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ASM recommends Woulf for voting member on ALRC The Associated Students of Madison Student Council voted Wednesday to recommend Mark Woulf to fill the position of a citizen-voting member on the Alcohol License Review Committee. Woulf is currently the non-voting student technical advisor on the ALRC, but if he is appointed will be able to have voting rights on the committee. The Common Council approved adding a citizen member to the committee Nov. 3, after Mayor Dave Cieslewicz said he would consider a student for the position. Legislative Affairs Committee Chair Adam Johnson said Cieslewicz has his own potential candidates, some of which are not students from UW-Madison. According to Johnson, the Council’s recommendation is due to the mayor by Dec. 1, and getting the recommendation to the mayor as soon as possible would help ensure the student representative is from UW-Madison. He said since UW-Madison is the largest institution with students in Madison, it would be of the greatest benefit to have a student from UW-Madison on the board. Johnson said the Student Council has asm page 3
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Thursday, November 19, 2009
UW students struggle with restrictive HMOs By Ryan Hebel
A student holds up a sign during the men’s basketball game Wednesday. Students were invited to make their own signs as part of the “Show Us Your Sign” competition.
SPORTS
If UW-Madison student Steven Sobeck asked every clinic in Madison to treat and refill his prescriptions for hyperthyroidism, their response would be unanimous: “Go home.” Sobeck’s condition over-stimulates his metabolism, accelerates his nervous system and can cause complications from heart palpitations and anxiety to congestive heart failure and even osteoporosis if not treated a few times each year. Unfortunately, Sobeck is one of the many UW students with insurance through his parents’ Health Maintenance Organization—which offers coverage within a limited network of health-care providers. Although most HMOs cover emergency care anywhere, other treatments are not reimbursed if the insured is “outof-network.” Most frustrating of all, Sobeck said his HMO would cover Madison treatments if his nearest in-network provider, Lake Mills Urgent Care Clinic, was more than 30 miles away. It’s 28 miles, and Sobeck’s HMO isn’t budging. “I’ve tried to get this changed by talking with the insurance provider directly, but they remain unsympathetic and refuse to grant any exceptions,” Sobeck said in an e-mail, though he did not reveal his insurer. Instead, when Sobeck needs his refill—usually two-to-four times per year—the Green Bay native works around holiday breaks when he can hitch rides home from friends and family. University Health Services Executive Director
Sarah Van Orman said she sees similar HMO frustrations almost every day. “HMOs assume somebody has a single home. The challenge with students is … the place they need to get care in the school year is different from where they might need to get care over break.” Although HMOs cover emergency care, Van Orman said the old restrictions renew once patients leave the ER. “Somebody may have an emergency condition, like a pretty serious broken bone, where they end up having to go to the emergency room … but then they need a follow-up appointment with an orthopedic surgeon or physical therapy, and even though the emergency was covered, the follow-up care would not be covered in Madison.” Van Orman said UHS covers most basic procedures for students through segregated fee payments, but specialty care, physical therapy and “complex diagnostic testing such as catscans, MRIs and endoscopy” are not covered. UW-Madison student Julie-Anne Spatz discovered her HMO’s limitations too late when she tore her ACL during a previous school year. “My health-care coverage would not pay for me to receive an MRI in Wisconsin, and I had to pay for a flight home to get one,” the Maryland native said in an e-mail. Van Orman said HMOs often render out-ofnetwork doctors helpless. “Normally I can order [specialty treatments] hmos page 3
Blue Velvet Lounge unable to increase capacity By Caitlin Gath The Daily Cardinal
The Alcohol License Review Committee was unable to increase the capacity of the Blue Velvet Lounge due to the Alcohol License Density Plan at Wednesday night’s meeting. Under the current ALDP, the city is unable to increase the capacity for any establishment, except hotels and restaurants, said Ald. Michael Schumacher, District 18. Blue Velvet owner Larry Schmock requested that the committee increase the number of patrons from its current 99 capacity to a proposed 168. Schmock said the Blue Velvet Lounge had been operating as a two-level bar under a 122-person capacity set by the building inspector. When the bar agreed to do a capacity review with the city, however, the number ended at 99. According to Schmock, the Madison Fire Department requested an architect review all of the plans, and based on that, the capacity level could have gone up to 168. ALRC member Mark Woulf said it was “super frustrating” that the committee could not fix this because of the ordinance. The ALDP is set to sunset at the end of 2010. To determine the capacity for bars with more than one level, Alcohol Policy Coordinator Katherine Plominski said it is based on square footage per person, exit width and toilet capacity. The item will be looked at again at the ALRC’s December meeting to determine if the 122-person capacity can possibly be
reinstated. A new liquor license for the Pub Bar on State Street was also granted at Wednesday’s meeting, under the new ownership of Gus Paras, current owner of the Comedy Club. ALRC member Pam Bean said she was impressed with the way the Comedy Club is owned and operated, and hopes the Pub will be run with the same diligence.
Paras said he plans to increase the security at the bar and put in cameras. “I do not need to have monkey business. We do it as clean as possible,” he said. According to Asst. City Attorney Steven Brist, there is currently a legal dispute over the sale of the business. Eric Fleming, former owner of the Crave Restaurant and Lounge, may have had a claim on it, he said.
Isabel Álvarez/the daily cardinal
Ald. Mike Verveer, District 4, speaks during the ALRC meeting Wednesday evening.
“…the great state University of Wisconsin should ever encourage that continual and fearless sifting and winnowing by which alone the truth can be found.”