The ongoing national debate over quality health care hit the University this week as noticed by issues discussed at yesterday's meeting of the Senate Advisory Committee on University Affairs.

Several SACUA members raised questions about the current state of the Faculty Health Appraisal Unit. The unit, located within University Health Service, provides free thorough physicals to all faculty members with at least a 50-percent appointment in an academic department and staff members above a certain ranking, based on experience and performance.

Until 2000, faculty members were invited periodically, depending on age, to receive a free physical. But three years ago, the University halted that process due to increasing costs and because all University insurance plans already provided free annual checkups.

Yesterday, Courant clarified the University position - to let the program "wither away" as older faculty retire and not to inform younger faculty about the program.

"The current plan which has been in effect for a number of years has been not to eliminate it, but not to advertise it," Courant said in a phone interview after the meeting.

But SACUA members said they liked the unit program because the same physician treats them every time and service is quick, something not always guaranteed at the University Hospital.

"I find it much more user-friendly than going over to the hospital," neuropsychology Prof. Stan Berent said. "If you have a special problem, they follow up on it."

Confusion arose at the meeting about the future of the unit program.

Later on, Berent said that he was confused about the University's position on the state of the program.

"I don't think they've actively decided," he said, adding that he hoped Courant took the feedback seriously.

Richard Gull, a philosophy professor at the University's Flint campus, added that he wasn't sure if the University is letting the program die.

"It wasn't clear to me," Gull said.

Other faculty members added that for professors going abroad, the program offered advice on what immunizations and medicines needed to be taken before the trip.

Courant said that he would look into providing that service through the University's other plans.

Courant also took questions about the proposed new health insurance policies, which would implement a premium-sharing model for all faculty and staff. Until this year, University employees paid less than 10 percent of premiums for themselves and their dependents. But University health insurance costs rose to $170 million this year from $80 million in 1995. Under new recommendations made by a committee of professors, employees could now be paying on average around 15 percent of premiums. The regents and executive officers expect to receive a final plan in December.

SACUA members made few comments regarding the new policy due to lack of knowledge but went into closed executive session after the public meeting to discuss the policies.

Faculty said their reaction about the premiums will remain ambivalent until they have more time to digest the information. But chemistry Prof. Roseanne Sension, a faculty member for 12 years, said although she is still not familiar with the details of the new policy, she does not think insurance premium sharing seemed unreasonable.

"The increase to faculty has been incredibly small," Sension said.

But political science Prof. Mika Lavaque-Manty added that while he sympathizes with the University's high costs, he thought the burden should be scattered more fairly according to salary.

"Faculty can more easily afford premium sharing than GSIs and staff," Lavique-Manty said.