Veritas, Vol. 31, No. 05, November 1, 1990

              For the Faculty and Staff of the University of Miami
November 1, 1990 Volume 31 Number 5
Justice in law school
The Honorable Antonin Scalia, associate justice of the United States Supreme Court, will deliver the sixth annual Robert B. Cole Distinguished Jurist Lecture on Wednesday, November 14, 4 p.m., at the downtown James L. Knight Center, 400 Southeast Second Avenue. His topic will be “Reflections on the Constitution.”
Scalia was nominated to the Supreme Court in 1986 by President Ronald Reagan.
The lecture is sponsored by the School of Law and the law firm of Mershon, Sawyer, Johnston, Dunwody & Cole. The series is named for Robert B. Cole, an attorney with the firm for more than 55 years. The purpose of the series is “to bring to the South Florida legal community distin-
to present lecture series
guished judges interested in sharing their thinking on important legal questions in a context free of the inevitable constraints of opinion writing.” The lecture is free and open to the public. Free bus transportation to and from the Knight Center will be provided; buses will depart from the law school promptly at 2:45 p.m.
Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia
Benefit changes reflect rising medical costs
Escalating healthcare costs have affected individuals and institutions throughout the nation. And the University of Miami is no exception. In order for the University to retain a high-quality health plan at reasonable cost, changes in benefits have been made that were recommended by the Employee Benefits Committee and recently approved by the administration. The changes will become effective January 1, 1991-
Some of the changes are listed below. More detailed information can be found in the latest Employee Benefits Update newsletter, and during the Open Enrollment and Benefits Fair—November 6-7 at the medical campus and November 13-14 on the Coral Gables campus.
• Health Plan choices. The Travelers Low-Deductible Plan
has been eliminated and will become part of the UMSM plan, and the high-deductible plan will no longer be offered for single coverage only. In addition, CAC-Ramsay will replace the CIGNA HMO. Dependent on coverage elected, some premiums will be higher and some will be lower.
•Prescriptions. The UMSM prescription benefit will now be optional, with a reduction in premium if not chosen. The copayment for prescriptions, which was $3, will be $5 for generic and $7 for brand-name.
• Office visits. Participants in the Travelers and UMSM/Travelers plans will now pay a $15 copayment for every primary and specialty care office visit, an increase from $5. Av-Med will require a $10 co-payment for primary and specialty care office
visits. CAC-Ramsay will require a $10 co-payment for primary care office visits only.
•	Hospital care. A $100 cost will be incurred for each hospital admission to a Preferred Provider Organization (PPO) or HMO hospital. The cost will be $250 per day for a non-PPO hospital. The UMSM plan is not included as long as confinement is in a University hospital or Jackson Memorial Medical Center.
•	Pre-existing conditions. There will be no coverage for preexisting conditions during the first year of employment.
•New employees. There will be a 90-day waiting period for coverage for new employees.
•	Out-of-pocket maximum. In the Travelers and UMSM plans, the
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University of Miami joins Big East Conference
The University of Miami has accepted an offer to join the Big East Conference, following approval by the 55-member Board of Trustees at its October 10 meeting. Approval was based on the unanimous recommendation of President Edward T. Foote II, Athletic Director Sam Jankovich, and an ad hoc committee formed by the president to study and evaluate conference options.
“I am extremely pleased with the decision and with our new partners,” says Foote. “The Big East represents fine colleges and universities having the same kind of values with which we want to be associated.”
The other members of the Big East Conference are Boston College, University of Connecticut, Georgetown University, University of Pittsburgh, Providence College, St. John's University, Seton Hall University, Syracuse University, and Villanova University.
The University will become a full voting member of the Conference immediately and begin competition in the 1991-92 season in men's and women’s basketball, tennis, swimming and diving, cross country, track and field, and men's golf. The Big East does not have championships in women's golf or crew, so the University will remain an independent in those sports, as well as maintaining its independence in football and baseball.
“This is a great marriage for the University,” says Jankovich. “It allows us to maintain our national visibility in many of our programs while enhancing the exposure of other sports.”