Hawaii To Drop Universal Health Care

[OhioChick]

Source: AP

Program Was Only One In America

POSTED: 8:23 am EDT October 17, 2008
UPDATED: 8:34 am EDT October 17, 2008

HONOLULU -- Hawaii is dropping the only state universal child health care program in the country just seven months after it launched.

Gov. Linda Lingle's administration cited budget shortfalls and other available health care options for eliminating funding for the program. A state official said families were dropping private coverage so their children would be eligible for the subsidized plan.

State officials said Thursday they will stop giving health coverage to the 2,000 children enrolled by Nov. 1, but private partner Hawaii Medical Service Association will pay to extend their coverage through the end of the year without government support.

Hawaii lawmakers approved the health plan in 2007 as a way to ensure every child can get basic medical help. The Keiki (child) Care program aimed to cover every child from birth to 18 years old who didn't already have health insurance -- mostly immigrants and members of lower-income families.

It costs the state about $50,000 per month, or $25.50 per child -- an amount that was more than matched by HMSA.

State health officials argued that most of the children enrolled in the universal child care program previously had private health insurance, indicating that it was helping those who didn't need it.

Read more: http://www.newsnet5.com/health/17738126/detail.html

[mainer]

1. Only $25.50 per child? And they can't afford it?

That's pitiful. Lingle should be ashamed of herself.

[baldguy]

2. She's a Republican.

She can't find money to help people.

[yardwork]

34. She was horrible at the RNC. I couldn't believe that Hawaii elected her.

Wait. Do they have Diebold machines in Hawaii?

[MessiahRp]

3. I can't imagine that Hawaii can't afford $600,000 a year for this

I suppose this Governor is just doing what all Republicans do... bitch and moan about social programs and welfare for poor people just to take that money and give it away in corporate welfare scams.

Rp

[slackmaster]

5. Much of Hawaii's economy is underground

[theblasmo]

12. Interruption

I'm sorry, you were talking about politics there for a second? I got distracted.

[Zhade]

21. Mmmmmmm.

Tasty!

[Grinchie]

23. You wished

The real money is in ICE, and it creates a horrible environment of uneducated crackheads. Most of the ICE is imported anyway, so it's not really the locals that are doing it.

Decriminalizing Cannabis will do nothing to the economy.

[Jazzgirl]

28. I'm just seeing this............... ...........................

Excuse me! I was hypnotized for a moment..........................................Phew!

[fascisthunter]

15. yup... give to the rich and beg they piss back down on you

"please masters... treat us well!"

Of course, you can't do it with a Union either so just pray instead.

[slackmaster]

4. families were dropping private coverage so their children would be eligible for the subsidized plan

Now there's a surprise.

[annabanana]

6. This is why the insurance companies with their PROFIT imperative

have to be taken out of the equation.

[dkf]

7. That doesn't sound right.

I don't trust her.

[Alcibiades]

8. She did it because

McCain picked Palin instead of her.

[Fovea]

9. We can't be hurting the medical insurance industry

by making them compete with universal health care...

More free-market thuggery.

[Swagman]

10. hasn't she heard of means testing ?. So the poor as usual, suffer

[happyslug]

16. Means Testing already applies for children on Welfare

Thus this is a cut for Children whose Families are earning ABOVE the welfare cut off line. I should also add, when FDR when proposed Social Security(SS), it was suggested that it be means tested. FDR said NO, for if a program is Means tested, the Middle Class believe they will NEVER benefit from it and thus will NOT support the taxes needed to make it work. Thus Social Security (SS) to this day has massive support, for it provides money not only to the poor, but to the Working and Middle Class. Welfare has NO such support for the Middle Class and much of the Working Class do not believe they will ever benefit from it. It shows how right FDR was on this and why the GOP support "Means testing" for it is a way to kill the program through underfunding, for the Middle Class will not see how it can benefit from the program.

My point is that since people were dropping private health insurance for this state package that move would increase the support for the State Package, thus the GOP has to kill it NOW or it will never be killed do to the massive support for the program from the Middle and Working Class. As long as the program is restricted, by a Means Test, to the truly poor, the program will have no strong support and will always be underfunded (And easy to kill). Do not think this is some sort of short term decision, the longer this program would have ran the stronger the support for the program (Look at Social Security for example). The Insurance companies know this and want to kill it as quickly as possible, by any means possible, even using the economy as an excuse. Given the general good health of Children (Most medical costs are involved with people over age 70) the cost of this program had to be low (and the "saving" to the budget by cutting this program is low, showing that this program is NOT bankrupting the state).

[fascisthunter]

11. That's Bullshit.... it's only $25.50 and a Republicans Says

they can't afford it. Riiiight....

[aquart]

13. That's what you get when you vote Republican.

[jwirr]

14. It sounds like it did not work because people were dropping out of

other programs to get into this one. That would not happen with a national program that included everyone already. I can see another problem if this was instituted on a state by state basis: people would move into the state that has the best program. This is an issue that must be taken care of on a national level.

[happyslug]

17. Only if the parents had jobs, there are limits to how far people can move

In the pats of the Eastern US, the borders tend to be close thus one state having such a program can pull people in from other states, and those employees can retain they present employment. For Example Philadelphia Metro Are includes not only South Eastern Pennsylvania, by Southern New Jersey, Delaware and bunts up against Baltimore Metro District (There is some overlap in much of the Metro Districts of the East Coast). Do to this overlap, and the "Fear" (Cited by Insurance Companies) that people with "sick" children will move for the free "Medical Care" I do NOT see any of the Eastern States Adopting a Child Health Care program. Even Chicago Metro Area Reaches into Michigan, Indians and Wisconsin (In addition to Illinois). St Louis Metro are includes Illinois, Kentucky, Arkansas and even Tennessee. New York City includes New York, but extends into Northern New Jersey, Connecticut and even parts of Pennsylvania. Boston's Metro Area includes ALL of the New England States.

On the other hand California is by far the Largest State, by population, in its region, The populations of Nevada and Arizona are to small to really matter, even if all the children in those two states moved to California (and most will not). Oregon has more people, but the border between both states is sparsely populated, so you do NOT have a large number of people who can commute from California to their jobs in Oregon (So their children can have free medical care while they keep their jobs in Oregon).

Texas is also a large state with its population centers AWAY from its Borders (Texarkana is the biggest exception). Florida is another state whose borders populations are low compared to its Population Centers, but being Southern States I do not see either adopting Medical Insurance independent of the Federal Government (In fact both would probably cut out Welfare except it is 50% Federally funded). Except for Washington and Oregon, the rest of the West (i.e. NOT the West Coast but between the Mississippi and the West Coast States) tend to have very low population and thus rely on the Federal Government for the lead in any funding for any program for the poor. The South is more rural then the North, and like the South tend to look to the Federal Government to provide leadership on programs for the poor (Again like the Rural West, it is more the lack of population and wealth then anything else, through Dogma, i.e. individual rights, comes into play in both sections).

The North, unlike the South and West has the population, its centers of population tend to be on its borders and thus overlap extensively. Here the Excuse of people moving to get benefits tend to be heard and believed (Even if proven untrue such as during the 1990s when Republicans claimed people ere moving from Michigan to Pennsylvania do to Pennsylvania to generous welfare eligibility requirements, Michigan adopted a rule a man could NOT be on welfare at all, While Pennsylvania paid such people $174 a month, no one could find anyone who moved to get the $174 a month but that was the claim, so Pennsylvania limited Welfare for single people to two months in a two year period).

My point was in the East this claim of people moving to get a welfare benefit is believed because it can theoretically be done, even if no evidence exist that it is being done. In the case of California, the claim people may move can be shown that even if true has almost no affect on the program (Do to the difference in population). Even if everyone in the Neighboring States would move to California it will have almost no affect. I know it will still be claimed, but such claims can be attacked on two grounds, first that it does NOT occur, and second even if it does the affect is minor. Thus I always believed it would be California, Oregon or Washington. Hawaii was a fourth choice, do to the fact it is hard for unemployed people to get to (i.e. can not hitch hike or walk to Hawaii with the Children). Alaska, Texas and Florida could also pass it, but I did NOT believe do the prevailing Political Dogma in those States.

[Grinchie]

24. I don't think you've noticed that the Hawaiian Economy has tanked

Word has it that Unemployment is up to 9% from 2% in 2003. People are losing their jobs. 2 Cruise ships left, 2 Airlines are bankrupted and gone, and the Military spending is such a clique that only the well connected can feed at the trough. Meanwhile, the serfs get laid off, sick and starved.

They should sell one of the 3 Billion dollar fast attack subs stationed in Pearl Harbor for the $3,000,000,000 price they paid for it. Crew would be extra.

Wait a minute, we can't sell that! We can't even scrap it!

[KamaAina]

18. The legislature is going to be royally P.O.'d

The breakdown (at present): House 44-7 Dem, Senate 21-4 Dem. (Before you all jump on planes like I did some years ago, bear in mind that in some cases, the (D) after the person's name stands for Dunce, DINO, or both.) The repukes, who have actually lost several seats since Lingle took office, were hoping to make some pickups next month (with local boy Barack on the ballot?) So much for that brilliant plan...

Lingle, who once called Bush** "our greatest President ever" without a trace of irony, has definitely bought in to this "unitary executive" thing. For instance, she discovered an obscure provision that gives her the power to release the money the legislature has already appropriated. Thus, the Dems can fund whatever they want, but not a dime gets spent until Her Majesty releases it -- and when she does, she then proceeds to take credit for it, in the form of press releases reading "Gov. Lingle Releases $2 Million for Moloka'i Hospital" or whatever. :puke:

And now she's forcing draconian budget cuts on all the departments unilaterally, without waiting for the legislative session to begin in mid-Jan. Yes, our tourism numbers are awful (so why not come on out? :-) ) -- but a recent slide show from Business Week on the 20 states with the biggest budget shortfalls did not include a picture of a surfer in front of Diamond Head! This upcoming seesion promises to be a bloodbath -- and guess who'll have a front-row seat in his role as policy analyst for a nonprofit??? :hi:

[KamaAina]

20. So help me, I had not read this article when I posted the above!

it contains both the words "unilateral" and "draconian", used by legislators to describe Lingle's action.

http://www.starbulletin.com/news/hawaiinews/20081017_State_cuts_for_keiki_insurance_stun_officials.html?page=all&c=y

State legislators and the Hawaii Medical Service Association are dazed by a Lingle administration decision to stop funding the Keiki Care Program, heralded as providing universal health coverage for all island children....

"This is another blow to folks already struggling," said Sen. Suzanne Chun Oakland (D, Sand Island-Kalihi-Liliha-Nuuanu-Pauoa-Puunui), one of the key figures in the passage of the legislation. She said the Legislature was "quite proud" of the public-private collaboration to insure all children. Hawaii was only the second state in the country, after Illinois, to have such a program....

"We're all a team here in Hawaii. It's not proper to make unilateral decisions," (Rep. and Sen.-elect Josh -Ed.) Green said. "As long as they can cover every child, it doesn't make a difference, but if they come up one child short, they had better keep working with us for Keiki Care."

House Speaker Calvin Say (D, St. Louis Heights-Palolo Valley-Maunalani Heights-Wilhelmina Rise-Kaimuki) said termination of state funding for the Keiki Care Program "was very draconian on the part of the (Human Services) department."

Seems I'm thinking like a legislator. Hmmm... my present district (like many; on O'ahu, they are roughly four times smaller than city council districts!) has a solidly entrenched incumbent... but I would like to move to a place that allows cats...

edit: emphasis

[Grinchie]

25. I'm with you Kama'Aina

Lingle is a real stool.

[nichomachus]

19. Then, the plan is working

Gov. Linda Lingle's administration cited budget shortfalls

This is Grover Norquist's plan -- starve all government budgets by low or no taxes and then cancel social services under the guise that "you had no choice."

It's working like a charm.

The big enchiladas are Social Security and Medicare -- and they're working their way towards them.

[Grinchie]

26. Ah yes, Grover Norquist

I remember seeing him when he spoke at University of Hawaii at Hilo in 2005. I popped into the Confernece room and heard him say "Ownership Society" and then go off on some hate-filled rhetoric about how we are all getting screwed by the poor people and the Government.

I could not take more than 2 minutes of it before I had to leave, otherwise I would have flown into a rage.

We all know that he is just another evil republican, which is why BushCo doesn't want the White House visitor records revealed showing all of his meetings with Rove.

These criminals need to be swept out in a meaningful fashion.

[Grinchie]

22. But the Superferry got $40,000,000 in Taxpayer funded Dock Upgrades!

If you haven't been following the SuperFerry debacle in Hawaii, it is a long a twisted road of Abrahamoff influence peddling, insider trading, and Republican Cronyism.

The SuperFerry was unilaterally exempted from performing an Environmental Assessment by the Lingle administration. This was done despite the majority of the states citizens who saw a high speed ferry as a threat to Invasive Species hopping from Island to Island (Such as GMO, Insects, Diseases and other effects). Additionally, there were widespread incidents in Australie where similar High Speed craft were cutting whales in half and generally causing increased mortality among marine life. The Lingle administration dismissed any concern, and gave them a waiver.

It was also found that the members of the Superferry consisted of Ex-Navy officials, and they had found that the newly established Stryker Brigade to be stationed on Oahu, needed transport to the Big Island to train on their newly purchased 110,000 acre expansion of the Pohakuloa Training area for LIVE fire training. They had originally anticipated that the Stryker could be airlifted fully equipped, with it's crew, directly to the Island and be ready to fight as soon as they rolled off the C-17.

It was found that due to Mission Creep, the Stryker grew much larger and heavier than initially designed, and that only the latest production line of C-17's equipped with more powerful engines could carry ONE, Unloaded Stryker vehicle. No Fuel, No Ammo, No Crew. Prior to this, Senator Danial Inouye, was happily feeding at the Pork Barrel and received a $20,000,000 funding from the Defense Department for a new Air Traffic Control Tower in Kona on the Big Island specifically to handle the increased traffic for incoming Stryker Airlifts.

When the DOD found out that they would not be able to effectively ship Strykers via Air Cargo, they submitted Plan B, which was to dast track the SuperFerry and disquise it with all the wonderful talking points such as "An alternateive to high interisland Air Fare", or "Farmers can now Drive their own crops to Market in Oahu". There was never any mention of the hidden agenda of getting a perpetual cost plus contract to schlep Strykers to the Big Island and back.

Hawaiians are smart people. The ones who realize that Hawaii is a fragile finite resource defend it vigorously against a well funded established Military Industrial Complex. When the SuperFerry started operation, thousands of people came out to Protest the lack of the Environmental Assessment, and found almost immediately that their crumbling infrastructure could not even handle 100 cars being disgorged on to Maui, where the state had expended $40,000,000 in improvements to benefit the SuperFerry. Hawaiians also lost a dock which was being used to transport freight between the Islands due to the SuperFerry.

In a last minute court decision, which took two years to finally get heard, the Judge said that the lack of the Environmental Assessment was illegal, and that the Superferry had to stop operating.

The trouble is, the EA is so complicated due to the nature of the service, it would take roughly 2 years to complete one! Remember, they could have gone ahead with the EA report like everyone else has to. I would need to get one, and so would you, unless you are good buddies with Lingle, which she could waive your obligation at will.

Lingle had to act fast, so she railroaded permission for the SuperFerry to operate while the EA was performed.

On Kauai, which is the most magical place on earth, the people wanted no part of the SuperFerry. Upon arrival, hundreds of surfers paddled out and blocked the SuperFerry from docking. It was a proud day that demonstrated that the people were finally waking up to the fact that they need to stand in front of this corrupt corporate takeover by the only means they have when the politicians do not listen.

Lingle responded to this by diverting a Coast Gurad cutter that normally patrols the pacific and assist vessals in distress to Kauai, and threated the use of Felonies for people disturbing the SuperFerry. The TSA implemented a 100 yard No Paddle Zone whenever the SuperFerry was docking, and basically allowed anyone to be cited as a terrorist if they violated this security zone.

Lingle also went on to threaten any protesters with children present that she would direct Child Protective Services to take children from parent that brought their children to the protests.

Fascism anyone?

So now the Superferry limps along providing unsustainably low "Introductory" fares to entice the sleepier Hawaiian's and tourist to Please Use Their Service. Their main funding arm, Lehman Bros is not disappeared, and is going to a Grand Jury investigation as I write this.

I hope this helps illuminate the kind of corruption and waste that is going on in the Republican camp.

Remember, they spent $40 Million Taxpayer money on upgrades to a wharf, and now they are cutting $510 Thousand a year for childrens Health Care.

Lingle is another Palin, but Lingle had a history of crappy deals that was so obvious that she could never be VP pick.

Wake Up America!

[KamaAina]

27. Where is the connection to Abramoff influence peddling?

Even I hadn't heard that one! This could be HUGH!!!111!!11!!!

[Laelth]

29. Proof prople want socialized medicine.

'A state official said families were dropping private coverage so their children would be eligible for the subsidized plan."

Also suggests that the quality of care provided by the state was as good or better than that provided by private insurance.

-Laelth

[davsand]

31. Insurance premiums play a role in the decision drop coverage too.

I dunno what it is like in Hawaii, but my insurance coverage runs more for a family than it does for an individual or a couple. Right now I'm paying out about three times more for family insurance than I would be if it was just my husband and me on the plan.

If I had the option of getting my family good quality health care thru a state program you bet your butt I'd be dropping my family insurance plan in a heartbeat.

The biggest issue I see for the entire discussion of universal health care at a state level is the same one we face here locally--most of the docs refuse to accept the patients covered under the state program. They will only see people with the cash upfront or an approved insurance plan.



Laura

[Laelth]

32. I think the docs will change their minds when 90% of people are on the government plan.

I know the docs want more money, but we, the people, can no longer support the insurance industry. If the insurance industry were taken out of the equation (and they eat between 20 to 40 percent of the costs of medical care) then the docs would get to keep more for their services. They might not be as rich as they currently are, but they wouldn't e poor, either.

What works in every other industrialized nation on earth can work here.

-Laelth

[davsand]

33. Docs would probably end up money ahead with Single Payer.

Universal Coverage (single payer) would probably end up making the docs more money in the long run since it would reduce the billing/collections issues they face. Most medical offices spend a lot of time and resources on billing and collections with often times, multiple staff dedicated to it. If there WAS no question about who was paying the bills they could probably free up quite a bit of time (and payroll!) Collection rates would probably improve too.


I know a few docs (and dentists too!) who would LOVE to see single payer with no insurance companies to deal with.



Laura

[yardwork]

35. Primary care doctors would do much better with universal health care.

Most physicians don't make a lot of money, in relation to the years and cost invested in their education. Primary care physicians, in particular, make relatively little. One reason is because so many of their patients are uninsured or underinsured, and the others are covered by a bewildering array of insurance companies. Medicaid is a nightmare to deal with and Medicare has problems too. Add managed care and it's unbelievably complicated. If a physician doesn't have an awesome office manager with a stellar staff of claims clerks, they're losing money every day.

Under universal healthcare, doctors could go back to doing what they were trained to do, and leave behind this disastrous multi-payer system.

[machI]

30. Kick