The Michigan Daily -Thursday, September 27, 1990 -Page 5 American doctors' fees twice as high as Canadians' BOSTON (AP) - Doctors in the United States charge more than twice as much as Canadian physicians for the same work, and this helps ex- lain why this country's health care costs are dramatically higher, a study concludes. The study found that despite their fatter fees, however, U.S. doctors earn only about one-third more than Canadians. The reason: Canadian doctors are busier and make up for their lower fees by seeing more pa- tients. Unlike the United States, Canada rovides complete, fully paid health coverage for all its citizens. In the United States, one in seven people has no health insurance, and even those with coverage typically have to pay at least part of the bill. De- spite these differences, health care costs 20 percent more per person in the United States than in Canada. In attempt to help sort out the reasons, economist Victor Fuchs of Stanford University compared the differences in the cost of physician services in the two countries. Overall, physician fees are 2.4 times higher in the United States than in Canada. Other factors besides doctors' earnings contribute to the lower cost of medical care in Canada. "If physician fees in the United States were the same as in Canada, by how much would total health care expenditures be reduced?" said Fuchs. "If the fees were cut in half and low- ered to the Canadian level, total ex- penditures would be reduced by about 10 percent." Health care now accounts for about 11.5 percent of the gross na- tional product in the United States, while in Canada it is about 9 per- cent. If U.S. spending could be held to the Canadian percentage, more than $100 billion a year would be saved. His calculations, which converted Canadian figures into U.S. dollars, were published in Thursday's issue of the New England Journal of Medicine. Among the findings: Doctors provided fewer ser- vices per person in the United States than in Canada. U.S. fees for surgery and other high-tech services, such as X-rays and anesthesia, were more than three times higher. On a per capita basis, Canada had more doctors but fewer special- ists than the United States. In 1985, net income for of- fice-based doctors was $112,199 in the United States and $73,607 in Canada. U.S. doctors are paid five times more than Canadians for visit- ing patients in a hospital. U.S. doctors spend twice as much as Canadians for rent and other office expenses and generally have nicer offices, probably helping them to attract patients. Billing costs are also higher in the United States be- cause Canadian doctors need to deal with only one insurer- the gov- ernment. Canadian fees are uniform for each service within provinces and are set through negotiations between doctors and the government. Fuchs said he doubts whether the Canadian system could be adminis- tered in the United States. "There is reason to question whether the quality of our civil ser- vices is up to the quality of the Canadian civil services," he said. A survey by Medical Economics magazine found that U.S. physician; incomes rose 12.5 percent in 1989, almost triple the rate of inflation. Zambian ruling party ousts those advocating democracy . i t ..... LUSAKA, Zambia (AP) - Pres- ident Kenneth Kaunda's ruling party Tuesday suspended dissidents who have openly supported a return to Western-style democracy. It was not clear how many party members were suspended, but they included two legislators and a labor leader. They also were expelled from a meeting of the policymaking body of the United National Independence Party (UNIP), the 600-member na- tional council. In ordering them to leave, Kaunda said he did not want opponents to hear discussions on "strategic and important issues that will guide how UNIP will win the next election." One dissident, Ben Mwinga, said in an interview that the ruling party's legal committee will be Continued from Page 1 TUITION double digits from 1981 through 1984. Rates at four-year public colleges shot up 20 percent in 1983- 84. They settled into the 5 percent to 9 percent range the past six years. While encouraged by the gradual easing in tuition increases, Rosser and other college leaders say resurgent inflation and a looming recession could upset the pattern. Universities in chilly northern states, especially, will likely feel the pinch of rising oil prices, Rosser said. -Daily staff writers contributed to this report asked to rule on whether the dis- senters will be permanently expelled from the party. Another dissident, Newstead Zimba, secretary general of the pow- erful Zambia Congress of Trade Unions, welcomed Kaunda's action. "The president has made things easier for us. Spiritually we left the party some time ago, and physically we were just hanging on," he said. "The expulsion of union leaders from the party is an expulsion of the entire labor movement, and the workers of this country should take note of this," Zimba said. Kaunda opened the five-day na- tional council meeting Monday by pledging to clear the way for multi- party elections next year. He said he was asking policy- makers to amend the constitution td allow opposition parties for the first time since he imposed a one-party state in 1973. Kaunda called for a shake-up in the party to prepare it for elections in October 1991, which he said he was confident the ruling party would win. Leaders of the opposition Move- ment for Multiparty Democracy~ commended Kaunda's reforms Tues- day, but they said further measures - including the lifting of a 26-year-. old state of emergency - were. needed to lead the nation toward po- litical stability. "We are itching to test the strength of this new UNIP," said opposition spokesman Vernon" Mwaanga, a former Cabinet minister2 and one-time Kaunda aide. Rebel with a Pause Daring to do what many superstitious students won't, second-year MBA student Joel Smernoff sits on the M on the Diag, taking time to enjoy his sandwich, the company of two friends, and the afternoon weather. *,GULF Continued from Page 1 Iraqi Airways, due to humanitarian considerations, facilitating the movement of foreign nationals from Iraq and Kuwait," he said in a state- ment at U.N. headquarters in New York. "However, those flights will now terminated in accordance with (the air embargo)," said Kasim, who is also the deputy prime minister. The U.N. resolution does not mention passenger planes but says all planes traveling to and from Iraq should be checked to make sure they are not carrying cargo prohibited by the U.N. trade sanctions. The resolu- tion prohibits the use of force to stop planes, but allows for the deten- tion of aircraft. Baghdad's official news agency accused Moscow of being bribed by the United States and gulf sheiks to oppose Iraq. It said the tone of a tough U.N. speech Tuesday by So- viet Foreign Minister Eduard She- vardnadze "clearly shows the bribe given by American and its allies the oil sheiks." Continued from Page 1 BUDGET White House, GOP lawmakers said Bush was signalling compromise. Instead of lowered capital gains tax rates, Bush might accept other items he believes would spur the economy, they said. "He might be willing to look at other alternatives in the growth area," said Senate Minority Leader Bob Dole (R-Kan). i h RAINED OUT Still need Volunteer to recru . 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