DCCA Report: Obamacare Will Add 50% to Cost of Hawaii Health Insurance by 2014
Report: Anti-GMO Activists Cause Cancer on Kauai
PHOTOS: Campbell HS Students Rally for AC
Statewide Student Survey Will Grade Teachers
DoE Buys 'Common Core' K-6 Reading Program for Statewide Use
DHHL: Implication that Leases are being Cancelled without Foreclosure Prevention Effort 'Simply not True'
HPR: Grassroot Institute on the “Critical State of Hawaii’s Unfunded Liabilities”
Hawaii Elites Pay to Protect Themselves from Obamacare--Displace 10,000 Patients
CB: Concierge medical practices offer a number of services to patients that are getting harder to find in many clinics today — personalized care, 24-hour access to your doctor and appointments “that will last as long as necessary to talk through all your concerns,” according to the MDVIP website, a company that offers this care in Hawaii and the mainland.
The cost for membership to MDVIP starts at $1,500 per year. Boutique clinics on the mainland have memberships that may reach $20,000 per year.
Concierge medical practices also limit their total number of patients, usually no more than 600 for the entire practice. This allows patients to easily get same-day appointments and spend an ample amount of time with their doctor.
When a traditional medical practice transitions to concierge, generally all patients get a letter explaining the new model, membership fees, and the opportunity to join. Once the practice is full at 600 patients, those who did not join must find another doctor. An average primary care practice has about 2,300 patients. This leaves the remaining 1,700 patients competing for the remaining primary care doctors and clinics in the area.
Four doctors on Oahu and two on Maui have now aligned with MDVIP, so there may be 10,000 or more patients looking for a new doctor from these practices alone....
I also spoke with a group of patients displaced from one of the Oahu medical practices that aligned with MDVIP and they were upset, but understood the circumstances. Most would have stayed with their doctor, but the $1,500 a year was too much, especially when multiple family members required memberships. One patient commented, “I just couldn’t afford to join the country club.”
read ... Liberal Elites Pay to Protect Themselves from Obamacare
Who Will See the Newly Insured?
CB: Currently, most people with private insurance such as HMSA, HMAA, HMA and UHA can find a primary care doctor on Oahu. People who have Medicare and Medicaid are having a harder time finding a participating physician to care for them.
Physicians can choose whether or not to “participate” with individual health insurance plans. If they do not participate (non-par), patients will generally have to pay out-of-pocket for any care they receive, which may or may not be reimbursed by their insurance company. More and more physicians are choosing not to participate with Medicare or Medicaid.
Related: DHS: Thousands of ghost names on Hawaii Medicare, Medicaid Rolls
read ... The Difference Between 'Coverage' and 'Care'
Bart Dame: Louisiana Jungle Primary Coming to Hawaii
Bart Dame: I do not believe the Party should insist on a closed primary, even as I uphold our right to make that decision. Virtually all of our elected officials disagree with us, as do most of the unions, a group strategically allied with us. If we are unable to convince our closest allies of the merits of our case, I think it is a serious mistake to rely instead upon a court. Even as I expect we will win in court. Even as we lose in the "court" of public opinion.
And the benefits of a closed primary have been oversold to party activists. it is probable the legislature will enact a system similar to that adopted in California immediately after the court ruling. Under such a system, the primary electorate would remain ALMOST the same as it is currently. While there are a lot of Republican-aligned voters currently voting in the Democratic primary, under a closed primary system, most of those people would still vote in our primary, affecting our choice of candidates. Only the few card-carrying Republicans (and Greens) would be barred.
Those pushing this lawsuit are pretty confident they will win in court. But this is a political matter an not all legal victories translate into political victories. The legislature, if they are upset enough, can create a primary system through statute which would satisfy the requirements of the court, while NOT satisfying the desire of the Democratic officers pushing this.
read ... Bart Dame
Star-Adv: Kauai Council Should Table Pesticide Bill
SA: Gov. Neil Abercrombie has proposed what could be the best way forward on the contentious standoff over the cultivation of genetically modified organism (GMO) crops: the state's creation of standards and guidelines for the use of restricted pesticides in large-scale farms.
It would be a voluntary program, at least until lawmakers and state agricultural officials can develop the formal regulations, which will make accountability a challenge at the start.
Still, such a brokered truce offers hope for more transparent operations by the agrochemical companies researching GMO seed production and the pesticides that enable the best crop yields. Assuming it's monitored well from the outset by state officials — who can hold out the prospect of harsher regulations if the companies don't cooperate — this is a better option than the bill now before the Kauai County Council, which is too restrictive and for which the county lacks the staffing and expertise to enforce.
The County Council should table its bill, at least temporarily, and give the voluntary scheme a chance to play out.
KGI: Pesticide tests to begin on Kauai
read ... Open books on pesticide use
H-1 Freeway PM contraflow project stalled, no explanation
KHON: Lawmakers say the PM ZipperLane has been in the works for over 10 years and residents had been told it would be done by next year.
“And so a lot of us are kind of scratching our heads and saying, ‘Okay, now it’s not the solution. So what is the solution?’ And we’re waiting for those answers,” Honolulu City Councilmember Kymberly Pine said.
read ... H-1 Freeway PM contraflow project stalled
Maui News: Council Post Office Investigation Serves no Purpose
MN: ...now a council committee is even discussing the possibility of hiring an outside auditor to audit the project. The new county Auditor guessed that such an audit could cost $80,000 to $100,000.
Our question is: "To what end?" (Simple Politics: They are setting up a fake scandal to take down the Mayor in 2014.)
Let's see. The accused has admitted guilt - at least to a technicality. Do council members believe anyone in the administration thought they could get away with a project of such magnitude without the council noticing? Are they suggesting something sinister occurred?
Such a view is beyond belief.
The mayor and his administration may be guilty of not getting the budget amended before going ahead with the demolition. But the council will be guilty of throwing away perhaps $100,000 to confirm what everybody already knows if they authorize this outside audit.
Why don't we move on? Aren't there more important things for the council to do than prolong this incident?
read ... Prolonging the Agony
5 Students Convicted as part of Homosexual Rape Gang Case at Blind-Deaf School
KHON: Several former students at the Hawaii School for the Deaf and Blind have been prosecuted as part of the sex assault scandal at the Waikiki school, Hawaii News Now has learned.
The students were prosecuted as minors in Hawaii Family Court and have completed their sentences, prosecutors and attorneys for victims said.
"Two of them, to the best of my knowledge, were given terms of incarceration in juvenile facilities and the others were given probation," said Eric Seitz, an attorney for several abuse....
The lawsuit alleged that students routinely robbed, raped and even gang raped younger, smaller classmates while administrators did nothing about the problem.
"Even when incidents came to light they didn't take them seriously or investigate them, and so the whole situation was perpetuated for what amounts to generations of kids who went to school there," Seitz said.
Related: Lawsuit: Adult counselor engaged in questionable activities with students at Blind, Deaf School
read ... Notice how they didn't mention that it was homosexual rape?
Kaiser High parents defend principal being investigated
HNN: The award winning principal from Kaiser High School is under investigation and some parents are frustrated the Department of Education isn't giving more details as to why.
John Sosa was placed on paid leave while the Department of Education does an internal investigation.
The DOE hasn't confirmed what it's about however our sources say it involves some financial irregularities. When pressed today for more information the DOE's communications director said making any statement would jeopardize the investigation.
"I'm unable to confirm that at this time. What I can confirm is that John Sosa has been put on leave as the DOE investigates a case that continues to unfold. Making any statement beyond that would jeopardize the investigation and the DOE's efforts," said Donalyn Delacruz, Department of Education Director of Communications, in an emailed response.
Some PTSA members say the lack of details hurts the school.
read ... Kaiser High parents defend principal being investigated
Hawaii Solar Boom Going Bust
PBN: The solar photovoltaic sector, one of Hawaii’s fastest growing industries and one that has been experiencing a recent slowdown, may lose hundreds of jobs if issues such as the changes to building permit fees and the state solar PV tax credit as well as the increasing saturation of some key geographic areas aren’t resolved, according to members of an industry trade group.
That’s what Leslie Cole-Brooks, executive director of the Hawaii Solar Energy Association, has been hearing from her members. Cole-Brooks was the moderator of Thursday’s “Solar in Hawaii: How will it do over the long haul?” panel discussion at the Plaza Club in Downtown Honolulu.
read ... Hawaii may lose hundreds of solar jobs if issues aren’t resolved
Borreca: Tax Credit Scam Should be Launched to Promote Business Travel
Borreca: "We should not be punished for living in a beautiful place," says state Rep. Tom Brower, the Waikiki Democrat who chairs the House Tourism Committee.
Hawaii is a place of "incredible strategic importance," notes Brower. It may not get the same attention as a corporate business conclave, but the national military importance placed on Hawaii is part of the reason to not disrespect Hawaii, he says.
"It is insulting for other governments to say we are not a business destination," Brower says.
The Legislature already has programs to give tax credits or other inducements to businesses wanting to make movies or other revenue-producing operations in the Islands. The Hawaii Convention Center also has a department dedicated to getting more conventions and businesses to sample Hawaii's more serious side. Perhaps more serious inducements are needed.
read ... Fake Conventions to Collect Tax Credits
Key tourism market, spending shrink
SA: "At this time the drop in U.S. West visitors may be more of an adjustment to the growth," said Daniel Nahoopii, HTA director of tourism research. "It's not really a trend yet. We need to look at other data points to show where we are going."
The good news for Hawaii was that the monthly drop in Hawaii's top market was partially offset by increases in arrivals and spending from the U.S. East, Canada and emerging international markets.
Still, total visitor arrivals in August rose only 2.5 percent to 748,775, and total spending was flat at $1.2 billion.
WaPo: Hawaii’s $14 billion tourism industry back to pre-recession levels
read ... Topping out ready for decline
Lawsuit: HCCC Cellblock Burned While Guards Slept
HTH: Ortiz alleges that on Nov. 18, 2011, an inmate at an overcrowded HCCC cellblock intentionally set a fire while guards were sleeping on the job. The filing states that a sprinkler system in the cellblock malfunctioned and “the fire spread and the smoke thickened” in the cellblock.
According to the suit, guards awakened “several minutes later” and tried, unsuccessfully, to put the fire out with extinguishers. The suit claims that the guards “eventually retreated,” leaving Ortiz and the other inmates “in the burning and smoke-filled cellblock.”
The document states that “several minutes later” guards “opened the cellblock and allowed the inmates to frantically flee out of the fire and smoke-filled room.”
“During the chaotic exit, (Ortiz) was trampled over by several inmates who were trying to get away from the fire,” the filing states.
read ... inmate suing state over injury
Sludge May be Returned to Hawaii Kai
SA: The trucking company responsible for dumping dredged material from the Hawaii Kai Marina onto a private agricultural property in Waianae likely will be denied a permit to keep it there and be required return it to East Honolulu or face escalating fines, a city official told members of the City Council Intergovernmental Affairs and Human Services Committee on Thursday.
Meanwhile, city Deputy Planning Director Art Challacombe confirmed that his agency first warned the trucking company that its dumping of sludge in Waianae was a violation 11 days before an Aug. 31 accident in which one of the company's trucks spilled dredged material onto H-1 freeway, causing a major traffic jam.
"They were supposed to stop and apparently they did not," he said.
read ... Turnabout
Dietary Supplement Blamed for 10 Cases of Liver Failure
HNN: Hawaii News Now has learned that the ingredient is found in Oxy Elite Pro, a supplement commonly used by bodybuilders. That company got a letter from Federal Drug Administration last year not because of a link to liver problems, but because of a new ingredient it contained.
Dr. Park says the FDA and CDC have now joined the investigation.
read ... Liver Failure
Abercrombie, Wife Flee to France
CB: On Friday (Sept. 27), the governor and his wife Nancie Caraway will travel to France. The governor is back in Hawaii Oct. 11. Lt. Gov. Shan Tsutsui will be acting governor until then.
read ... But They'll be Coming Back
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