Indianapolis Recorder, Indianapolis, Marion County, 6 October 1990 — Page 2

PAGE A2

THE INDIANAPOLIS RECORDER

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 6,1990

Press three to cancel the insurance

■ ^ ■ - r «» ■» % s I

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Ring. Ring. Ring. “Hello, ihis is MetCrossBlueKey Health Insurance Company. May I help you?" “Well, yes. You see I have an emergency and I need to get in to see a doctor." “Well dr, the next opening our doctors have is Dec. 21. Is that OK?" “Well, no lady, that’s not OK, this is really an emer-

gency.”

“Well, sir, if it’s an emergency, you can go to the Emergency Room of the hospital and be seen today. But of course, we need to give you an authorization number. The hospital won’t take you

if you don’t have an authorization number.” “Well, lady, it’s not that kind of emergency, but I do need to see a doctor before Dec. 21. Can I just go to my private doctor?” “Of course, sir. But if you go to your private doctor and he’s not one of our preferred providers, we can’t pay for the charges.” “Well ma'm, I need to see a doctor. It’s not an Emergency Room emergency and I can’t go to my own doctor because he’s not a preferred provider. Well, give me an authorization number and I’ll just go to the Emergency

Room.”

BETWEEN the ■! i n e s

By EUNICE TROTTER

Editor-in-Chief

“Sir, to get an authorization number, you ments.'

Where do the mean

kids come from?

need to call 222-2222.

OK?” “OK.”

Ring. Ring. Ring. “Thank you for calling 222-2222. How may I help you?” “Well ma’am. I need an authorization number so 1 can go to the Emergency Room to receive treaunent.” “What is the nature of the emergency, sit?” “Well, I have an ear infection and all 1 need is some antibiotics or some-

thing.”

“One moment sir. I need to check to see if ear infections are covered emergency.” Wait. Wait Wait! “OK, sir, sorry it took me 20 minutes. Our computers have been giving us problems all day. Now, ear infections are not covered emergencies. But we do have a non-emer-gency Emergency Room at the hospital and you can be seen there.” “Well ma’am fine. I just need to be seen so I get some antibiotics.” “Ok sir, there's a five-hour wait, but we can get you seen today. If you'll hang on the line. I’ll see if you’ve met your deductible require-

The last time I was in the barber shop, 1 overheard one of the customers ask, “Where do all of these mean kids come from?” It reminded me of the same question I had asked myself in the early ’70s when I worked as a counselorin the New Jersey Prison System. Rahway and Trenton State Prisons held some the most intimi-

Most prison populations have a majority of inmates that were in and out of foster homes and institutions. We are moved by published pictures of kids who want to be adopted. We are not moved by the pictures of those same kids as adults in prison. Too many times they are the same people.

dating characters imaginable and I used to wonder how they got so meaa Were they mean kids? Were they bom mean? Did the prisons make them mean? Years later I found a clue. I found it in a discussion with a young man of 19 who had spent most of his like in and out of institutions and foster homes. He said something that Ineverforgot Very quiedy he said during the course of a discussion that he had never felt happy. He had never been able to stay in one place long enough to connect with anyonehuman being. For example, he’d been used as a farm hand by one family who never talked with him or included him in family activities. He never complained to welfare workers because he was always afraid that the next place might be worse. Nineteen years of a life with no smiles. No trust, no love, nothing but the constant fear that the next thing that might happen be worse than the last bad thing.

Give.

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Walt Wait Wait “Now sir. I'm sorry you waked 30 minutes. It’s our computers. I just pulled your records and it seems you have not satisfied your deductible requirement yet Your deductible is $250. You do understand what this means, don’t you sir?” “Ma’am, I satisfied the deductible. My wife went to the doctor and that cost $ 125 with Xrays. Then my son had stitches last week and that was another$175, because we didn’t have an emergency authorization number.” “Well sir, I know. But you still haven't satisfied your deductible yet. And it will cost you $250 before I can give you an authorization number to go to the non-emergency Emergency Room.” “Oh,lady. I’mjustaboutfedup. Nowlhave insurance and I'm paying $100 per month for it I can’t be seen by your doctor until Dec. 21 and I can’t be seen by my family doctor at all unless I pay. And I can’t get an authorization number to be seen at the non-emergency Emergency Room until I’ve met my deductible. What am I supposed to do?” “Well sir, you can call our complaint line at 222-2223. They can help you.” “OK lady, that’s just what I’ll do.” Dial. Dial. Dial •“Thank you for calling the complaint line. All operators are busy. If you will stay on the line, an operator will answer. Or you can press one to complain about the deductibles; two, to complain about your doctor, or three, to cancel the insurance.” .»

IPS to install monitors on school buses

By CONNIE GAINES HAYES nity. The growth supervision Staff Writer aspect of mypropasal involves

teaching youngsters the val-

Whlle Indianapolis Public ues needed to resist violence School officials continue ma- and criminal gang behavior, jor talks toward a solution to We need to coordinate comthe gang problem, politicians munity resources to provide such as Drew Young, repub- both cultural and social expelican candidate for prosecu- riences as well as training and torand Marion County Prose- job opportunities,” he said, cutor Steve Goldsmith have Consequently, Dr. Lorenza outlined a comprehensive Dixon, acting superintendent plan for eradicating the Indi- of IPS and Marion County anapolis gang problem, Prosecutor Steve Goldsmith, Drew’s plan involves two have been meeting with high basic elements — tough, no- school bus drivers to discuss nonsense law enforcement plans for school bus monitors, along with intensive youth According to IPS officials, programs, he says will curtail the 1991 budget will permit gang activity. some 180 bus monitor to be His plan also includes re- installed in school buses In cruiting and training street- Marion County. Officials are smart young men who can hoping this step will help stop deal with youth on a one-on- some of the violence on school one basis. buses. Drewsaid he plans tobring Dixon and Goldsmith are the gang problem to the com- expected to meet with community. munity officials concerning “There should be a social other possible gang-related network to help our commu- action.

Is it difficult to understand that if hundreds of thousands of children are raised without the benefit of the most fundamental human kindness, some of them might be angry by the time they become adults. Certainly people are responsible for their behavior as adults, but how is it that we expect people to become kind and caring adults when our systems of child welfare are often unkind and uncaring? Will the 19-year-old that I described become a decent person by magic? How did we ourselves become so good? Was it without the benefit of others kindness? Can we devise a child welfare system that is not an incubator for our prison system? The next time I’m in the barber shop, I think I’ll tell that man that I know where some of the mean kids come from.

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