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Show Chronicle -- Page Three Tuesday, February 21, 1989 -- -- Legislature: from page one In addition, the committee recommended a 3 percent, merit-base- d salary increase for faculty and staff. Coupling the raise with the additional funding for benefits, lawmakers are calling this a 5 percent ' salary increase. However, education officials and administrators, who had initially requested a 4.5 percent inflationary-adjuste- d salary increase, disagree with the 5 percent figure. 7 "It's all smoke and "mirrors," said Vicki Varela, spokeswoman for the State Board of Regents. "It looks pretty clear that there won't be any more than a 3 percent increase" for faculty and staff, she said. The regents asked for $9.2 million in new state funds, coupled with $2.2 million in additional tuition revenue, to provide a increase for all faculty and staff. . However, despite the disagreement over figures, Varela did acknowledge a willingness on the part of legislators to fund 100 percent of the benefit cost increases. "We appreciate the fact they are covering those increased costs, but it's still not a 5 percent salary increase," she said. With only today and Wednesday remaining in the 1989 session, legislators seem to have adopted the adage "it's not over 'til it's over" in determining the final budget, as changes and new recommendations come almost hourly. But Varela said she is confident the 3 percent salary increase will emerge unscathed . . cost-of-livi- ng : -- records from page one IHC's eight Wasatch Front hospitals had a combined total patient revenue of $390,638,756 and a total of . $14,113,142 in charity care. While IHCs Wasatch hospitals took in almost four from the next 48 hours of debate. It was also decided in committee Friday that the 3 percent raise would be on a "merit basis." That means not everyone will receive exactly a 3 percent increase, but that some will receive a slightly higher increase based on their individual merit to the institution. Varela said most adjustments will be in the 3 percent range while the chances of someone getting no raise at all are very slight. In other legislative action Monday, the Republican caucus turned down a U. request for $950,000 in e appropriations that would be used to build medical insurance reserves. Peterson said this up was a definite concern, as the reserves have dropped dramatically. According to Barbara Gittins, director of budget times the revenue of the U. Hospital, it provided proportionately less than three times the charitv care. In 1983, the U. Hospital provided $71,000 of uncompensated care for every $1 million earned in patient revenue, while IHC's Wasatch hospitals provided only $42,000 per $1 million of patient revenue. In 1984, the survey shows, the U. Hospital provided $74,000 and IHCs Wasatch hospitals provided only $39,000 for every $1 million earned. During 1985, both organizations' uncompensated care figures dropped slightly with the U. Hospital providing $50,000 in charity care for every $1 million earned while IHC's Wasatch hospitals provided $37,000 for every $1 million earned. In 1986, the U. Hospital again provided $50,000 worth of uncompensated care while IHC's Wasatch hospitals provided only $35,000 of uncompensated care for $1 million earned in patient revenue. one-tim- operations from the commissioner of higher d education's office, the U. is a entity, meaning the U. deposits premiums into an account and then pays all claims from those funds. Although self-insure- Blue Cross Blue Shield is involved, it acts only as an administrator for claims at the U., she explained. Normally the U. maintains reserves sufficient to last three months. However, Gittins said claims have been higher than expected during the current fiscal year, and as a result, the U. has had to dip into its reserves. She said lawmakers are telling the U. to solve the problem themselves. If the U. is unable to boost reserves unilaterally, lawmakers will have to do something next year, Gittins said. Utah Hospital Association figures on care Utah in uncompensated hospitals during 1987 and 1988 were unavailable because the figures were not part of the survey acquired by the Chronicle. The UHA survey divides the hospitals into two groups, Wasatch Front or urban hospitals and rural hospitals. The survey lists each of the hospital's total patient revenue and also the amount of revenue deducted from the hospital's contractual allowances for Medicare and Medicaid, net bad debt charges from indigent patients), charity (non-collectab- from page one approval, disapproval or placing on probation of all ASUU officers. Lund attended six out of seven Assembly meetings with one absence, but arrived late or failed to stay for two meetings. In the Oct. 26 and Nov. 16 meetings Lund was absent for a significant portion of the meetings and failed to vote on half the bills being considered. Volpe, who served as an Assembly delegate for the College of Business, was chairman of the Special Projects Committee that considers all requests exceeding $1,000. , The committee is also responsible for recommending how the Superfund is spent. Volpe also attended six out of the seven scheduled Assembly meetings with one excused absence. Assembly non-excus- charity ed . attendance records show he left one meeting early, thus nullifying his votes. Assembly attendance records from Oct. 5 and 26 and Jan. 25 show he either showed up late or left early from the meeting. The reason Volpe has not sponsored legislation may be due to his responsibility as chairman of the Special Projects Committee, The public access terminals, the International Student Emergency Fund, a day-car- e proposal and funding for the Marriott Library have been brought before the Assembly by the committee. bills also exists among Failing to sponsor or Six delegates Assembly candidates seeking from this year's Assembly hope to make it to another term. While three of the candidates failed to sponsor any legislation, Action :'89's Dave Workman is the-- , only candidate with more than three bills to his or her name. care and other miscellaneous discounts. The deductions of charity care and bad debt were added and then divided by the total patient revenue to produce the bad debtcharity care percentage. Deductions of bad debt and charity care must be combined to achieve a fair comparison because investor-owne- d d and hospitals are not bad debt separately-th- ey list to care and required charity list them both under bad debt deductions. IHC, because of its status, must . list these two deductions separately. "In our minds, we look at both bad debt and charity care as equivalent--a- s uncompensated care," said Richard Fullmer, controller at the U. Hospital. state-owne- Study Mmaisl Scholarship .,ocks tax-exem- pt not-for-profj- Lt, co-spons- or into iIp . from e doors'-- Revision ..ltnb9r ,. (for programs beginning in Summer or Fall 1989) ml CHAMBER. Deadline March 2, 1989 deadline for the Liberal Education Study Abroad Scholarship is March 2, 1989. Awards range from $500 'to $1,000. The scholarship can be appliedto ANYWHERE in the world to help defray tuition cost, study abroad programs ' board and room and transportation. The Eligibility Requirements: Matriculated Status. 3.00GPA of Utah Completion of 36 hours in residence at the University prior to departure (excluding credit by exam). Full-tistatus (at least 2 out of 3 quarters during the year prior to me r departure.). Priority will be given to students who will be sophomores or juniors during their study abroad program. Priority will be given to applicants whose proposed Study Abroad program will contribute to the completion of Lib. Ed. requirements. -- WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 22, Contact: f INTERNATIONAL CENTER 159 University Union 581-584- 1 9 the tOUgh gO huntin'." 2:00 NOON UNION BALLROOM "When the goinf gets tough, - Fred Holliday le Absolutely Free! |
