New video says telehealth calls with mainland docs should be allowed

The ban on teleconferencing with mainland doctors was lifted during the COVID-19 crisis, but should be lifted permanently

from Grassroot Institute, June, 2023

Telemedicine has grown in popularity and is reliable and convenient. But because of Hawaii's healthcare shortage, many Hawaii patients would like to reach out to mainland doctors for consultation.

But as Joe Kent explains in the Grassroot Institute's newest "Hawaii Matters" video on YouTube, there’s a problem with that remedy. It's illegal. Mainland doctors can’t even conduct medical appointments with their own family members living in Hawaii.

Kent, Institute executive vice president, points out that for a short time, telemedicine appointments were allowed for Hawaii residents because of the COVID-19 lockdowns. Through executive order, then-Gov. David Ige allowed out-of-state physicians, osteopaths and physician assistants with valid licenses to conduct online meetings with patients in Hawaii.

However, that part of the COVID-19 emergency proclamation expired in August 2021, which meant Hawaii patients once again had to travel to the mainland for even simple consultations with specialists they could find only outside of Hawaii.

To see the entire video, about seven minutes long, go here.