Middle income pay for health insurance costs of up to $3,750 per family. However the full credit or voucher that could be paid to a health insurer would go Only to those below the poverty level. Anyone whose employer contributes to their health care insurance would have to subtract that amount from the deduction or credit they claim. When fully phased in the program will Cost about $35 billion a year with the $100 billion Price tag pinned to the first five years officials said. Some 35 million americans representing 13 percent of the population do not have health insurance. The administration acknowledged that even if the presidents plan is adopted some 4.9 million people would remain uninsured. Bush targeted medicaid As a key area for savings saying costs for the program would increase by 38 percent this year. He pledged however a we will not Cut  officials said slowing the rate of government spending on medicaid is expected to save $35 billion to $40 billion Over five years. Bush presented Congress with 38 pages of options for paying for the program. A wide array of competing democratic proposals Are circulating around Capitol Hill and democrats and some Public health officials were Quick to Challenge the presidents plan. House majority Leader Richard a. Gephardt d-mo., said Bush a plan a will put More Money in the pockets of insurance companies and doctors but will do nothing to make health coverage affordable or ensure americans have Access to Quality  a the presidents plan is disgraceful a said or. Joyc c. Lashof president of the american Public health association. She said Bush was putting a band Aid on a system that needs a Radical  Bush lashed out at proposals sponsored by democrats for nationalized health care and so called a play or Kay systems that require employers to either provide health benefits to workers or pay into a system that the government provides. A when you nationalize health care you push costs higher far higher a Bush said. A my plan puts the emphasis on expanding Access while preserving the Choice people now have Over the Type of health care coverage and health care they receive a he said. Among the provisions the plan would a provide tax credits or deductions of up to $1,250 a year for Low and Middle income individuals $2,500 for couples and up to $3,750 for families of three or More for the Purchase of health care. Those eligible could choose Between accepting a credit certificate or taking a tax deduction. Both would be available to people with incomes up to $50,000 for individuals $65,000 for couples and $80,000 for families of three or More. The full tax credit to be transferred As payment to a health insurer would be available Only to those below the poverty level while lesser amounts would go to those with higher incomes. The full deduction $3,750 or family would be available to families earning up to 70,000, with graduated declining amounts offered to those in the income level Between $70,000 and $80,000. A provide tax deductions for self employed persons equal to 100 percent of their monthly health care premiums. An administration document obtained by the associated press estimates that 95 million americans would use the vouchers tax credits and tax deductions. A Cap Federal payments to states for the $59 billion medicaid program. Increases Over this years amount would be tied to population growth plus inflation plus 6 percent next year. Further increases would be capped to inflation plus 5 percent in 1994, plus 4 percent in 1995, plus 3 percent in 1996 and plus 2 percent in 1997. Murder charge or. Jack Kevorkian 63, listens As a grand jury in Pontiac mich., indicts him on two open counts of murder and one count of delivery of a controlled substance. The retired Royal Oak pathologist was charged in the deaths of two women who used his suicide machines to kill themselves last  erred on $40 million in taxpayer refunds Kansas City to. A the irs says it mistakenly told More than 36,000 taxpayers filing electronic returns that they were getting about $40 million in refunds. Many of those people May have already borrowed Money against the refunds. As a result Banks could lose millions of dollars. Janice Lawrence a spokeswoman with the internal Revenue services regional Center in Wichita kan., said the error was caused by a now corrected computer glitch. Computerized returns filed with the Center Jan. 10 to 27 were affected. It Wasny to immediately Clear How Many states the returns came from but the Kansas City Star said thursday that hundreds of taxpayers in Kansas and Missouri were affected. An advantage to filing a computerized return is that the irs can give Quick confirmation by computer of the amount the taxpayer can expect to be refunded. Many people then use that information to borrow from a Bank while they wait for the refund. The irs then sends the refund directly to the Bank. A it appears the Banks Are out $40 million a said Harry Buckley chief executive officer of a amp a blocks tax preparation division. John Galvin a vice president with Bank one corp. Of Columbus Ohio said his Bank would try to recover any Loans it May have made. But he acknowledged that could be difficult. Galvin said the Bank lost some Money last year when the irs made similar errors involving about $3 million. A we were Able to recover some of it from the taxpayer a he  copters in Europe getting Gulf Sand cleanup by the stars and stripes Heidelberg Germany the army $ spending More than $110 million to clean he Sand from 400 Europe based Helicon ers that flew in the persian Gulf War and to aftermath officials said this week. The Europe based aircraft make up 40 it recent of an army wide helicopter clean in Campaign that will Cost $277 million it ver two years said officials at the army a european Headquarters in Heidelberg. The project is designed to literally a shake out the Sand that accumulated in aircraft while flying across the desert said of. Virgil e. Raines commander of the my aviation systems come Europe. Inspections last summer at fort Hood Lexas revealed no immediate safety problems for 10 aircraft that had flown in he Gulf War said col. Gary Johnson of he aviation commands Headquarters in St. Louis. However mechanics filled a 55-gallon drum with Sand from one cd 47 Chinook cargo helicopter that had already been cleaned twice Johnson said in a recent army times Story. The refurbishment began in december in the United states and Early january in Europe. An army release said the Europe based aircraft involved will include a 159 ah-64 Apache attack helicopters. A 160 uh-60 Black Hawk Utility helicopters. A 47 of the Chinook cargo helicopters. A 45 of the new oh-58d Kiowa Warrior observation helicopters which Are equipped with sophisticated optics and electronics. Each aircraft will be out of service up to 31 Days while it undergoes a a super inspection to repair damage and prevent corrosion caused by the Fine Sand of the arabian desert Raines  s Navy Exchange takes Over at Moron a by the stars and stripes naval station Rota Spain a the Navy Exchange at naval station Rota took Over operations last week at mor6n a outside Seville from the army and air Force Exchange service. The change in operations was brought about because the mor6n Exchange a part of the main Exchange at Torrejon a outside Madrid could no longer be supported by cafes according to Navy it. Cmdr. Dave j. Warkentien the Navy Exchange officer at Rota. A with the gradual phasing out of Torrejon and Zaragoza air bases cafes could no longer support morons Exchange a Warkentien said. Moron located about 45 Miles Southeast of Seville is approximately 75 Miles Northeast of Rota. A it really just made common sense to offer the Moran base to Navy Exchange. When they brought the proposal to us we looked at it from a us mess standpoint approved of it and then sent the proposal to our Headquarters in new York a Warkentien said. Mor6n sent its approval to cafes Headquarters in Dallas Warkentien said. The Navy shopping facility at mor6n is a combination Exchange and commissary. It serves an american Community of 300 people. Rotas Navy Exchange will be re supplying the Moran outlet every two weeks Warkentien said