Monday, May 11, 1998 - The Michigan Daily - 3
Legislation proposes mental,
physical health care equality
By Heather Wiggin
Daily StaffiReporter
State Rep. Liz Brater (D-Ann Arbor)
presented parity legislation last Tuesday
that would require insurance companies
to cover mental health care and physical
health care equally.
"Illness of the brain is another illness
just like that of the heart, brain or kid-
neys," Brater said. "It deserves equal
treatment."
Brater is presenting a package of four
bills - three which regulate insurance
companies and one anti-discrimination
bill. The anti-discrimination bill is an
"amendment to the Persons with
Disabilities Civil Rights Act," Brater
said.
The overall benefits of covering
mental health are great, Brater said. "If
you invest in mental health care ...
there will be less absenteeism, and less
need for the emergency room," she
said.
Psychologists and psychiatrists agree
that mental illness is very treatable.
"For many years, mental health pro-
fessionals have been lobbying for men-
tal health parity," said Psychology Prof.
James Hansell. "It provides an impor-
tant step in the direction of treating
mental disorders."
Psychiatry Prof. Oliver Cameron
stressed the seriousness of mental illness,
describing it as "the leading cause of dis-
ability and dysfunction" in the world.
"The estimate is that it's going to be
much worse in the next 30 years he
said.
Brater said she believes that treat-
ment of mental health illness is just as
important as treating a patient with a
coronary bypass.
"Yet, we never question whether
coronary care should be covered,"
Brater said.
Brater expects opposition of the legis-
lation to come mainly from those who
believe the costs are too high.
"Cost is almost always the issue,"
Cameron said.
But the cost must be balanced against
the benefits, say supporters of parity
legislation.
"Just in the matter of direct dollars,
the increase in cost is about two to three
percent," Cameron said. "It's not going
to go up much."
Cameron also said that from a broad-
er perspective, health care costs will go
down if the bills are enacted.
"The overall cost leads toa benefit so
that money is saved," Cameron said.
"The data supports this; this is not sole-
ly opinion or a self-righteous attitude."
Cameron said there is a lot of lost
productivity and work absenteeism due
to mental illness.
"Even if you take the narrower view,
there are a number of (mental) illnesses
which lead to a significant increase in
other kinds of health costs," Cameron
said.
Opposition may also come from
insurance companies and employers
who are uncomfortable with the idea
that someone will tell them how to
spend money allocated for health care,
Cameron said.
But Cameron called this argument
"short-sighted."
"Most people don't know the impact
of these illnesses until they happen to
them,' Cameron said.
The reluctance may be rooted in a
societal misunderstanding of medical
illness, Hansell said.
"There's been a stigma about mental
health," Hansell said
Hansell said that another concern
associated with the parity legislation
is that it could lead to an increase in
managed care, since managed care is
not required to cover mental illness.
Although it might take some time for
the bills to pass, supporters are opti-
mistic.
"It's not uncommon for laws to be
introduced before the populous can
really digest what they mean and get
behind them and give them support,"
Cameron said.
ADRIANA YUGOVIGH/Daily
East Quad Chef Gary Marquardt caters to more than average students. Currently,
he is In the running for a spot in Bocus d'Or, an acclaimed cooking competition.
'U' chef serves itup
*in ontst emifinals
By Amber Matheson
For the Daily
Some students may feel dining
hall chefs are random passersby,
picked only for their ability to look
cool in funny white hats. But one
University chef is proving he's no
doughboy.
Far from a random passerby, East
Quad's Grade-A chef is currently in
the running for a spot in the Bocus
d'Or, an acclaimed international cook-
ing competition,
Gary Marquardt, a dining coordi-
nator and chef, has reached the
semi-finals in the race to represent
the United States in next year's
competition. The event consists of
tryouts and semi-finals in
California, finals in Chicago, and
finally a trip to Lyon, France for the
international face-off.
Marquardt said the Bocus d'Or
"is one of the better (competi-
tions)." Critics consider it one of
the most prestigious cooking events
in the world, he said.
"I am kind of shocked," said junior
and transfer student Joe Tartoni when
he heard of Marquardt's success. "But
I guess the food is twice as good as
astern (Michigan's)."
Marquardt came to work at the
University eight years ago, and has
been enjoying himself ever since.
Acknowledging that students don't
always find the cafeteria food
extremely exciting, Marquardt said
other factors affect students' percep-
tion of dining hall cuisine.
"It's a different world here, with dif-
ferent things," Marquardt said. "It's a
*inig experience in growing and learn-
ing, and we try to provide food that's
different, aside from the usual ham-
burgers and pizza."
He admitted that hamburgers and
pizza are in fact the most popular
choices in the cafeterias, but he
takes the stance that one cannot get
by solely on conventional foods
like these.
To expose students to different
foods, Marquardt said he tries to pro-
vide more varied and interesting culi-
nary creations in his dining hall. The
chef added that his personal favorite is
the chicken broccoli bake.
Marquardt said he does not just
cook the food but is also in touch with
the students and is excited by the food
he serves. The University chef actually
eats in his East Quad cafeteria "every
day, at least once a day, and sometimes
two or three times a day," Marquardt
said.
LSA junior Rachel Schlenker said
she frequents the East Quad cafete-
ria during the school year. Schlenker
said she feels that, if Marquardt con-
tinues to do well in the finals and in
France, the University and East
Quad cafeteria could be bidding
farewell to Marquardt and his world-
class cooking.
As a dining hall chef, Marquardt is
the first non-commercial establish-
ment chef to make it to the national
semi-finals, and a win - or even a
good finish at the iternational compe-
tition - may offer him many opportu-
nities to shine on his own, Marquardt
said.
But students said they are hopeful
that since Marquardt claims to like the
University and its students, he will
stay on campus long enough for the
last egg to be cracked.
"I really hope he doesn't leave,"
Schlenker said.
While Marquardt knows past win-
ners have received numerous job
offers after winning, he said he sees
things in a different light.
"I really like it here ... the stu-
dents are fun," Marquardt said.
-1
MID-EASTERN
I DINER
A Falafel
Zg ,,,,Sandwich
I ~eo'per' "ateosen
307 South Fifth Avenue
-Ni-- 4,-- --e-9--6
Keep Your Graduate Admission
Credentials at their Optimum
Gaining admission to highly competitive Medical,
Graduate, and Business programs requires that
each aspect of your academic record be superior.
At EXCEL, we ensure that your test scores
provide convincing evidence that you should be
admitted to the graduate program of your choice.
Call today for advice on achieving top scores.
Aug. MCAT's start. May 19th & June 1st
GRE & June LSAT's: Start Now;
GMAT(computer test): Start each week
L'EL 1100 South University
Test Preparation 996.1 500
t(le Jtaf t ba't&
6/5 S. &uv e
M-F 8:30-5:20
Sat til 4:20
reccmnmendi, as
i {
'r {