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By PAUL BARTON
Battalion Reporter
For the poor person in Texas, it is
la good idea not to get sick. Chances
[are he will have to treat his illness
himself.
More than 1.3 million people in
Ithis state fall into a category known
|as the “medically needy.” Their in-'
comes fall below the federal poverty
level, but they are unable to qualify
for Medicaid, the federal-state
health insurance program for the
poor. And in most instances they
have nowhere else to turn.
Conceived as a plan to help low-
income individuals receive the same
type of medical care enjoyed by the
rest of society, Medicaid falls de
plorably short of that goal in both
Texas and Brazos County. Because
of restrictive eligibility require
ments, Medicaid recipients make
up only 18 percent of the state’s
’nflation pla
isk
n may
a recession
United Press International
DALLAS — Treasury Secretary Michael Blumenthal Tuesday said
the Carter administration is prepared to risk recession and a rise in
unemployment in its battle against inflation and hoped to see
progress against rising costs by late summer.
Blumenthal, addressing the Center for International Business’ an
nual convention, said the administration was improving the trade
balance and had strengthened the dollar abroad but still was “failing”
against inflation.
In February, consumer prices experienced the greatest increase in
4 1/2 years, but Blumenthal said that trend started several months
ago and it will take more time to judge how President Carter’s
6-month-old anti-inflation plan is faring.
“In the next few months — I think in the summer or early fall —
we hope to see a significant downturn in this unacceptable trend,” he
said. “We must take the risks entailed in maintaining and, if neces
sary, intensifying our anti-inflation measures.”
Later Blumenthal told reporters fighting inflation would require
slowing the economy, which could cause a rise in unemployment.
“A slowdown of the economy from its present pace to the level we
anticipate may well mean an increase in the 5.7 percent unemploy
ment rate,” he said. “But what we don’t want to see is a recession and
unemployment up like 8 percent. It’s a long way from 5.7 percent to 8
percent.”
Blumenthal also admitted a recession could come about but the
administration hoped to hold it to a minimum.
“Nobody sets out to cause or risk a deep recession,” he said, “but I
do believe that we have got to cool down the economy — it grew
unacceptably fast in the last quarter and it continues. The only way to
slow it down is to continue tight monetary and fiscal policies. But
many predict that will lead to recession.
“But we must make something bring about a slow down. If we
don’t, what we get (eventually) is worse recession.
“Our objective must not be and is not only to bring the rate of
inflation down from the double-digit range,” he said. “It is to set in
place a complex set of policies dedicated to continued, persistent
reduction in inflation over time,” he said.
Universal Snack Bar & Grocery
1. Welcome to the newly opened oriental
grocery and snack bar. 110 Nagle (next
to Greyhound bus station) 846-1210
2. Walk from school and you can get our
quick serviced, reasonable priced eat-in
or take-out Chinese food.
We have Chinese tea, rice noodle, in
stant noodle, bean threads, dry mush
room, bamboo shoots and other oriental
food.
Service Hour
Grocery: 7:30 a.m.-8:30 p.m. (Sunday
through Thursday)
Snack bar: 11:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. (Lunch)
5:00p.m.-8:00 p.m. (Supper)
Will be open to serve you April 11,1979
Available also tropical fish food & clo-
thing alteration service.
3.
4.
5.
INGING CADET
CONCERT
aturday, April 21 st
8:00 PM
Rudder Auditorium -
Campus
All seats reserved
ITickets available at Rudder Box Office
Ticket Prices
Adults:
sgoo $250
Students:
$250 $200
Children:
$-| 00
“2 Hours
of Laug
and
Song”
poverty population. According to a
report published by the Texas Rural
Health Field Services Program, the
majority of needy individuals in
Texas — 1,324,000 people — are
not provided with health care serv
ices.
In Brazos County, the situation is
much the same. Figures released by
the Texas Department of Human
Resources, the state’s welfare
agency, show that only 2,753 people
were eligible to receive Medicaid
benefits in this county as of August
1978. That’s only 3 percent of the
county population, yet 17 percent
are below the poverty level.
One of Lyndon Johnson’s famed
“Great Society” programs,
Medicaid began in 1966. It com
bined state and federal funding and
was designed to serve people al
ready on welfare.
In Texas, a person qualifies for
Medicaid if he is eligible for either
the Aid to Families With Depen
dent Children (AFDC) or the Sup
plemental Security Income (SSI)
programs.
AFDC provides financial aid to
low-income families missing one
parent. SSI, on the other hand,
provides monthly checks to needy
individuals who are 65 or blind or
disabled.
These two groups are required by
the federal government to be in
cluded in every state’s Medicaid
program. Each state has the option
of providing coverage to several
other groups as well, including the
medically needy.
Thirty states, plus Guam, Puerto
Rico and the Virgin Islands provide
this coverage. Texas does not.
As a result, many individuals find
themselves in a predicament similar
to the one faced by Ramona Guillen
of Bryan. She is 61, can’t speak
English and has been told by her
doctor that she is permanently dis
abled. She has heart problems and
has to be checked by her doctor
every three weeks.
“She can’t do housework, and she
can’t get around too well,” says
Mary Guillen, her daughter-in-law.
Ramona Guillen has no income
and her requests to qualify for
Medicaid through SSI have been
turned down. Her son and
daughter-in-law are trying to help
her with the medical bills, but they
say they can’t keep it up much
longer.
“People who really don’t need it
get on it easily,” Mary Guillen says
of Medicaid. “But the people who
really do need it can’t get on.”
Holly Rees, district manager for
Social Security, says 50 percent of
initial SSI applicants are turned
down. “Social Security rules are
quite strict,” he says. “A person has
to be severely disabled to qualify.”
The applicant’s medical records are
examined by the State Vocational
Rehabilitation Agency in Austin,
which decides whether or not the
person is badly enough disabled to
qualify.
Mary Guillen says they have not
turned in her mother-in-law’s rec
ords yet.
Currently, there is a bill in both
the State House and Senate that
could lead to a remedy of the medi
cally needy problem. If passed, it
would authorize a “demonstration
project” that would extend
Medicaid coverage to the medically
needy in Travis County.
The feasibility of extending this
same coverage to the rest of the
state would also be explored, and
the Texas Department of Human
Resources would submit a report on
the project to the next Legislature.
In the meantime, there is no
place in this county where the med
ically needy can turn. Many coun
ties have hospitals that offer free
care to the poor, but Brazos does
not. The free services provided by
the Brazos County Health Unit are
mainly preventative ones, such as
immunizations.
THE BATTALION
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 11, 1979
Page 9
IS LOCATION IMPORTANT?
NEAR CAMPUS
NO LONG
HYDE PARK APARTMENTS
2 bedroom - all built-ins including
dishwasher.
Fur. $250 Unfur. $210
LEASE
REQUIRED
SUBURBAN
RENT BY
THE MONTH
GREENFIELD PLAZA APARTMENTS
2 bedroom - all built-ins. Laundry and
pool.
Unf. $235. Water and sewer paid.
BRIARCREST MANOR
2 bedroom - stove, refrig.
Fur. $210 Unf. $175
Water, sewer, cable paid.
NOW TAKING APPLICA
TIONS FOR SUMMER AND
FALL IN ALL COMPLEXES.
DOWNTOWN
WELLINGTON ARMS APTS.
2 bedrooms - all built-ins including dish
washer. Water and sewer paid.
Unf. $215.
LOS OCHOS APARTMENTS
1 bedroom, fenced yard.
Unfur. $160 Fur. $185
BRY-CAL
A professional
management company
846-3733 24 hrs.
COLLEGE STATION
BRYAN-AUSTIN
GAYLINE
SPONSORED by
GAY STUDENT SERVICES
693-1630
Monday through Thursday 8:00-10:00
Information & Referral Counseling
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MSC BOOKSTORE
OUT-OF-
Senate Bill 1179 may force
the MSC Bookstore out of
business.
A POLL WILL BE TAKEN
APRIL 11 & 12 IN THE MSC.
PLEASE EXPRESS YOUR
OPINION.
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TRAVEL
LAST CHANCE FOR
EUROPE
See 7 countries in 25 days for only $1580
May 14-June 7
OPEN TO UNIVERSITY STUDENTS,
FACULTY AND STAFF
Sign up in Room 216, MSC by April 12
F0RM0REINF0 CALL MSC TRAVEL AT 845-1515
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Full cut diamonds —
3 point, regular $55. Sale $44
6 point, regular $105. Sale $84
10 point, regular $165. Sale $132
10 point, regular $190. Sale $152
10 point, regular $200. Sale $160
14 point, regular $295. Sale $236
15 point, regular $270. Sale $216
22 point, regular $450. Sale $360
24 point, regular $560. Sale $448
Prices vary according to stone quality. Mounting charge
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This
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Manor East Mall, Texas at Villa Maria • 779-4710
Shop 10 to 9 weekdays, 10-7 Saturdays
UNITED 727 FIBERGLASS BELTED
W/W
A78-13
FET
1.74
$22.95
D78-14
2.05
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E78-14
2.21
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G78-15
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178-15
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UNITED 727 POLYESTER WHITE WALL
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PILGER'S
TIRE & AUTO CENTER
400 E. University Dr. College Station - 846-1729