European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - September 15, 1995, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 16 letters to the editor Friday september15,1995 thes Cou Steven  Bernard a. 2ovjstosk news and eur Royial european Bdl tar Kett Tyty to Kwh a Imrye mane now editor sport editor \ cry editor to write us unit 394301 Apo a 0921 1w i orpostfach111437 64278 of Ronstadt Garmany news Tel fax 06 155-601 41 6 to Call us dial 06155-601 plus Extension or Dan 348-8 Piu Extension a follows news ext. 237, 255, 282, 226, 325, sports ext 22s, 289, 2$3, 332, 321. 221. Features ext. 230, 245, 341., letters to editor ext. 208, 400. Business news news bureaus Bamberg Germany Ron jew room 424, Bidd 7089, Warner Barracks unit 27s33, to h3&2&, Apo a 09139 tet Fennone cuban 0951-38898.heidelberg Germany Effie Sasin room 117, is Norstr. 104, 691 18 Heide Jwo Telephone Jusn 370 701 0 or civilian 06221 -23421 Tel fax q622mos54. Kaisers Mautern German Kevin Dougherty and Doyle Tiliman. 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Turkey Izmir Cvitan 0090-232-388 71 53, to tax 0090-232 3693152. United kingdom Cirencester civilian 0285-713h837. Osn247-m45, advertising display Germany 06155-601252 or601309, 346 b252.class thed Germany 06155-601349. Dan 348-8349. Advertising Tel fax 06155-601412 " please Recycle this newspapers an authorized not final for Menie Erso Irie Milliar scr pcs overseas. Contents of the stars and St Pas do not  reflect the official Daws of. Or Eriar semen by. The . Yovor Ranem. The de part Eai of Defesa or the . Europ Ian command. Tie appearance 0 att Erst sea in this pubic abort. Including inserts or supplements does not cens mule in Torfe ment by the depart Neni erf o9i"er.� or  s ars and Snipes of me a Fouda or services adv rated. Doubts about Mission recently there was a feedback Section concerning overseas troops. You asked whether people think we still need troops overseas. I noticed that out of nine  ple eight were stationed in Germany Andone in England. Why did t you ask someone on a hardship tour like Korea or like me to our readers. I m of the mfg multinational Force and observers in Sinai Egypt. I la be Here for one year without my family and paying $300 phone Bills in order to keep in touch with them everyone you asked was Able to take his family with him therefore his or her lifestyle has no changed a whole lot. With Niy family in Trie states and me Over Here in Egypt my lifestyle has changed a lot. I think we have enough trouble at Home to be worried about countries Over seas even though we heed to keep Good relations with our allies As a member of the mfg my Mission is to keep the peace Between Egypt and Israel. Why does America have to be the big brother to everyone i As an american value our allies but what is the purpose of this Mission let us know what you think we encourage our readers especially those who have never submitted a letter to write to us. Letters expressing readers View Points or opinions Are published daily on this Page. All letters must be signed and include address and Telephone number ". Send to letters to the editor the stars and stripes unit 29480, Apo a 09211. Of fax country code 49 06155 601-395, Dan 348-8395. We Reserve the right to edit letters for clarity length and taste. Rock revelations i was a bit dismayed with your article on Gibraltar going ape Over the Rock if something would happen and we needed troops sent somewhere we could deploy troops and be anywhere in the world in 4 8 hours or less. That s Quick enough to protect our interests. Spec. Michael Huainan Sinai Egypt first the corrections the Pound Ster Ling is the preferred form of currency.. Dollars Are accepted at an unfavourable rate in most shops and pubs although you May change them at a Cambio at a better rate. Gibraltar s currency is the Gibraltar pounds which has the same value As the British Pound on the Roc but is worthless out of the Colony. The pubs stay open quite a bit past 11 30 ., and the gun shown was installed in1956 for the Suez canal crisis it would have been Nice to mention that there is a . Liaison officer in Gibraltar the . Naval Liaison officer attached to the British forces in Gibraltar who acts for the american embassy in London. He is Happy to assist Ameri cans especially service members and their families. The Royal Gibraltar police Bor Der authorities and military police Are Able to Contact him for visiting Ameri cans. Many of the taxi Drivers also can help get in touch with the Sunlo if asked. A.  cmdr. Mike Dodge Ince s farm Gibraltar military update to care not Many be arcs ago military people could brag to civilian co worker about free health care their families received at service clinics and hospitals. Times have changed. Today Many Mil itar families Active duty and Retiree covet what Federal civilians now take for granted guaranteed affordable health care through the Federal employees health Benefit program. With Access to military health care More tenuous than Ever particularly for older retirees it s time to offer military people enrolment in the health Benefi program said rep. John Mica r-fla.,chairman of House civil service subcommittee. A 1-, Mica got the Ball rolling tues Day with a hearing on the pros and cons of opening the health Benefit program to6.6 million no Active duty military beneficiaries. Mica favors the move he said because budget cuts base closings and the downsizing of military Medicine Are relegating military families to Sec Ond class status when it comes to health   the Prospect of offering the health Benefit program to military families Drew varied reactions from witnesses. Sylvia Kidd president of the National military family association warmly embrace the idea. Or. Stephen Joseph the Penta gon s health Chiei expressed scepticism. Joseph s office will Complete study on offering the health program As an option by March. He said he already knows that wholesale conversion of Mili tary health care to be hip would be disastrous to readiness and unacceptably expensive for our  Kidd however said military families Are finding it increasingly difficult to get in service care. Yet the system will not let us go. Beneficiaries Are yanked backhand Forth. Like cd Yos. Continuity of care is completely disregarded Kidd said. Most families turn to the civil Ian health and medical program of the uniformed services the Mili tary s health insurance program. Allowable charges under Cham to Philpott pus Are set too Low Kidd said. In some states she said persons on Federal assistance have an easier time getting care than military families because medi Caid s fee schedule is higher than champs s. Beneficiaries 65 or older  for champs so they usually must turn to medicare. That can mean substantially higher out of pocket costs than Federal civilian Retiree pay using the health Benefit program unlike champs Federal civil Lan coverage continues no matter where or How Long retirees live. Under the health Benefit program Eli Gible people chose from a variety of competitive health care plans and  and monthly premiums vary by plan. On average the government pays 72 percent of the Cost and beneficiaries the remainder. Kidd said her organization wants the Pentagon to pick up at least 96 percent of the Benefit program s premiums for Active duty families. Military retirees would pay the same share As civilians. For Reti Rees under age 65, Joseph said health costs could More than double from roughly $800 a year to.$1,700 or More. But Kidd said no one can be sure of that though Mica s subcommittee set out a Welcome mat for military people to join the health Benefit program Only the House National Security and Senate armed services committees can allow military people to leave the current sys tem. So far those committees support re form of military Medicine through Tri Carev a the hearing also made Clear that a shift is far More complicated than offer ing military people a new health care option. Neil Singer an analyst with the congressional budget office said the health Benefit program would add Bil Lions of dollars to the defense budget unless the Pentagon simultaneously scrapped champs and Cut military hospitals and medical personnel by roughly half Down to wartime require ments thus opening the health Benefit  Gram to service members Likely would spark fundamental change in health care delivery to ten of thousands of family members and retirees who now receive care at military facilities. Even More significant Joseph said is the potential Impact on medical Readi Ness. A Sharp drop in hospitals and patients he said would diminish medical staff training and put lives at risk in future conflicts. Mica was a swayed. Access to military care will Only Worsen he predicted after the hearing. The health Benefit program is a Good alternative for service people. Even if we took them All he said we could handle  headers comments and suggestions Are  to military update co editor the stars and stripes unit 29480, Apo a 09211. You5znthim hom5-1tohis Whf Mii-&,no80p/ actually he wants to 5km5ppretty live with upbeat about it notate