Page 6 University Daily Kansan, August 23, 1982 Area legislators favor request to change health benefits plan By DOUG CUNNINGHAM Staff Reporter Staff Reporter A request from state employees to change health care benefits and increase the employer contribution to reimbursement of good idea, area legislators said recently. The employees testified last week before a special Legislative committee that they should be given more options to have in choosing health care benefits. STATE REP, Betty Jo Charlton, D-Lawrence, said yesterday, "I think they should have the choice. People's needs are different." Kansas now provides medical health care benefits to state employees and pays the full cost of an individual's premium. Pictures from the Kansas Medical Center show that this amounts to $800 per person for the current fiscal year. The current plan, however, provides no options for employees to choose the job. Gail Hamilton, president of the KU Classified Senate, said that possible options might include dental, optical and hearing coverage, graduated premiums for employees with dependents, a provision for annual physical exams. The Classified Senate represents state employees at the University, except faculty and administrators. State employees can now choose family coverage at an additional cost of $1,356 annually. Hamilton said that graduated premiums would consider the number of dependents to be covered by the health plan. STATE REP. Jess Branson, D-Lawrence, said many KU employees felt the present system did not allow enough flexibility. "I think they feel, and rightly so, that the system we have now is too inflexible." erranson said that allowing employees to pick their health care benefits would make them more aware of the health care costs for individual items, and thus decrease the annually decrease as employees picked only the benefits they needed. State Rep. John Solbach, D-Lawrence, said he thought allowing state employees to pick their health care benefits was a good idea. "I think that is a more attractive f Benefit package than one that is based on a traditional model." Also discussed in testimony before the legislative committee were increases in the employer contribution to employee retirement plans. The state now contributes 50 percent of the total amount to employee retirement programs. The employee contributes the other 50 percent. MOST STATE EMPLOYEES are covered by the Kansas Public Employees Retirement System. Participation in the state's public employees exempt elected officials. However, faculty and certain administrators at Kansas Board of Regents institutions, including the University, participate in a different retirement program that includes the University Association and College Retirement Equities Fund. Branson, Charlton and Solbach all said they were in favor of increasing the employer contribution to the two retirement plans, but they were cautious about the chances of an increase being approved by the Legislature. being appointed a executive committee is expected to make a recommendation on both the ringle benefits proposals and the retirement proposals around the first of November, though the recommendation could come sooner. Branson said, "We have to view it in light of the fact that revenues are short." Officials to reduce energy use By MATTHEW SCHOFIELD Staff Reporter KU officials will have to decide where to conserve energy within the next few weeks because of a 4 percent cut in KU's utilities budget, Wendy Hogan, associate executive vice chancellor, said Saturday. Staff Reporter During the past summer the department of facilities operations conserved energy by reducing air conditioning use in 34 of KU's 76 non-residential buildings because they were not extensively used, Hogan said. The 4 percent reduction of KU's $4.8 million utilities budget amounted to IN THE FALL semester many more people are on campus, he said, and the methods that facilites operations will be changed so to be changed to provide for their comfort. "We've already put some things to work that are invisible," he said. "We've been turning off the systems at night. By doing this we conserve energy and the comfort level of the buildings never changes." Hogan said any decisions officials made would have to come soon, but he added the issue of KU utilities was a "major, complex issue." The decisions would be tough because they would arouse aggression and area the size of a small city. But Thomas Anderson, director of facilities operations, said several buildings needed air conditioning for more than just comfort. "THE HEALTH AND Life Sciences buildings need a certain temperature range." Have we got a DEAL for YOU! Avoid the lines and the hassle. For a 20c per title handling fee, we'll get your textbooks for you! Place your order before 2 pm at the Citadel Shop and pick up Satellite Shop and pick up your clock. Kansas Union Bookstores ATTENTION! PRE-MED STUDENTS A MEETING FOR JUNIORS AND SENIORS INTERESTED IN APPLYING TO MEDICAL SCHOOL Wednesday, August 25 7:00 p.m. in the Big Eight Room of the Kansas Union Important information for pre-med students *Representatives from KU Medical Center will be in attendance BE SURE TO ATTEND! HI-FI BUTCHER BLOCK! QUALITY TURNTABLES SLASHED! 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Stop in anytime and make August your month for family fun. Offer available at LeMans Family Fun Center in Southern Hills Shopping Center. Fun Center in Southern Hills Shopping Center Billy's Le Mans Family Fun Centers A Playground for the Mind Planning a heavy load? Balance it out with a LITE. NOT WHEN YOU OWN A HEWLETT-PACKARD CALCULATOR HEWLETT PACKARD MODEL REG. SALE PRICE HP-33C $110.00 $92.95 HP-32E 65.00 54.95 HP-37E 90.00 75.95 HP-34C 150.00 123.95 HP-38C 150.00 123.95 HP-11C 100.00 83.95 HP-12C 150.00 123.95 HP-15C* 135.00 113.95 HP-16C* 150.00 123.95 HP-41C 250.00 189.95 HP-41CV 325.00 249.95 Quad Module 95.00 71.95 Programmed Modules 30.00 24.95 ALL MODELS SALE PRICED!!! --- SAVE$$$! *NEW MODEL Limited quantities on some models-shop early for best selection! Sale ends Sept. 9,1982 kansas union bookstores main level 2, satellite shop V