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Show Rural hospitals face troubles Ronald Peterson Contributing Writer The health insurance industry is endangering the health of rural hospitals by setting limits on how much they are willing to spend on health care. "Small community hospitals are closing at an alarming rate all over the county," said Tom Hanrahan, administrator of McKay-Dee Hospital. Health insurance companies such as Medicare, Medicaid, and Health Maintenance Organizations are paying hospitals less than they used to, according to Jim Alvey, director of public relations at McKay-Dee Hospital. Alvey said that these insurance companies offer hospitals a greater number of patients in return for a smaller price. This effects every health care facility across the nation. Hospitals receive a greater number of patients, but hospitals collect less because they treat more people at a lower costs. "We're living in a time when hospitals collect less than they used to," said Alvey. According to Alvey, rural hospitals can no longer afford the latest technological medical equipment such as CAT scanners or lasers because insurance companies are paying less. A person who gets in a major automobile accident in a small town would have to be flown by helicopter to a large metropolitan hospital. This would lake more life-saving time than if a hospital were in the community. It would also cost the patient more money because helicopter services run anywhere from 51,000 to $2,000," said Alvey. Because of these new insurance company policies, McKay-Dee had to cut 33 positions last month. "McKay-Dee will not turn anyone away if they are not able to pay. For example, the care for an infant in the newborn intensive care unit may run into hundreds of thousands of dollars. There is no way a person without insurance is able to pay for such a large bill. The hospital just writes it off as a loss," said Alvey. (see HOSPITALS on page 6) Signpost-Wednesday, June 1, 1988 Foreign policy discussed Debate-team members Tony Justman, Neil Holland and Jim Summers provided a small Issues Forum audience with information about the two presidential front runners' foreign-policy platforms yesterday during Open Hour. Summers moderated the discussion, and Justman presented Massachusetts Governor Michael Dukakis' views. Holland presented Vice President George Bush's viewpoints. One of the issues discussed was arms control. According to Holland, Bush took responsibility for the placement of specific missiles in Europe, which eventually led to the INF treaty. The vice president is in favor of the START agreement, and for bringing the United States up to parity with the Soviet Union in chemical warfare. Justman said Dukakis is "trying to paint a centrist" attitude about arms control, and that he docs not believe in a build-up for chemical warfare. The governor would like to meet with Gorbachev to work out the problems between the two superpowers. Parking (cont'd from page 2) also proposed giving three warning tickets before issuing a violation to nursery sticker parkers. Wilson also complained that those with children at the school were not given an opportunity to buy A2 stickers at the beginning of the year. She proposed giving these parents the chance to buy such stickers or letting them park in A2 with their nursery stickers. The committee rejected all of Wilson's proposals due, to a large extent, to the lack of complaints about nursery parking from anyone else. Committee member and Student Senator Dan Alsup said from what he had been able to determine, other parents had not experienced the same problems. The committee also said that the director of the school, Carole Haun, was happy with the way parking had been policed at the sehool. The committee emphasized that an effective means for parents to do their assignments is already in place. Parents can obtain an extended parking sticker from the children's school to park in A2 each lime they need to stay longer than 30 minutes. Cassity also assured the committee that those parking in nursery stalls without nursery stickers were promptly ticketed. The committee said, "The problem is not with the system, but with following the system. . . the solution to the problem is lo educate the students to the process currently being used." Since the meeting, Alsup has put together a proposal to place tow-away signs on nursery stalls to further deter those who would park in those stalls without nursery stickers. The proposal also would provide four extended parking stickers to parents at the beginning of each quarter to fulfill assignments. A letter would also be given to each parent explaining the children's school parking system. Airshow (cont'd from page 2) rather than side by side. "Kitfox," from Denney Aerocraft Company in Caldwell, Idaho, is an Ultralight built from a kit Jack Butler from the Salt Lake City area will perform the "Pitts Solo Acrobatic." Col. "Wild Bill" Hunsakcr from Grand Junction, Colorado will be flying a Harvard Canadian military trainer used in World War II. Pat Hawlcy of Salt Lake will be flying the DcHavilland Super Chipmunk, another Canadian military trainer. Kent Mickclson of Ogdcn will be performing a T-28 Solo Acrobatic. The T-28 was used to train pilots for the transition to the F-86 fighter jet during the Korean conflict. Don Novas from Blackfoot, Idaho, will be flying a P-51, the hottest pursuit aircraft during World War II. Rick Sharp from Houston, Texas, will be flying the Fouga Jet There will be ground displays that will include performing aircraft as well as non-performing military aircraft. 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