European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - May 29, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 10 b the stars and stripes Friday May 29, 1992limit on medical options assailed by Ray Rowden Washington Bureau Washington a Pentagon health care plan encountered rough seas in the Senate because of a provision designed to Force military family members to enrol in future programs or lose Access to military hospitals. Military families May be a locked out of military hospitals under tentative Pentagon plans to diversify health care options offered to service members dependents. The provision is part of the coordinated care plan recently presented to Congress by or. Enrique Mendez jr., the Pentagon Stop health care official. Mendez appeared at a hearing of the manpower panel of the Senate armed services committee to lobby for the Pentagon a $15.3 billion health care budget request for fiscal 1993. Under the coordinated care plan Hospital commanders will have the authority to a clock out family members who do not sign up for local health care programs developed to coordinate use of both local military and civilian facilities. He said it is important to give local commanders flexibility in determining some families might lose Access to military hospitals How to provide health care for military communities. But that proposal met with resistance from sen. John Glenn a Ohio the subcommittee chairman who argued that he prefers giving flexibility to military families. With civilian hospitals being More expensive than military facilities Glenn said a this appears to be a substantial reduction in benefits for those who choose not to  another major goal of the coordinated care plan is to incorporate the results of recently tested alternatives for providing civilian health care and giving Hospital commanders control Over health care contracting in their areas. A primary aim of the various tests is to seek ways to control the rising costs of health care. This years hearing marked the first time in several years that Pentagon offi australian woman wins passive smoking lawsuit Sydney Australia a a woman who claimed 12 years of breathing cigarette smoke at work worsened her asthma and contributed to emphysema has won nearly $50,000 from her employer the new South Wales health department. Anti smoking activists called wednesdays award to Icsel Scholem 64, a landmark decision. They claimed it could open the door to larger claims and Force employers to ban smoking in the workplace. A spokesman for action on smoking and health Stephen Woodward said the four Man District court jury a verdict is the largest in a civil damages claim for passive smoking injury in Australia. The jury decided to award Scholem 85,000 australian dollars $64,430 from her employer the new South Wales health department ruling it was negligent in not protecting her from other Peoples cigarette smoke. The judge reduced the award to 64,361 australian dollars $48,786 after taking into consideration workers compensation payments already made to Scholem plus tax and interest. Scholem a psychologist employed from 1974 until 1986 at the health departments Ryde Community health Center in Sydney claimed that after breathing in tobacco smoke for 12 years her asthma became worse and she was diagnosed As having emphysema. She said it was december 1983 before the department placed any restrictions on smoking by either staff or patients. A Complete ban was not fully enforced at the Center until 1986. Scholem said she Felt a very Happy tremendously relieved and  Law to make sure Man pays through the nose Pekin 111. Apr a Man convicted earlier this month of biting off part of a Many a nose has been arrested for allegedly doing it again. Wayne seelye 24, was charged wednesday in Tazewell county circuit court with aggravated Battery. He was held in lieu of $75,000 Bond said sheriffs capt. William Shelander. Pekin police said seelye knocked 25-year-old Mark Carver to the ground and bit off part of his nose and some Mustache hairs during a fight monday night. The two had been drinking police said. Man held after Frankfurt Banks damaged Frankfurt Germany apr a 66-year-old pensioner used a Power tool to carve up 82 Large Bank windows and four parked cars in Germany a financial capital police said thursday. Damage was estimated at about $600,000. Frankfurt police said the Man was drunk when he used a motorized Stone Cutter to vandalize the two Banks and nearby autos during the night. They said the Man denied causing the damage. He was arrested w Ith 14,000 Marks the equivalent of $8,600, in his Possession but told police he did not know where the Money came from they said. He was being held pending charges. Vials have not had to ask Congress for authority to shift funds within the defense budget to cover shortfalls in the civilian health and medical program of the uniformed services the military a health insurance program for those who go to non military facilities. One of the health care test programs known As the champs Reform initiative seeks to contain costs by expanding the scope of contracting to state or regional Levels. Large health maintenance organizations frequently offer lower rates when a single contract includes thousands of participants. But although the program proved popular with patients Mendez said results of the champs test to be released this summer suggest that savings will be less than expected. A when something looks too Good to be True it sometimes is a said it. Gen. Frank f. Ledford the army surgeon general. Glenn a staunch supporter of champs Reform demanded Cost data to support the military a decision to turn away from the state or regional contracting. Under the test program military families in California and Hawaii have been Able to use regular champs or either of two alternatives offered by contracted health maintenance organizations. Users of regular champs May choose virtually any doctor or Hospital and pay 20 percent of most costs above the annual deductible of $100 per family. Those who chose a health maintenance organization program such As the current champs prime or champs extra plans Are limited to using Only participating doctors and facilities. However their out of pocket expenses Are less. For example the prime program has no annual deductible charge and patients Are charged co payments of $5 to $25 for most services. Champs extra keeps the Standard deductible charge but Lowers the percentage the patient is charged by 5 percent in most instances. Enrolment in the test programs has been voluntary. Doctors at Pekin Hospital said they  reattach the piece of nose but could perform reconstructive surgery in six to eight weeks. On May 11, seelye was sentenced to six months in the county jail and 30 months probation for biting off part of Melvin Davis nose during a fight at a party sept. 27. He was to begin serving the jail sentence next week. Seelye had pleaded guilty to aggravated Battery. Pekin is in Central Illinois about 10 Miles South of Peoria. A amps Joseph Owen one of the parrots living in the Asphalt Jungle or Stuttgart perches in a  of parrots thrives in unlikely new Home Stuttgart Germany a amps a wild parrots habitat usually is South America not South Germany but this Bird thrives in Stuttgart where it was seen recently devouring Leaf buds at Wallace Barracks with two similar Birds. A a in be seen them off and on probably Ever since i got to the courthouse a said James Coley a Stuttgart trial Center court clerk since 1985. Lutz Plasa spokesman for the nearby Wilhelma zoo said Parrot sightings began around that year. Two of the double yellow headed Amazon parrots apparently escaped from private owners and have bred repeatedly As have their offspring. The loud squawking Birds split up in summer but in Winter they Fly As a flock raiding Bird feeders and roosting in commercial buildings warm ventilation ducts Plasa said. Last Winter the flock had grown to 19 parrots. Plasa said similar flocks exist in Munich Cologne and other German cities