Senator Ige Can't Be Trusted On The Failing Health Connector
In Another Election Season Flip-Flop, David Ige Now Decries The Healthcare Disaster He Helped Create
News Release from Hawaii Republican Party
HONOLULU (October 31, 2014) -- Throughout the campaign season, Senator David Ige has attacked the much-maligned Hawaii Health Connector as if he had nothing to do with it. Put simply, Senator Ige in an election year has refused to take responsibility for the unpopular program he created and supported before, like so many other failed policy ideas.
"Senator Ige's election year conversion extends from numerous tax hikes to the failing Health Connector that is wasting taxpayer dollars and threatening to increase premiums. It's clear that Senator Ige's campaign rhetoric can't hide a record that has made the cost of living soar for Hawaii families and small businesses." --Hawaii Republican Party Communications Advisor Ted Kwong
BACKGROUND:
Senator Ige Has Refused To Take Responsibility For The Health Connector. "So the question was that I voted to establish the Hawaii Health Connector. Yes I did vote to establish the Health Connector. My criticism of the Health Connector was that there was clearly a lack of leadership in implementing that dealt with the fact that we end up hiring a consultant who we had bad history with for lack of performance, you know, we made decisions about amendments, or not seeking amendments, to the choices we had, when I thought we should have exercised...”(Senator David Ige, Exchange Club of Downtown Honolulu Lunch, 8/7/14)
The Hawaii Health Connector Is The Most Expensive Obamacare Exchange In The Country.“Hawaii’s Obamacare exchange, the Hawaii Health Connector, costs the nation’s taxpayers the most per enrollee, according to a new study by Kaiser Health. Hawaii’s exchange, which has just more than 8,500 people registered, has a tab of about $23,899 per person.” (Malia Zimmerman, “Hawaii’s Obamacare Exchange Most Costly In Nation,” Watchdog.org, 5/15/14)
Fiscal Problems With The Health Connector Threaten To Increase Premiums For Customers. “HMSA Spokeswoman Robyn Kuraoka Says The Company Has Proposed Increasing Premiums By An Average Of 13 Percent. Kaiser Spokeswoman Laura Lott Says It’s Too Early To Say Whether The Losses Will Result In Higher Premiums, But Like Any Organization, Kaiser Has To Cover Costs.” (“Hawaii Health Insurers Blame Losses On Health Exchange,”KITV, 5/16/14)
The CEO Of Hawaii’s Largest Health Insurance Company Said The State Should Shut Down The Health Connector. “The chief executive of Hawaii’s largest health insurance company is calling on Hawaii to shut down its beleaguered health insurance exchange, which was set up as part of President Barack Obama’s signature health care law. Michael Gold, president and CEO of Hawaii Medical Services Association, says the state shouldn’t keep spending money on the Hawaii Health Connector, a system that he says is financially unsustainable and does not work.” (Cathy Bussewitz “Insurance CEO: Shut Down Hawaii Health Exchange,”Associated Press, 5/9/14)
There Is Now Only One Company Offering Plans On The Health Connector For Small Businesses. “Hawaii’s largest health insurer is pulling out of the small-business side of the state’s troubled health exchange, leaving the Hawaii Health Connector with only one insurance company for employers to select. Michael Gold, president of Hawaii Medical Services Association (HMSA), told The Associated Press that his staff is spending too much time and money dealing with the Connector’s technical problems. ‘It’s an ongoing expense that everyone in the state is going to have to bear, and almost everyone in the state agrees it is not the best model for Hawaii,’ Gold said in an interview.” (Cathy Bussewitz, “HMSA pulls plans from Hawaii Health Connector,” Associated Press, 8/15/14)
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