Lobbyists back mammogram measures
By Sarah Sarzynski
Fc* tr* Oregon Darty £ met am
Women’s groups are finding difficulty lobbying Senate Bill 905
and House Bill 2971 currently in the Oregon Legislature
These bills would prohibit insurance companies from discrimi
nating against women.
Specifically, HB 2971 would force insurance companies to cover
the costs of mammography. SB 905 goes one step further by includ
ing necessary coverage of contrac eptives and gynecological exams
It would also prohibit pregnancy from being considered a pre-exist
ing condition for the purpose of insurance c overage
Oregon remains one of the eight statics that does not require insur
ance companies to cover mammograms as a pari of health coverage
Presently in the Oregon Legislature, the House of Representatives has
a Republican majority and the Senate has a Democratic: majority.
Lolly Champion, president of the Susan C». Roman Breast Cancer
Foundation in Portland, cites the mammography issue pitting
Democrats against Republic ans ns one of the reasons neither of the
bills hove been approved vet.
"Breast and c ervical canc ers, however, don't just strike Democra
tic women." she said.
Lmi Smith, president of the Oregon Breast Cancer l.oalitton. said
the biggest problem in lobbying for these bills has been "overcoming
the resistance of the male member* of the Legislature ''
Insurance companies also are actively fighting against these hills
mostly because they dislike the word "mandate." m cording to stud
ies by Champion
Champion said women themselves have I at ked initiative in get
ting the breast cancer issue raised and enacted
"Breast cancer is a social issue." she said "It affei ts women per
sonally. which makes the breast cancer issue different than the fight
for other publii care (pauses."
Currently. MB 2971 lias passed the House and will probably pass
through the Senate The more comprehensive SB 905 has passed
through the Senate but is being discussed in a i ommen e i omniit
tee in the House headed by Republican Hep bldon Johnson.
Champion believes it will never leave this committee and never
get the chance to move on to the House floor and be voted upon She
urges concerned citizens to call House Speaker l.arrv Campbell at
378-8977 and Johnson at 378-8889 and request a hearing and a work
session for SB 905
CREDIT
Continued from Page 6
fall form of 1994.
Higher education officials see this as a
good move ns the state battles the effects of
1990‘s Measure 5.
"We want to stop students from doing
what I call major shopping." said Grog Park
er, a spokesman for the state Board of High
er Education. "We just want to motivate stu
dents to finish their educations quicker. The
board thinks some added motivation is nec
essary for students to fm:ns on a major."
The motivation is financial. Resident
undergraduate students at the University
currently pay $907 a quarter in tuition. But
if the Credit Threshold Policy takes effect, a
resident undergraduate student who exceeds
the credit limit is declared a non-resident
and would pay $i!.fi J 7 a quurter.
Under the current system, the state of Ore
gon subsidizes all in-stute undergraduate
students. For every tuition dollar an under
graduate pays, the state contributes two tax
dollars.
But the higher education budget is facing
cutbacks. The state's four universities and
four regional colleges watched higher edu
cation’s share of the general fund drop from
15 percent to JO percent.
The governor's proposed budget for 1993
95 earmarks $646 million for higher educa
tion. Tliis is $85 million less than Oregon's
statu colleges and universities received
under the 1991-93 budget.
These budget cuts will only get worse
Measure 5 will cut another 20 percent
from the 1995-97 higher education budget
The projected $120 million cut to higher
education in the 1895-97 biennium is
expected to equal the state support allotted
to the University in 1995-97.
For these reasons, higher education offi
cials see the policy as a necessary.
"It's appropriate to establish limits sup
port from the state coffers. Wo need limits us
to how long the state will fund student},
said Herb Chereck. the University registrar.
"There are limitations on resources that stu
dents need to realize "
Chereck said 56 undergraduate students
enrolled for fall term of 1992 at the Univer
sity hud more than 234 credits upon enter
ing. These students would have been affect
ed by the policy change.
Chereck also said the state, under the new
policy, would extend financial aid to '•in
dents for five years If u student dei ides to
return for a sixth year as an undergraduate,
he or she would pay the full cost of educa
tion.
The full cost of education means the stu
dent would no longer rei eivo the state sub
sidy of $1.7 to per quarter and pay $W)7 per
quarter in tuition Under the new policy, stu
dents found to exceed the credit limit would
pay $2.607 in tuition per quarter
“The policy Indore the hoard recommends
that in a time of limited resources it seems
reasonable that students beyond a certain
point in their educations should not lie sub
sidized by the state,'' Chert* k said
Hut some students s»h> the policy as a way
to punish hard-working students.
''It's not fair that people are blaming stu
dents for the state's budgeting problems,'
said Kaquel Karls, a University student.
“The Hoard of Higher Education tias no idea
what students go through to get an educa
tion.”
Karls said that the board, instead of forc
ing students to hurry In achieving their edu
cations. should concentrate on spending
money more wisely.
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