The Dallas Post Dallas, PA Wednesday, December 9, 1992 5
AD TO SOMALIA
5 Fo
oy
TI Wu
No quick fix for the health care system
By J.W. JOHNSON
+ The old doctor raised his finger
and stabbed the air with it for
: .emphasis.
+. “Itwould be the worst thing ever
.. to happen to medicine here.”
he “it” referred to is socialized
24 icine.
5; And the doctor who is so
_~adamantly opposed to it knows
_. whereof he speaks. He worked as a
~ doctor in socialized medicine for
more than 17 years.
+ The entire question of health
care, its delivery and how we are
~ going to pay for it, was a chief
__elementin the presidential election,
~,as it was in State elections
. throughout the United States. That
.rincluded Pennsylvania, where Sen.
», Harris Wolfford used the issue last
year to defeat the then thought to
unbeatable former Governor
#nard Thornburgh.
Each time the health care
football is tossed around, someone
favs come in with the big third
17d%vn play that the United States
beought to adopt the health care
rosystem used by our neighbor
1 Canada.
51. My doctor frierid throws up his
‘~hands; “If that is done, then it will
cost much, much more, and
«patients will suffer.” (I saw some of
»what he was talking about when I
~ lived on the Canadian border many
“iyears ago.).
1 Andifyou think that adoption of
i0oCanada's plan is so much
campaign rhetoric, then please
< =ow that a bill doing just that has
gi e than 70 sponsors in the
“+House of Representatives, and Sen.
+ Paul Wellstone from Minnesota has
introduced a similar measure in
Tithe Senate. :
“+ But to be fair, let's outline how
the Canadian system works:
When a Canadian visits his or
Dallas Twp.
‘'ok's new road
of <The Dallas Township
h supervisors unanimously passed
an ordinance accepting Mapleseed
«Drive, the road leading into “The
Maples” subdivision, at their
regular meeting Tuesday,
ember 1
ii In other. business, the
_ supervisors announced that the
_.annual leaf collection is finished
‘and reminded residents that
parking on all township streets
between 2 a.m. and 6 a.m. is
prohibited, to facilitate the
movement of snowplow trucks.
.. The next regular meeting is
< scheduled for Tuesday, December
15, at 7 p.m.
“Parking on Boro
‘streets illegal
“in snow storms
"" In order to facilitate the
» ‘movement of traffic and to combat
“the hazards of snow and ice
‘residents are reminded that
“parking vehicles on streets in
., Dallas Borough during snow or ice
forming storms is prohibited.
“snow and ice must be removed
< from sidewalks and gutters within
five hours after a storm, snow or
"ice forming after 6 p.m. may be
' removed at any time before 10 a.m.
; of the following day.
<1 All residents are reminded that
“throwing snow or ice on roadways
“js a violation of the PA Motor Vehicle
Code.
her doctor, the doctor bills the
government. If the patient visits a
hospital, the hospital pays for this
care out of a lump sum the
government gives it each year; the
patient does not receive a bill.
The literal bottom line here is
that the government pays, in full,
for all health care for every citizen.
The other side of that coin finds
the average Canadian paying 46
percent of his income in taxes,
while the cost of health care there
is growing faster than the country’s
gross national product.
Today the United States has the
costliest health system in the world.
But critics of adopting the
Canadian system say that it would
be enormously more expensive,
while actually reducing the quality
of care.
Critics cite overuse of the system
in Canada, from visiting emergency
rooms with common colds, to
roaming around from doctor to
doctor seeking prescriptions for
drugs. Critics also say patients
suffer under the Canadian system
because hospitals and doctors have
no incentive to provide good service;
in fact, service often is mediocre at
best. Patients must often wait
months for the simplest of
procedures, or for access to the
most basic diagnostic equipment.
The average wait now for a coronary
by-pass operation is one year.
But what about those who argue
that with the United States
government already paying 41
percent of total health care costs,
and heavily subsidizing private
health insurance companies
through tax breaks, we already
have socialized medicine here?
Those who make this argument
point out that it's us the consumer
who is really at fault here. We want
the best for ourselves and our loved
ones, while preserving what we
regard as a right to choose the
who, what and where of care, while
wishing the payment for same to
be someone else's responsibility.
That's why it's so difficult to cut
costs. Patients demand more and
the system tries to oblige. Likewise,
there is no incentive to cut costs
here as better than 90 percent of
hospital costs are either paid by
goverment or third party insurers;
the figure is more than 80 percent
for doctor's bills.
Where does that leave the 35
million persons in this country
who have no health insurance at
all, or the more than 20 million
who face the very real danger of
losing health care coverage, or
those persons who have a
catastrophicillness, and whom the
U.S. Supreme Court now says can
be removed from health insurance
plans by employers?
President-elect Clinton's
proposal to establish a National
Health Board to set ceilings on
Health spending, doesn’t address
the question of how it will enforce
those ceilings; would the board
actually try to determine how many
tests or procedures are necessary
for each patient? The new president
has also suggested that he might
require all persons to join HMO's,
followed by setting limits on what
such organizations could charge.
This would mean, of course, that
health care choices would be
reduced, without a necessarily
corresponding decrease in costs.
The bottom line here is that, like
Pogo, we have met the enemy and
he is us...wanting the best and the
most without being willing to pay
the real cost.
And with that as our illness, no
amount of health care or tinkering
with the system will cure it.
7
Darling Farms & Greenhouses
Large Selection Of
Poinsettias
Fresh & Artificial Wreaths « Fresh Cut Christmas Trees
Potted Trees * Door Swags * Cemetery Logs * Grave Blankets
Large Quantity of Red & White Potatoes
1/2 Mile Off 309 on Hildebrant Rd.
\ 200 Yards North of Dallas Elementary School 3
\
store...
* Playmobil
* Brio
* Science room
* Puppets
x Madeline Doll
% Lauri Puzzles
* Steiff Miniatures
A different kind of toy
* Wooden Kitchen
* Wooden Toys
* Dolls
* Art Supplies
* Ravensburger Games
* Infant Toys
* And Much, Much More
00S
YOY GROUND
Te GorDEN G
Located between Chermak's & Jetaime Nails,
Rts. 6 & 11, Clarks Summit, PA 587-0283
& Puzzles
|
Across from Deemer's. 230 Wyoming Avenue
Kingston, PA 287-0519
Krogulski honored by Boy Scout council
The Northeastern Pennsylvania
Council, Boy Scouts of America,
recently held its annual Scouters
Recognition Dinner at Convention
Hall in Pittston. The dinner serves
as an opportunity to thank many
volunteers of the local council who
bring the Scouting program to the
youth of Lackawanna, Wayne,
Wyoming and Luzerne Counties.
The highlight of the Recognition
Dinner is the presentation of the
Silver Beaver Award to adults who
have provided distinguished serv-
ices to youth within a Scout Coun-
cil. The Silver Beaver Award recog-
nizes an indivdual's service
through scouting as well as com-
Recycled products directory now available
To help consumers of the 90's
buy their way through the holidays
and well into the year 2000, the
Pennsylvania Resources Council
(PRC) is offering a new, easy to use, .
Guide to Recycled Products for
Consumers and Small Business.
The 40-page booklet provides
information on more than 300
products made from recycled
materials, including the
manufacturer's address and phone
number, the amount of recycled
material in the product and what
munity and religious activities. This
year's recipients were: John
Krogulski, William Levis, Louis F.
Milewski, Paul Strunk and An-
drew Tierman.
Jack L. Krogulski, has been a
volunteer in Scouting for over 22
years. Over the years he has served
as Exploring Chairman, Vice Presi-
dent of Finance, Council Commis-
sioner, Council SME Chairman,
Chairman of the Council Golf
Tournament and several other
council committees. PresentlyJack
is the Vice President of Admini-
stration.
In addition he has demonstrated
himself to be a real community
type, and where the product can
be purchased.
Since recycling was mandated
in Pennsylvania, the supply of
recycled material has outweighed
the demand. “For recycling to
succeed, there needs tobe a market
for goods made with recycled
materialand the size and strenghth
of that market is determined by
the consumer,” said Pat Imperato,
PRC Executive Director.
PRC's Guide inclues listings in
five categories: building materials,
leader. An active and participating
member of several other organiza- |
tions, namely the Dallas Kiwanis |
Club, the Wilkes-Barre Chamber
of Commerce, the Masons and St.
Therese’s Church. J
Jack has worked for the Com-
monwealth Telephone Co. for 22
years. Today he is Executive Con-
sultant for Guyette Communica- |
tions, General Manager of Cablina |
Service Co. and owner/operator of
Kay Associates.
He served his country well as a |
Marine in WWII and Koreaand has |
been serving his community well
ever since. Krogulski lives in |
Trucksville. i]
business and school products,
clothing, household and outdoor.
The publication was developed in
response to calls on PRC's toll-free
Environmental Shopping hotline |
1-800-GO-TO-PRC by consumers
nationwide asking for information
about products, Sea
Copies of the booklet are now
available and make a great holiday
gift. To receive yours, send a $6 |
check or money order to PRC, 25 |
West 3rd Street, Media, PA19063
(Includes First class postage).
Library news
Porcelain collection depicts Biblical scenes
By NANCY KOZEMCHAK
The display case at the Back
Mountain Memorial Library is
featuring a collection of fine bisque
porcelain figurines borrowed from
Jean DeSocio of Dallas. These are
Biblical figurines depicting the
happenings from the Bible. Mrs.
DeSocio noticed these figurines in
a shop 10 years ago and bought
one for herselfbecause she thought
they were just beautiful. The first
one she purchased is called
Entrance to Jerusalem. She has
collected others as she comes
across them and adds to her
collection. Ten years ago, only the
large ones were sold; however, in
later years, they have made some
smaller ones. These are Ceramica
Excelsis (Ceramics of the Highest)
and are manufactured in Mexico
by the company Roman. This
company makes 5,000 pieces of
each item and then breaks the
mold.
The series in the library depicts
the life of Christ. The larger figures
depict, ‘The way to Emmaus’; ‘The
Way of the Cross’; “The Sermon on
the Mount’; ‘Journey to Bethlehem’;
‘The Net of Fish’; ‘Jesus and the
Women of Samaria’; and the ‘Holy
Family’. The small figurines
include, Walking on Water; Loaves
and Fishes; Baptism of Jesus;
Resurrection; Simon helping
Jesus; Nicodemus; Jesus at the
Temple; Jesus, Mary and Martha;
Christ before Pilate; and Raising of
Jarius daughter. This display
makes a beautiful introduction to
the coming Christmas Season; and
itwill be at the library untildanuary
6. Helping with the set-up of this
display was Mr. Ralph DeSocio,
guardian and clerk of the collection.
The Book Club membership for
1992 totaled 227 members with a
total of membership dues
amounting to $2,070. This money
was used to purchase books for
the Book Club shelf in the library.
These books will be added to ithe
library collection regular shelves
after six months. The dues for 1993
is $10 for a single and $15 for a
“The author explores conventional
double membership, payable
January 1. These books are
reserved for Book Club members
while they are on their special shelf.
Anyone wishing to join the Book
Club may mail their dues to the
library or pay at the information |
desk in the library. Book Club
Christmas Party is December 21 at
1:30 in the reading room at the
libray. All are welcome to attend
and enjoy the festivities.
New books at the library: “The |
American Way of Birth” by Jessica
Mitford is a fresh, provocative, and
fearless book showing us how and
in what circumstances Americans
give birth. At the start, she knew |
no more of the subject, and not
less, than any mother does. Her
experiences of giving birth, she
observes later, shows a certain |
amnesia taking over and all
memory of discomforts is wiped |
out and your determination never,
ever to'do that again fast fades.
and alternative methods of having |
a child.
Rita Bevan
Proprietor
Men's Wear
Classic Clothes for Men
(717) 288-8899
Daily 11-8; Sat. 10-5; Sun. 12-5
evan's
United Penn Plaza
Kingston, PA 18704
With a three-month
membership in General's
Fitness Program, you'll be
giving someone you care
about more than a happy,
healthy start on the
New Year.
You'll be giving him or her a
professionally-supervised program
of exercise that’s specifically
devised to meet their individual
needs and goals.
This personal Fitness Program
may include the use of General's
stair climbing simulators, cross
country ski simulators, treadmills,
upper body exercise devices and
strengthening equipment. And all
of it is conveniently located at
The Thomas P. Saxton Medical
Pavilion in Edwardsville.
Give someone you love three
Gift Memberships.
3 month membership
regularly $175
now $140!
Offer Expires December 24, 1992
oi
stationary bicycles, rowing machines,
months of fitness for Christmas. Call
now and arrange for your Christmas
gn?
wk
———
Fitness Program
283-4550
Wilkes-Barre General Hospital's
The Thomas P. Saxton Medical Pavilion
468 Northampton Street, Edwardsville
A division of Wyoming Valley Health Care System, Inc.
YOU LOVE
3MONTHS OF
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Healthcare redefined for the 21st Century.
WILKES-BARRE
GENERAL HOSPITAL
Member of Voluntary Hospitals of America, Inc.a
VHA.