Health Care

Governor Linda Lingle signed, SB 665 SDI HD2 CD1 which prohibits "a person representing a health maintenance organization under chapter 4320, a mutual benefit society issuing individual and group hospital or medical service plans under chapter 432, or any other health care organization" from membership on the Council....

It took a Federal Freedom of Information Act request to find out, but that is the message Hawai`i Free Press received from federal officials.

In December of 1994, one month after Oregon voters passed Measure 16, "physician assisted death," into law, Health Maintenance Organizations (HMOs) responded.
Ethix Corp., an HMO, announced that they "welcomed broad coverage for assisted suicide in a medical economic system already burdened."

The University of Hawaii continues to publish groundbreaking discoveries from their mesothelioma research efforts. But does the precarious state of our American research universities put mesothelioma research in jeopardy?

As City Councilwoman, I will continue my work with stakeholders to expedite the process to reopen the former HMC location because nothing is more important than the health and safety of our community.

Abercrombie’s campaign platform portrays abandonment of the Prepaid Act as a step to “Develop a System of Universal Healthcare.”  It is exactly the opposite.  In the fine print, Abercrombie focuses squarely on managing the State’s finances so “costs are controlled so that we can collectively afford the system and pay for it in a way that is fair and sustainable. We need to create efficiencies out of the current incoherence in our system, create incentives and opportunities for cost-effective preventive healthcare….”

It’s all about the money.

“Here in Hawai'i, we already have our Prepaid Health Care Act, which enables a vast majority of our residents to be insured...."  (Then why is he trying to dismantle it?)

In Honolulu, the Planned Parenthood counselor “Rogue” tells the woman it is okay to have multiple abortions of girl pregnancies so long as the abortions are spaced far enough apart....

...the bill would help doctors who make money prescribing narcotic pain relievers ....

... imminent storm that is about to occur due to simultaneous implementation of multiple programs that will create extraordinary financial and administrative burden ....

“Forty years ago, Hawai'i’s groundbreaking Prepaid Health Care Act gave us an enduring advantage in health insurance coverage,” said Dr. Tsang. “However .... "

Word comes from state Sen. Josh Green, a doctor who had asked for the opinion from Attorney General David Louie....

This week’s closure of Hawaii Medical Center hospitals in Ewa and Liliha—with the loss of 1,000 jobs--will be the first of many unless the Abercrombie administration abandons its suicidal policy of dismantling the Hawaii Prepaid Health Care Act.

There will be a panel presentation on the current status of PAS in Hawaii at the Capitol auditorium on December 8th from 7:00 to 9:00 PM.

...states are already responding to Obamacare’s “maintenance of effort” clause and the anticipated 2014 expansion by cutting services....

...Scott O'Neal, the counselor named in the lawsuit, and his lawyer, Randall K. Schmidt, fired back with a request to enjoin Green from making further media statements to ensure a fair trial....

“the key driver of increasing state and local expenditures is health-care costs, especially Medicaid and subsidies for health-insurance exchanges under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2009.”

The mother, Jane Doe, claims that the "defendants had actual or constructive knowledge of what was going on."

Neil Abercrombie says Hawaii can’t afford Micronesians.

All four members of Hawaii’s Congressional delegation say Micronesians are “unsustainable.”

Arkansas disagrees.

“Where we are required to do sampling and have found that of those in our sample who can be identified, roughly 7% to 10% of them are not eligible. In an additional large number of cases, we are unable to receive information to make a determination. So it could be much greater.”

Listen carefully to the nurses in this video. They are ready to dump the HGEA.

Big news release which can be condensed into one word: RATIONING.

The median annual rate in Hawaii for a private nursing home room is $122,640 per year, greater than the national rate of $77,745 per year.

Nationally, the median annual cost of long term care in an assisted living facility is $39,135, an increase of 6.0 percent annually over the past six years. In Hawaii, the annual cost of assisted living care is $45,900 ....

In 2012, Obamacare will create the “Value-Based Purchasing Program” in Medicare. Using a pay-for-performance scheme, the program will reimburse hospitals and other health care providers at different rates based on how they score on performance measures chosen by the Secretary of Health and Human Services.

KITV reported that the accusations against Dr. Palafox may have been false and driven by two DOH employees he was about to lay off. Information I have confirms that the Federal Government does not view Dr. Palafox as one under any investigation.

"Because the individual mandate is unconstitutional and not severable, the entire Act must be declared void."

Adding to its developing reputation for secrecy, the Abercrombie Administration has now clearly lied about at least one aspect of the sudden withdrawal of Dr Neal Palafox’s DoH nomination.

Governor Abercrombie’s nominee to head the State Department of Health, Dr Neal Palafox MD, has suddenly withdrawn his name from consideration. HNN and the Star-Advertiser report that Palafox may be “involved in a medical reimbursement investigation.”  Palafox was picked over Senator Josh Green MD of Kona.

The inevitable failure of DOTax to replicate CGI’s tax collection frenzy should cut revenues by about $27M per year. How many government union jobs will be lost or furloughed due to the bumbling HGEA leaders’ choice of targets?

According to 2009 YRBS (Youth Risk Behavior Survey) data, Hawai‘i high school students had the highest self-reported prevalence of considering suicide (19%), the highest for making a plan (16%), the highest for attempting (13%), and the 4th highest prevalence for being treated for a self-inflicted injury (4.5%) in the country. 

The company said it expected to settle the civil damages case for $137.5 million. That is in addition to $80 million WellCare agreed to pay in May 2009 to defer criminal prosecution on a felony charge of fraud....

From question #7:

“HSTA opposes any legislation to provide public funds for tax subsidies (tax credits, tax deductions) or vouchers for private education, religious or home school expenses, or inclusion of vouchers within the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).”

Are same-sex attractions biologically determined?  Most people are under the impression that they are.  Organizations such as the American Psychological Association (APA), have helped propagate the idea. 

Under HB 2085 HD1 SD2, the Lingle-Aiona Administration, through the State Department of Human Services (DHS), would be prohibited from soliciting proposals for new QUEST contracts exceeding $100 million.  These contracts could only be put out to bid by the new DHS administration, which will not be in place until December 2010 at the earliest.

(In other words, the Leg wants to make sure the contracting process generates campaign contributions for them.)

AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka is headed into a meeting with President Obama this afternoon after the White House and Congressional leaders have begun to discuss a higher-than-expected excise tax on some health care plans, in order to maintain their claim that health care legislation will reduce the deficit, a source involved in health care talks said.  (Those are UNION-negotiated health plans.)

Any unexpected change to the health care plan could endanger support for the bill from labor, which agreed to back it after reductions to the planned excise tax.

Hawaii can’t figure out how to kick drug addicted homeless people out of the parks and sidewalks in order to force them into shelters where they can get help, but apparently induced sterilization is now an option.  Today’s SB Editorial, “Voluntary (sic) sterilization can serve good purpose”, reveals that an eugenics group has been quietly working in Honolulu.... 

Malulani Foundation offers solutions to the very serious problems faced by HHSC and MMMC. Our community can start fresh, with a new hospital and a new vision for healthcare on Maui.

Dr. Ron Kwon started the process for the original Malulani Group to bring a new hospital to Maui and was not successful. Dr. Kwon was very disappointed, left the island and is now affiliated with a major hospital in Boston.

The goal of Malulani Foundation is to bring a private, full service, state of art, 450 bed teaching hospital to Maui which will provide further needed diversity for economy to Maui and a source of jobs for our Maui people.

Stroudwater didn't pull punches:  "HHSC is in a financially perilous condition. It received a 'Going Concern' finding as part of its 2008 independent audit report, calling the future financial viability of the organization into question. Its liquidity is at dangerously low levels with barely enough current assets to meet current liabilities. It is far behind in its payments to vendors (80+ days). The age of its facilities and other physical assets are well above national averages. Its future viability is at risk, particularly if the State is unable to provide increasing levels of operating subsidies for HHSC going forward."

Photos from rallies in Hilo, Kailua-Kona, Lahaina, Kahului, Lihue . . . . 

A Web search shows Hawai'i is the only state that hasn't had the public town hall forums this month.... there have been none of the outbursts because there have been no town hall meetings in recent weeks as the health reform issue heated up.

... if you want to know how state enterprises really feel about competition, take a look at Obama’s home state of Hawaii ....

Originally published July, 2007, this article outlines the effect of government-controlled health care on Hawaii.  Since Hawaii's system has been pointed to as a model for socialized health care, other Americans may be interested to learn the fate which awaits them.

In the wake of a heated fight over construction of a privately funded hospital on Maui, the Hawaii Health Services Corporation (HHSC) is moving to improve its facilities by agreeing to provide Hawaii patients with equipment available in some African hospitals....

Kauai residents, including minors, have been required to leave the island for inpatient drug rehabilitation services ever since Serenity House was destroyed by Hurricane Iniki in 1992. After 14 years of waiting, Kauai Mayor Brian Baptiste broke ground on a new inpatient treatment facility at Hanapepe near the Salt Ponds in August 2006.

But now, thanks to the Office of Hawaiian Affairs (OHA), construction has been halted and the location may be abandoned.