Thursday, December 8, 2005 News 3A IFC welcomes new fraternities to Greek system Opinion 4A Eric Jackson gives into the tPod Sports 8A Cagers 6-0 after win over Delaware State SHOULD nE - ed fR VnATE .Irs oTKiEMl freNTom One-/iundred-ifteen years ofedkorzidfreedorn . www.mcAhigandaily.com Ann Arbor, Michigan Vol. CXVI, No. 45 62005 The Michigan Daily !- 'may soon require health insurance Requirement would make University student health plan cheaper by increasing number of healthy participants By Gab. Nelson Daily Staff Reporter Daunted by steeply escalating prices for University-provided medi- cal insurance plans, University Health Services is looking into wheth- er students should be required to purchase an insurance plan, in part, as a way to lower the cost of these plans. Rising health insurance costs lead to what is known as the "death spiral" in the insurance business because only sick people feel the need to buy an insurance plan, said UHS Director Bob Winfield. "When there aren't enough healthy people buying the insurance to cover the cost of treating the sick, the price goes up," he said. The University health insurance plan offered to domestic students without any other coverage costs $1,998, up from $678 for the 1997 academic year. The cost of the domestic plan started to rapidly increase in 2002, Winfield said. As the cost of the plan broke $1,000 because of new benefits and a poor economy, many students stopped buying it, leav- ing themselves uninsured. While 3,500 students bought the domestic plan in 2001, UHS expects about 1,700 students to buy it this year. See INSURANCE, page 7A Cost of Domestic Insurance Plan ZBT punished for hazing Interfraternity Council suspends fraternity for one year after finding evidence that it hazed pledges By Carissa Miller Daily Staff Reporter The Zeta Beta Tau fraternity has been suspended from the Interfraternity Council after an investiga- tion found the fraternity guilty of hazing, the council announced yesterday. The suspension comes after the Hazing Task Force and the Greek Activities Review Panel investigated two separate complaints of hazing brought against ZBT. The investigations produced sufficient evidence that the fra- ternity violated Greek hazing rules, IFC spokesman Jon Krasnov said. "The IFC reaffirms its position that hazing is inconsis- tent with the values and principles of Greek life and will not be tolerated in the Greek community at the Univer- sity," Krasnov said in a statement released yesterday. In keeping with its bylaws, GARP, which conducts hearings and imposes sanctions on houses that violate Greek social and hazing policies, has imposed several sanctions on the fraternity, said Chris Haughee, assistant director of the University's Office of Greek Life. In addition to the one-year suspension prohibiting ZBT from attending IFC meetings and from participating in events and programs of the Greek community, as well as a public admonishment at last night's IFC meeting, ZBT must develop and facilitate a GARP-approved hazing education program. This program will be presented to the members of the IFC and the Panhellenic Association next year, Haughee said. Haughee said that at the end of the suspension period, GARP will hold a hearing to determine whether ZBT has complied with the conditions of the suspension. If it is found that ZBT failed to comply with the sanctions, GARP can extend the suspension period. While specific details of the violations remain confi- dential, the hazing involved humiliation and excessive eating, drinking and exercise, Dean of Students Sue See HAZING, page 7A BIG MAN ON CAMPUS $ 100 A ;q I I $541 _4, Enoimot in D mastic Insurane plan 400_ _ __ _ 2 000 1000. U.Se~n.John MciIn (R-Ariz.) greets sunnnrters at a haok reazding at Borders Book s and Muic o~ n Lbertv Street vesterdav. Mctain tlis Iteners that he may or may not run for president In 2008. McCain's new book Is titled "Character Is Destiny: Inspiring Stories Every Young Person Should i Know and Every Adult Should Remember." Some students complain of long wait times at UHS By Christina Hildreth Daily Staff Reporter Music freshman Mike Kelton just wanted someone to tell him what was wrong with his right arm. After injuring it while working out at the CCRB earlier this semester, he sought treat- ment at University Health Services. But after waiting more than two hours to be This is the first seen by the nurse story in a three- practitioner, he part series on was fed up. the University's "They just student services. weren't respond- ing," he said. UHS told him that his arm could feel bet- ter "tomorrow or in a month." He decided that next time he needed care, he would go to the hospital. Kelton is part of a vocal segment of the student body that is disillusioned with UHS, a University clinic that is partially funded by student fees. UHS allows students unlimited visits and access to various medical specialists through referrals. Some students claim UHS is reluctant to prescribe medications, employs under- qualified staff and has long lines for walk-in appointments that make it difficult to squeeze in a visit between classes. UHS Director Robert Winfield refutes these claims, saying cases like Kelton's do exist, but are the minority. Most of the 300 patients that come through UHS each day quickly receive premium care by one of 14 board-certified doctors, he said. "Students who get good care don't talk about it - if you come in for a yeast infec- tion or herpes (and receive good care), you aren't going to tell your friend about it," Winfield said. "Bad news spreads fast, and good news is not talked about in the health care world." Winfield cited a 1999-2000 survey of grad- uate and undergraduate students on campus, which asked them to rank UHS and their fam- ily practitioners on a scale of one to four. At the final count, UHS and family doctors tied with a 3.42 quality rating. Acknowledging that lines are sometimes a problem, Winfield said the easiest way to avoid a long wait is by making an appointment or coming in before 11 a.m. Winfield also recognized that many stu- dents who come in with sniffles looking for antibiotics leave the clinic disappointed, but y said it is not because UHS providers don't want to help students. UHS policy, which dictates that health care providers not issue antibiotics for viral afflic- tions, is based on guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and is part of an effort to reduce development of drug-resistant strains. Despite some students' concerns that UHS doctors may be crunching too many patients into tight schedules, Winfield said his staff typically sees 18 to 20 patients per day, in 15-minute slots. That's generous compared to family practitioners, who often see five or more patients per hour, he said. Regardless of these concerns, many stu- dents who have used UHS report high-quality, convenient care. Kinesiology junior Jeff Spencer went to the. See UHS, page 7A Students wait in line at University Health Services yesterday afternoon. TOMMASU OME/DailIy Lecturers hold 15-minute teach-ins during class time What's wrong? Lecturers' grievances: Eighteen-month delay in raises for lecturers who have completed necessary reviews for promotions. IM. IA-AEI--v~l. - Court: Disabled can't escape student loans WASHINGTON (AP) - America's seniors and disabled cannot escape old student loan debts, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled yesterday in a case involving a Seattle man, freeing the government to pursue Social Security benefits as part of an effort to collect billions in delinquent loans. By Ekjyot Saini Daily Staff Reporter clause the University is referring to is vague and that LEO will contest the University's interpretation if disciplinary actions are taken. i i