Reno Gazette-Journal from Reno, Nevada • Page 1

A Oldsmobile Bravada wheels, deals Monday me sv Hard disks get help from software --11 Bins Monday, Jan. 28, 1991 ao tim ck in siraing 1 5. 'V i .4 Si SHOP OWNER: Ceola Davis, left, owner SURVIVING THE RECESSION traffic. We had a lot of small sales versus large sales." Some careful adjustments Just before the national economy began its slide, Ceola Davis expanded her Personal Touch beauty salon and beauty supply business to include a clothing boutique. Davis said she's now doing extensive planning to keep the businesses, located Craig Sador Gazette-Journal of Personal Touch, chats with Carmen Head and hair stylist Tammy Walker.

of hospital care can save Telemarketing: junk mail by phone You're just sitting down to dinner, after a long day, when the telephone rings. You answer. "Hello," says a bright but faintly mechanical voice. "How are you this evening? My name is (a first name is given). I'd like to talk to you for a moment about (a 7 -2 SYLVIA PORTER product, from above-ground burial to vinyl siding, is mentioned)." Your privacy has just been invaded, yet if you are polite you may listen while your dinner grows cold.

If you are annoyed enough to make a smart remark, you may trigger a stream of vulgarities and verbal abuse. There is junk mail; there are now junk fax messages. Increasingly, the sales technique of choice is the junk phone call. You are the victim of the booming business of telemarketing. Much has been made in the last year or so of telemarketing schemes that are crooked, usually offering phony get-rich-quick scams.

But entirely legitimate phone solicitation is a big business, according to the Direct Marketing Association (DMA). It is expected to top $10 billion in 1991. Unlike the "boiler rooms" of the confidence games, the modern telemarketing facility employs from hundreds to thousands of workers. Elaborate automatic machines dial numbers in order. Those that are answered are switched quickly to a living telemarketer.

Having an unlisted number will not exempt you. Often the telemarketing is not done by the company offering goods or services but by a third party. This could be a stand-alone concern or a subsidiary of the telephone company itself. At least one major airline (American) employs 2,000 people in a telemarketing company at its reservations center in Texas. Sometimes the telemarketing is done by computerized recording machines that play the sales pitch and then call upon you to key in responses with a touch-tone phone.

It is not uncommon for answering machine owners to get home after work to find the machine's tape filled with a spiel that can run 20 minutes or more. Though entirely legitimate, what savvy businessfolk call telemarketing many consumers find to be tel-annoyances. If you are bothered by such calls, what can you do to stop them from coming to your home? Not much. Not that there haven't been attempts. One man has achieved some success in taking telemarketers to small claims court, suing for the time he has spent dealing with them.

Usually he has won, but the amounts are small and the process is time consuming. And. he admits, his actions have done nothing to reduce the number of telepitches he receives. Southern Bell Telephone offers a service wherein you can dial a number right after hanging up from a phone call. This ensures that you will receive no further calls from the number that just called.

The problem is, telemarketing outfits employ from dozens to hundreds of phone lines. Such a call eliminates only one. The Florida legislature last year approved a law that allows residents who do not wish to receive telepitches to register with the state. Each year a list of those who have registered is prepared, and telemarketing companies in the state are required to remove the numbers from their lists. The problem is that a company still can call into Florida from another state, unhindered by Florida law.

Other states are considering legislation as well. But so far, there isn't much you or anyone else can do. Los Angeles Times Facing lower yields Worried by war and a worsening economy, small investors have sought safety by moving a hefty $13.5 billion into money-market funds so far this month, according to data gathered for Money magazine's Small Investor Index. Economists warn, however, that money fund yields are likely to fall at least half a percentage point to around 6.5 percent in the next three months. Overall last week, the Index, which tracks the performance of the average individual's investments, rose $323 to $41,188.

Stocks gained $285 and bonds $21: certificates of deposit and money funds kicked in $22. Economist Philip Braverman of DKB Securities advises small investors to lock in yields now on other income investments that are just as safe "You can get more than 7.4 percent on a three-year Treasury note," he says. Small business owners trim inventories, offer specials By Susan SkorupaGazette-Journal Tough economic times are hard to weather for businesses that depend on confident consumer spending. And for small businesses, the going can be harder than for large firms with millions in assets to help ride out a recession. Cautious consumerism, however, doesn't mean it's time for small businesses to pull in their horns and wait for economic boom, business experts say.

Careful, prudent planning and good business common sense can help keep small businesses afloat and even prosperous until the economy turns around. And those are the practices several local small business owners say they're using to ward off effects of the current recession. "All I'm doing is being a little more careful in buying," said Dalynne Moore of Dalynne's Fashions in Southwest Pavilion. "People are looking for special items, unique things rather than basics. My customers feel they have the basics and are looking for something new and unusual to add on." Moore said she's buying merchandise in smaller amounts, but not reducing her inventory level.

"I'm buying more unique items and hoping that will work," she said. "So far, we've been fortunate. We haven't felt any real slam yet" from economic slowdown. Considering the current economic climate, Moore said her shop experienced a good holiday season. Retailers in some parts of the country reported extremely slow sales during December, traditionally a period when some stores report as much as 50 percent of their annual sales.

"Here, people who usually bought four or five outfits, bought three or four instead," Moore said. "But we had good Monitoring By Sherry JaCObSOnGannett News Service The skyrocketing cost of health care has changed the way Americans go to the doctor. When people need to see a physician, they may call a health maintenance organization or a preferred provider organization. And when they need to go to the hospital, they usually call the insurance company for permission. There are rules, promulgated by the government and the insurance industry, that dictate who can be hospitalized, how long they can stay in the hospital for certain ailments and what can be charged.

But consumers need not feel helpless. First and foremost, know your insurance coverage. Use medical reference books to learn about your illness. And don't be afraid to ask questions and demand answers from doctors, nurses, hospital administrators and financial counselors who will bill you for every imaginable service. While it may appear that costs are beyond your control, staying on top of what's being done to you can make even the most daunting and expensive aspect of health care the hospital visit more affordable.

"Unfortunately, there's a lot of confusion," acknowledged Donald White, spokesman for the Health Insurance Association of America, a trade association of 320 commercial insurance carriers based in Washington, D.C. "People don't always understand their insurance policies, what's covered and not covered," White said. "And, even when 102 100 98 96 94 92 90 88 86 84 82 80 A week ago: 0.79 A year ago: 6.46 The average individual investor's portfolio gained $323 last week ZZ and is now worth $41,188. Ml AMl I A S0 1990 Source: Money Magazine '4 1 s7 4 "A-l 'ft 4 ft instead of carrying lines that might sell more slowly. She's also started advertising specials to help out her customers a little.

"We're cutting back and looking closely at what we have on hand," Davis said. At the Camera Bag. 575 E. Moana Lane. "As the recession goes, the headlines every day kicked us over," said owner Jack Salika.

"People are saying they're holding off buying because of what they hear in the media. It's a self- fulfilling prophesy. "But right now," he added, "people are holding their breath over what's See BUSINESSES, page 3F you money health care, costs Books. Sound advice about nutrition, exercise, medical care. DRUGS "The Physician's Desk Reference," Medical Economics Des Moines.

Iowa. THE reference work on drugs. $51.95. Available at most libraries. Or vou can order by writing: PDR.

P.O. Box 10689, Des Moines. Iowa 50336. "The American Medical Association Guide to Prescription and Over-the-Counter Drugs." $25, Random House. Excellent guide for home use.

"Drug Information for the Consumer." $27.95. Consumers Union. If not available at bookstore, write Consumer Reports Books. 9180 Le Saint Drive. Fairfield.

Ohio. 45014-5452. NEWSLETTERS Consumer Reports Health Letter. P.O. Box 52148.

Boulder, Colo. 80322-2148. 12 issues. $24. Consumer rights, how to stretch your health care dollars.

Harvard Health Letter. S24. 164 Long-wood Boston. Mass. 02115.

The latest medical information about diseases and treatment, in concise form. Mavo Clinic Health Letter, $24. 200 First St. S.W., Rochester. Minn.

55905. Thorough examination of illnesses and treatment for over-60 audience. Gannett News Service Wednesday through Saturday. Nevada Alfalfa Symposium. John Ascuagas Nugget.

240. Thursday through Monday. Feb. 4. California Fabricare Association.

John Ascuaga Nugget. 210. Friday and Saturday. Nevada Air National Guard, McCarran House Inn. 100.

Saturday through Monday. Feb. 11. National Spa and Pool Institute, Rally's and Reno Sparks Convention Center. 3.500.

Sunday through Thursday. Feb. 7. Scanning Electron Microscopi. John Ascuaga Nugget.

75. Sunday through Friday, Feb. 8. Hi-Temple. John Ascuaga Nugget.

500. Las Vegas Tuesday through Friday. World of Concrete Exposition. Las Vegas Convention Center, 30.000. Saturday through Monday.

Feb. 4, Vacuum Dealers Trade Association. Riviera, 2.000. at 2145 Sutro moving along. "I'm definitely cutting down on inventory," Davis said.

"We're trying to push the products we have now rather than buying big supplies." In the Unique Boutique, Davis has begun taking in used clothing on consignment to supplement new merchandise. "Some look nicer than the new ones. And I can cut down on actual inventory for the boutique." Business has slowed, even in the beauty salon, she said. The salon used to be booked full from Tuesday through Saturday, but now there are cancellations. Davis said she's trying to make do with the beauty products customers most often use or ask for Information guide on INSURANCE Know the details of your health coverage.

Keep a copy handy for reference. "Health Insurance Today: A Consumer Guide to Coverage in the "90s." published by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Chicago. Send $1 check or monev order to BCBSA-, Health Insurance Today, P.O. Box 527, Glenview. 111.

60025. "The Complete Guide to Health Insurance," Kathleen Hogue, Cheryl Jensen and Kathleen McClurg Wiljanen. $4.95, Avon Books. GENERAL HEALTH: "Your Medical Rights," Charles B. Inlander and Eugene I.

Pavalon. $14.95, Little. Brown and Co. Excellent, 400-page guide to your rights to medical records, how to save money on hospital bills, make sure surgery is required or file a complaint against a doctor, etc. 'Mavo Clinic Family Health Book." edited by Dr.

David E. Larson. $34.95. William Morrow Co. Almost 1.400 pages, about virtually every health concern, with diagnosis and treatment.

A wise investment in your family's health. "The American Cancer Society Cancer Book." edited by Dr. Arthur Holleb. $22.50. Doubleday.

Prevention, detection, treatment and cures for cancer. "Jane Brodv's The New York Times Guide to Personal Health." $12.95. Avon 3 The following meetings and events are scheduled at these locations. Numbers are the projected attendance. Reno-Sparks area Continuing through Wednesday.

Northwest Alfalfa Feed Growers Association, John Ascuaga Nugget. 600. Continuing through Thursday, National Environmental Health Association. John Ascuaga Nugget. 1.260.

Today. Morgan Drive Away, Holiday Inn Downtown. 25. Today through Thursday. Ace Hardware Corporation.

Bally 2.000. Tuesday through Friday. National Troopers Coalition. John Ascuaga Nugget. 600.

Wednesday. Bureau of Land Management. Holiday Inn Downtown. 30. Wednesday through Friday.

Brea Agricultural Service, Holiday Hotel Casino. 30. they know, it can change." "This is the decade when people will have to be educated," said Dr. Steffie Woolhandler, coordinator for Physicians for a National Health Program. "Many people don't think about what would happen if they develop a chronic illness, such as diabetes.

When they do get sick they learn very quickly how limited their coverage may be." Marian Miller of Health Access, a California-based consortium of croups pushing for national health care, says the time to know about health coverage limits is before you are sick. "We've seen a case where a leukemia patient ran up the maximum allowable amount in the middle of chemotherapy and was cut off by the insurance company," she said. The statistics can be shocking. Experts say one of every eight Americans will be hospitalized this year. Average hospital bill: $5,000.

Hospital costs account for about 40 percent of health care dollars. Overall, medical costs chewed up 11.7 percent of the average family's disposable income in 1989. Most people are covered by employer plans or individually purchased policies. Plans differ dramatically, from type of medical coverage to dental, mental health and long-term disability allowances, if any. The maximum insurers will pay has been coming down, according to a survey of employers with health-care plans.

In See HOSPITAL, page 3F Dec. 28. 1990 100 Change from a Category Index Week ago Year ago NYSE ASEOTC Equity Funds 102.14 2.11 105.47 4.12 102.38 2.12 6.47 1.24 Taxable Municipal Bond Funds 101.14 100.41 100 99 xHj-! 0 40 -0 76 0.43 1083 7.79 2.84 CDs Money Funds 100.54 100 43 0.13 0.11 7.83 5.95 Real Estate Gold 100.52 96.65 0.43 -242 1.04 AP mm.