The Index-Journal from Greenwood, South Carolina • Page 1

IMS INDEX JOURNAL Call for: Missed paper. 223-1414 223-1811 223-1813 Today's Living. 223-1814 Business 223-1411 Got a story or photo idea? Call 223-1811 between I a.m. and p.m.. 9 a.m.

and p.m. Saturdays. Inside Classified Community Calendar 3 Dear Abby Editorial. 4 2 Sports 12-14 Today in History 20 Today's living. 9,9 Weather, 11 GREENWOOD, SOUTH CAROLINA, 1990 72nd No.

245 Bustle, iorib 20 Pages 2 Sections 25 Rising cost of Here is a list of hospital charges for 25 common conditions and surgical procedures at South Carolina's 69 non-federal acute cared hospitals. The list includes the average price of the procedure in 1989 and the percentage increase since 1987. Conditionprocedure otkev s9 sign arms achev "We're prepared to show pa tience in the quest for a political solution but we remain firm and determined in implementing the will of the United Nations," which has demanded Iraq's withdrawal, he said. The two men spoke after a glittering signing ceremony in an ornate ballroom at the Elysee Palace. The long-sought agreement to destroy tens of thousands of tanks, artillery and armored com-" Abdominal pain $1,806 34 IE Ife.

1 Angina pectoris $2,738 19 KT Back pain $2,321 10 Bronchitis $3,877 21 Abnormal heart rhythm $3,145 23 "VmWMMliMMiAW-M A Chest pain $2.468 25 lit 'yfy rrrvv Congestive heart failure $4,552 28 kwtm.j.v,f a. J3 -i Diabetes $2,900 26 .34 1 Removal of Hemorrhoids $2,597 25 IAt.M,iMY,,, Hernia $2,618 31 p.i..M in nwmmmwmwt wwwwrHmmrv Mastectomy $4,523 23 UB5'jateiia3SaM Removal of Prostate $3,982 22 luiatlaay o. atl-cia il A SOURCE S.C Budget and Control Board PARIS (AP) President Bush and Mikhail Gorbachev led European leaders today in signing a historic treaty that slashes non-nuclear weapons in Europe and pushes the Cold War deeper into history. "What a long way the world has come," exulted the Soviet leader. Scarcely had the accord been signed when Bush sought to cement European support for the continued effort to force Iraq's Morning collision A dumptrnck, right, involved in a wreck this morning on U.S.

221 rests in a ditch after colliding with a car headed toward Greenwood. The car, below, was struck on the driver's side and also landed in a ditch. (Staff photos by Patricia Edwards) mil mm 2531 a Hospital bills skyrocketing 'There is no answer to problem on the horizon' EDITOR'S NOTE This is the Increases in lab and ancillary first In a three-part series on hos- costs are attributed to doctors i St MONDAY, NOVEMBER 19, oiui pact bat vehicles in Europe is the most sweeping arms accord in history. It will alter the military balance in Europe by erasing Moscow's ability to mass huge numbers of tanks and other heavy armor in central Europe. "It is the farthest-reaching arms agreement in history and it signals the new world order that is emerging," Bush said beforehand.

"This reduces to (See Arms deal, page 2) 2 dead in car, truck wreck By PATRICIA EDWARDS Staff writer Two people were killed this morning when a small car headed north on U.S. 221 collided with a dump truck traveling south toward McCormick, according to the S.C. Highway Patrol. The driver of the car, Christopher Kevin Wideman, 17, of Bradley, and a passenger, Derrick E. Wright, 16, also of Bradley, were pronounced dead at the scene at 7:48 a.m.

of multiple trauma, according to Deputy Cor- Alicia Wideman, 19, of Bradley, and Yolanda Wideman, 17, of Greenwood also passengers in the car were taken to the Self Memorial Hospital Emergency Room where they were treated for injuries, according to Dan Branyon, hospital spokesman. The driver of the truck, Eugene Wilson, 39, of Hodges, was also taken to the emergency room, Branyon said. All three were listed in stable condition at press time. The accident occured about one-and-a-half miles below Mt. Moriah Baptist Church on U.S.

22l. Kelly said details are sketchy. Witnesses at the scene indicated that the car apparently crossed over into the path of the dumptruck, causing the truck to (See Accident, page 2) Bulgaria SOFIA, Bulgaria (AP) Demonstrators angered by rationing and shortages are rallying behind opposition leaders who have told Socialist Premier Andrei Lukanov to resign by Thursday or face general unrest. But Lukanov said leaving office under pressure "would be a betrayal of democracy." There have been two attempted attacks on Lukanov's home recently. On Sunday, about 70,000 protesters outside Alexander Nevsky Cathedral cheered wildly as opposition leaders issued the Thursday deadline for the leader of the long-ruling party and his government to step down.

medical care Cost Increase Index-Journal graphic by )oteph Sitarz Oerensive medicine ordering additional tests to avoid malpractice suits. The state's population is also graying. And older folks generally require more expensive ana lengthy care. Thrown into the mix are patients' expectations. They don't want to wait, want the best technology and, because of health insurance, many times they don't pay the cost out of pocket.

The solutions to the problem are even more complex. Officials say they may require some fundamental changes in the way health care is provided. For years, everyone blamed everyone else for rising health costs. That seems to be changing. "We need fingers pointed at us just like we need to point fingers at the consumers and the small businesses who don't provide health insurance.

There's enough blame to go around," said Patti Smoake of the South Carolina Hospital Association. "IT'S GOING TO take everybody providing some input. It can't just be a health care executive making a decision in a vacuum or some government official making a decision in a vacuum," she added. Cost-shifting has a big impact on hospitals. The association says Medicare reimburses only 90 cents of each dollar of care.

The state-operated Medicaid program reimbursed only 66 cents. The association says each year the state's hospitals provide $550 million in free care. That puts increasing pressure on hospitals to compete for paying patients. To do that, hospitals must concentrate on attracting doctors. To attract doctors, hospitals scurry to provide the best facilities and the latest technology.

"The doctors are God. Whatever they want, the hospital gets for them," said one former employee of a coastal hospital. (See Hospital costs, page 2) Moscow MOSCOW (AP) Boris N. Yeltsin, president of the largest Soviet republic, demanded today that Mikhail S. Gorbachev consult with leaders of the republics before implementing his plan to reorganize the national government.

In his first public comment on the Soviet president's proposals, Yeltsin told the independent Interfax news agency that he found some of them "disappointing," but did not specify which ones, lie said he needed to study the proposals thoroughly. "My attitude toward them is not that simple," said Yeltsin. withdrawal from Kuwait. "Our success here can be neither profound nor enduring if the rule of law is shamelessly disregarded elsewhere," he said In a speech to 34-nation summit called to discuss European security in the post Cold War era. Gorbachev followed Bush to the podium, and he, too, blended words of praise for East-West cooperation in Europe with the need to halt Iraq's aggression.

I i -j IM-ini aT -1 i aW8ij- to have an estimated 10 divisions, totaling 170,000 troops in Kuwait and about 250,000 men in southern Iraq. Overall, Iraq has an estimated 555,000 regular troops and 480,000 reserves. It claims a militia called the Popular Army has 5 million men. On Sunday, Saddam said he would free the estimated 2,000 remaining Westerners stranded in Iraq and occupied Kuwait between Christmas and March 25 "unless something would take place that mars the atmosphere of peace." Bush today dismissed that announcement as a bid to buy time. Saddam has been freeing the hostages a few at a time since his troops overran Kuwait.

Rare transplant PITTSBURGH (AP) A 3-year-old Texas girl was back in the hospital and undergoing tests today to determine if she was rejecting the liver or small intestines she received in a rare transplant operation in July. Tracey Kay Gonzales of Corpus Christi was admitted Sunday night to Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh because she had diarrhea, said hospital spokeswoman Lynn McMahon. The child was listed in fair condition today. Iraq sending more troops to Kuwait pttal By BRUCE SMITH Associated Press Writer CHARLESTON Hospital bills in South Carolina are skyrocketing. They're shooting up more than twice as fast as the also-climbing consumer price index.

And in a highly competitive market where hospital competition seems to only drive prices higher, there appears to be no easy answer for bringing them down or slowing the rate of in- Between 1987 and 1989, average hospital charges for 25 common ailments in the state increased anywhere from a modest 10 percent to a whopping 46 percent. Budget and Control Board figures show that from October 1989 through last March, total charges from the state's 69 non-federal hospitals jumped 10.5 percent compared to the previous year. At the same time, the consumer price index edged up only 4.6 percent. The total hospital bill for the period was more than $1.1 billion. And figures from the South Carolina Hospital Association show charges have jumped about 8 percent annually over the past five years.

"IT'S A WONDER it is not worse than it is. There is no answer to the problem on the horizon. There is no government agency responsible to do anything about it," said Pete Bailey, the chief of the office of Health and Demographic Statistics for the state Budget and Control Board. The reasons for the increase are complex. Hospitals are forced to shift the cost of patients who can't pay to those who can.

They're also caught in an ever-escalating war of high technology to attract doctors and, ultimately, patients. Costs for equipment and the people to operate it, can drive prices higher. Drug czar WASHINGTON (AP) The Eerson most likely to succeed Wil-am J. Bennett as director of the nation's drug control strategy is Florida Gov. Bob Martinez, who recently lost his re-election bid, a White House official says.

Bennett, meanwhile, is in line to become chairman of the Republican National Committee in January, Republican sources said over the weekend. He would take over for the ailing Lee Atwater, 39, who has been undergoing intensive treatment for a cancerous brain tumor. Officially, the White House was mum, as was Martinez's Statehonse scandal State civil rights leader's request will be considered WASHINGTON (AP) The Justice Department will consider a request by a South Carolina civil rights leader for a federal probe of whether the FBI selectively targets and harasses black public officials. William Gibson, state president and board chairman of the NAACP, said at the state convention in October he wanted a "complete investigation into allegations of a long standing FBI policy of harassing and investigating black elected officials without probable cause." In particular, he cited the FBI probe of the South Carolina Legislature which has led to corruption charges against nine lawmakers and drug charges against a tenth legislator and a lobbyist. Four of those indicted for selling their vote for cash are black.

Three other members of the Legislative Black Caucus have been named by U.S. Attorney Bart Daniel as "conspirators" in a scheme to get money for their votes. The three have not been charged in "Operation Lost Trust." Also, another black state legislator has been questioned by feder-(See Request, page 2) NICOSIA, Cyprus (AP) Iraq will send an additional 250,000 troops to Kuwait, more than doubling its military strength in the occupied emirate, the Iraqi News Agency reported today. Seven extra divisions of the regular army would be sent immediately, INA said, and another 150,000 reserves would be called to duty. The Iraqi agency report was monitored in Cyprus.

The move, announced after a meeting headed by President Saddam Hussein, came 11 days after President Bush announced a U.S. buildup in the Persian Gulf that would bring American troop strength in the region to about 430,000 soldiers, Marines, and other personnel. Previously, Iraq was believed London LONDON (AP) Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher displayed breezy confidence on the eve of a challenge to her leadership, saying in a newspaper interview published today that her work is unfinished "and it will be finished." But challenger Michael Heseltine, the former defense secretary, said today he was in a better position to consolidate her successes, because he was more likely to lead the Conservative Party to an election victory. Pakistan ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (AP) The government has reopened an investigation into the plane crash that killed military ruler Mohammed Zia ul-Haq more than two years ago, police said today. The crash of a C-130 transport plane on Aug.

17, 1988, killed Gen. Zia, about a dozen of the country's top-ranking military officers and U.S. Ambassador Arnold No one has been specifically blamed for the crash, but an in- auiry by the Pakistan air force, le U.S. Air Force and other military branches concluded it was "an act of sophisticated technical sabotage." It recommended a criminal investigation..