The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current, February 16, 2000, Image 10

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Come get help from the experts!
Did you know that most employers use behavioral
interviewing techniques? Come to this seminar and learn
strategies to ace these questions and more!
♦ When was the last time you were
a leader?
♦ When did you have to motivate a
group to do something?
Door
prizes
will be
given
away!
February 16 - 6:30pm - 212 MSC
Presented by IKON Office Solutions
Career Center 209 Koldus 845-5139 http://aggienet.tamu.edu/cctr
Speakers:
Social Justice in
[slam
&
Christianity
An Inter-faith Dialogue Presented by the
\ Muslim Students’ Association /P
.. - 'V;.
Thursday, Feb. 17th
MSC 224-225 @ 7pm
%
<T
Sk
h.
Dr. Ihsan Bagby(ShawUniversity, North Carolina)
Dr. Bob Mayfield (Dir. of Baptist Student Ministry, TAMU)
For more info, email islamI01@tamu.edu or call 693-5463
Visit our table in MSC hallway Thurs, Mon, Wed between I lam and 2pm
NATION
Page 10
THE BATTA1 TON
Wednesday. February 16J
ednesday, Febi
NY specialist accused of fraud (c
Debate over fertility treatments heats up between
■fertility treatments neats up
doctors and Coalition Against Insurance Fraud
NEW YORK (AP) — Infertile cou
ples and doctors across the country are
closely watching the federal trial of a Park
Avenue specialist accused of tricking in
surance companies into paying for fertil
ity treatments most are loath to cover.
Some experts say that what Dr. Neils
Lauersen is accused of doing is a com
mon, unspoken practice among many
doctors. What makes the case extraordi
nary is that Lauersen has been charged
by prosecutors with fraud.
Lauersen, 63, is accused of getting
insurers to pay millions of dollars in
coverage for hundreds of patients over
the past decade.
According to prosecutors, he helped
couples get pregnant by providing fertili
ty treatments not covered by insurance.
Then, he allegedly submitted bills for var
ious covered treatments.
“This sort of thing is unfortunately
very widespread,^ said Michael Dieg$;l,
spokesman .for the Goaiition Against In
surance Fraud in Washington.
Diegel "s coalition made up of con
sumers, government agencies, public in
terest groups and insurers —•■estimated
that health insurance fraud cost insurers
$53.9 billion in 1997. Much of that cost,
he said, must he passed onto the consumer
at higher rates.
Lauersen's lawyer. Theodore D.
Wells, has said that his client did-nothing
wrong and that the doctor merely hilled
insurers for ueating the underlying prob
lems that cause infertility rather than for
the infertility treatments themselves.
Some of Lauersen’s patients have
been holding a vigil at the doctor’s trial
and have said he was unfairly targeted,
in part because Tie speaks out against in
surance companies'that deny infertility
coverage. Many of his patients consider
him a hero for making it possible for
them to conceive.' . .
Diegel estimated that halfofalll erst
doctors are willing to bend the rate
gel insurers to pay for patient treatra -v ert the
But doctors groups disagreed thaiaa | rmc ,,
is widespread. J Ernie’s
“()ur members follow the lawj nl j e > s ev j| (w
Debra Craw ford, spokeswoman hi irator
American Society tor Reproductive)!;
icine. But she added that society menits ■ vlssl ' w u ’ n - 1
would be pleased if more insurers cow onso Na "' Hl
infertility treatments, which often nmu
News in Brief
These urba
the thousands of dollars. epiecesol e
About 46,000 doctors national imors - F° r n]
provide infertility treatment to at» 'at Bert has tl
6.1 million couples, but insure nth other assa
ompanies have been reluctant to;: >s hazily depi
:r infertility. ircal963.
Linda Lyons, 38, another A few year:
Lauersen’s patients, had bitter words! n“Sesame St
the managed care system: "They'rej leal with eriel
ing insurance companies more andnw ause p art f n ( S ,
power as to whether we live and di; )nthePBSchi
whether we have children. •. Contradicti
he show and i
bflegends sun
hvo puppets h:
Holocaust survivors
to resubmit claims
WASHINGTON (AP) — An interna
tional commission today began ac
cepting claims from Holocaust sur
vivors and heirs around the world
who were never paid for insurance
policies they held decades ago.
The program covers any Holo
caust victim who owned or was
covered by or was beneficiary of an
insurance policy issued between
1920 and 1945.
Insurance companies will pay
roughly 10 times the value the poli
cy had when it was purchased.
Oil boost expected
NEW YORK (AP) — Analysts ex
pect Organization of Petroleum Ex
porting Countries ministers to boost
oil production next month, easing a
world shortage. But any increase is
unlikely to push down gasolineonces
— now averaging $1.41 a gallon in
the United States — in time for the
summer travel season.
Gasoline prices have been rising
steadily since March, when the
OPEC cut crude oil production by
7.5 percent to try to boost prices
that had fallen to 12-year lows.
New program to give
big farms a break
WASHINGTON (AP) — A new pro
gram will allow as many as 2,600
farms nationwide to get around the
current $150.000-pei-producer limit
on crop subsidies. Under this pro
gram, farmers who have reached the
payment limit will be allowed to take
crop subsidies inoertificates, instead
of cash, which they can redeem
government-held commodities.
USDA estimates that 2,&)Jmderstand the
farms nationwide will reach it elevision pros
$150,000 cap this year.
Trial continues for
Bronx police officers
a.i-,akiv/ im w /*rM r l • itreet” pair on
ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) - Echoit , '
their fellow defendants' accou^ pale cnardUai
n
two of the four New York Citypofe
officers on trial for killing an yf'
armed immigrant testified Tuesc? Nr or promoi
that the man appeared to draw whenever -'Sc
gun and take a “combat stance,'
Officer Kenneth Bosssaidff
saw Officer Edward McMelloni
back off Amadou Diallo's doorstg
and thought his colleague iiai
been shot.
The four officers fired 41 shots
Diallo, who was hit 19 times.
<?■
Want to get Involved?
Join
**«!?
nmors. but th
>y mean-spiril
Tiie rumor
las been circul
)fthe rumor h;
aras 1994 \vh
aw, even trier
Currently, i
critics point oi
together, share
though they et
puppets’ alien
female pu
plying that the
Sane peopl
characters on “
den agendas. 1
The New
Traditional Students
')Dir
dui
We are a social/service organization helping students who are starting, returning, or continuing
to work towards their degree, to find their place in ‘the Other Education” at Texas A&M.
Several opportunities are available each month to have fun and get to know fellow students.
Join our listserv at http://www.onelist.com/subscribe/tTtts or for more information about
TNTs, email LSullyR@tamu.edu or call Marc at 694-9053.
Come to the MSC Bowling Alley on Friday, February 25th at 7:00 pm for pizza, fun&
games. Only $7.00/person, includes bowling, pool, arcade games, pizza & punch. Child
care provided. RSVP to Marc at 694-9053 or email LSullyR@tamu.edu
We’re the group tor you! T.aA®*
Men's
10K-$345.00
14K-$450.00
Women’s
10K-$220.00
14K-$243.00
Add $8.00 for Class ‘99 or
before and $15.00 for
out of town ring delivery
Deadline: 02-16-00 Delivery date is 04-06-00
UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT REQUIREMENTS
1. You must be a degree-seeking student with at least 95 cumulative Undergraduate credit hours.
2. Transfer students need 60* hours of credit at Texas A&M University, or degree must be conferred and posted.
3. You must have a cumulative 2.0 GPR at Texas A&M University,
4. You must be in good standing with the University. (No outstanding parking tickets, blocks, etc.)
GRADUATE STUDENT REQUIREMENTS**
1. Your degree must be conferred and posted on SIMS or if you have completed all degree requirements, you may present
an original letter of completion from the Office of Graduate Studies.
2. You must be in good standing with the University. (No outstanding parking tickets, blocks, etc.)
PROCEDURE TO ORDER RING
If you meet all of the above requirements and you wish to receive.your ring on April 6th, visit the Ring Office no later
than February 16th between 8:30a.m. - 3:30p.m. to complete the.application for eligibility verification.
It is recommended that you do not wait until February 16 to
apply for your ring audit. Should there be a problem with
your academic record, or if you are blocked, you may mot
have sufficient time to resolve these matters beforedhe
order closes out. '
Return no later than February 17, 8:30a.m. - 3:30 p,fn» to
check on the status of your audit and if qualified, pay in
full by cash, check, money order, or your personaTOis'cdver,
Visa or MasterCard (with your name imprinteef).
Requirements must be completed by the time you
apply for your audit.
*You may qualify with 30 A&M hours if your first semester was i 993 or before.
**See our website for complete details or call the Ring Office at 845-1050.,
The Association
OF FORMER STUDENTS
505 GEORGE BUSH DR.,
COLLEGE STATION, TEXAS 77840-2918
(409) 845-7514
www.aggienetwork.com
W!
lien!
Hall
the b
he spring for a
nakeover, the s
ertainly set fot
But credit tl
>ies at Food Se
timing what cc
teen a miserab
! a masterfu
The student
ariy charitable'
he Department
for the meals th
he face. In fact.
Services by exp
test All the whi
inned to do the
sm and pride.
But with sm
tons, no one c<
mployees for
earing the wot
at the beginnin
)fthe year.
Despite the
kt that the de-
ision to reno
vate Sbisa was
tood one, dis
gruntled stu
dents were pre-
I to make
this the spring i
their disconten
The skeptic:
questions out-
lumbered the
variety of cerea
in Sbisa.
Where won
students on the
Northside eat?
Would meal pit
wasted credits?
And how w
with crowds c<
d a dropp
or would it stil
students into “
II of these
isfactorily ansv
triumphed in tl
even out paced
The first ke
been the creatr
Dining option,
campus now o:
meal plan at i
There were
implementatio
if!