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'U' should offer medical resources to coalition

This year marks the beginning of a new effort by 12 of the state's public universities to collectively combat the increasing cost of health care. The project will create a dialogue among the state's institutions of higher learning, promote cooperation and fulfill its goal of providing health-care coverage for members of the universities' communities. The 12 universities - collectively known as the Michigan Universities Coalition on Health - will hold meetings every other month. Of central concern at these meetings will be a discussion of the various ways to reduce the costs of health care services at the universities. The University of Michigan, with its sprawling medical resources, is in a unique position to offer a great deal of aid to the other schools.

One of the major advantages of the cooperation between schools is the sharing of information that will occur. Each school provides health care coverage and other medical services to its students, faculty and staff differently. The dialogue at these meetings will allow the University and other coalition members to see what other institutions have tried and what worked best to minimize health costs without reducing quality of services. The other major benefit of the coalition could be the purchasing power of such a large group of consumers. If the universities choose to purchase coverage from an insurance company as a group, it would provide the schools with health care at lower prices than if they did it individually.

A driving factor behind this coalition is the increasing cost of tuition across the state. Wanting to maintain the same level of health services and programs but faced with increasing costs, many universities have had to increase health fees that students and staff pay. In order to keep tuition - which is already prohibitively expensive - in line with inflation, health care costs at the schools needs to be curtailed. The new effort by the University and other public institutions is vital to keeping higher education within the average state residents' reach - universities should not continue to pass the cost of health care onto students because students will no longer be able to afford a higher education.

The increased costs of health care benefits and services should immediately bring attention to the University's state-of-the-art medical facilities. The University spends a large portion of its budget on its top-ranked Medical Center, which is comprised of the Medical School, six hospitals and more than 150 health centers and outpatient clinics. With all of these resources, the University has the ability to contribute a great deal to the coalition members' health care situation. With its vast health resources, the Medical Center could provide care for numerous students and faculty in the Metro Detroit area. The University must commit itself to providing access to its facilities to all. If the University can cooperate with other colleges to reduce health care costs, then the University can certainly facilitate a better relationship between the its medical community and other academic communities. High health care costs are a problem for the entire state - the University is in a good position to help a significant number of the state's schools combat prohibitive expenses.

02-10-98