 Paradise for Hawaiians |
Imee Gallardo, 24, has been scooping ice cream at a Häagen-Dazs shop at Waikiki Beach for five years, and during that time the shop has done something its counterparts on the mainland rarely do: it has paid for her health care.
“I wouldn’t get coverage on the mainland?” Ms. Gallardo asked. “Even if I worked? Why?”
Since 1974, Hawaii has required all employers to provide relatively generous health care benefits to any employee who works 20 hours a week or more. If health care legislation passes in Congress, the rest of the country may barely catch up.
Lawmakers working on a national health care fix have much to learn from the past 35 years in Hawaii, President Obama’s native state.
Among the most important lessons is that even small steps to change the system can have lasting effects on health. Another is that, once benefits are entrenched, taking them away becomes almost impossible. There have not been any serious efforts in Hawaii to repeal the law…
Paradise for Republicans
But perhaps the most intriguing lesson from Hawaii has to do with costs. This is a state where regular milk sells for $8 a gallon, gasoline costs $3.60 a gallon and the median price of a home in 2008 was $624,000 — the second-highest in the nation. Despite this, Hawaii’s health insurance premiums are nearly tied with North Dakota for the lowest in the country, and Medicare costs per beneficiary are the nation’s lowest.
Hawaii residents live longer than people in the rest of the country, recent surveys have shown, and the state’s health care system may be one reason. In one example, Hawaii has the nation’s highest incidence of breast cancer but the lowest death rate from the disease…
With nearly 90 percent of the populace given relatively generous benefits, patients stay healthy and health providers have the money and motivation to innovate.
Why do Republicans prefer solutions designed and administered by beancounters to cost more than necessary? Isn’t capitalism supposed to be about competition?
Thanks, Mr. Fusion
#40, It’s only through GOVERNMENT protection of the vulnerable (i.e. the people) from the exploitation of the powerful (i.e. business, foreign nations, etc) that “competition” exists. That is their raison d’etre.
That’s the way it SHOULD work.
Unfortunately, it doesn’t. There are too many special interests buying our reps and sens. When both parties are on the take, we end up with what we have now — a mess.
Eideard, did you even read the article that you reference?
From the article: “Why is Hawaiian care so efficient? No one really knows.”
Oh but the Democrats on the hill seem to know. Maybe Obama knows but isn’t letting anyone else know. Eideard do you know?
So you want to replace a system that seems to be working fine but you don’t fully understand why it works, with something that nobody is certain will work? This passes for informed thought on the left today. Amazing.
How about this from the article: “Indeed, many in Hawaii are worried that legislation moving through Congress could, if it supersedes Hawaii law, allow employers to reduce the quality of care provided. So legislators in Hawaii have pushed for provisions exempting the state.”
So you put up a headline titled “Why do Republicans hate Hawaii” presumably because they have a program that works. But the Republicans don’t want to destroy this program, the Democrats do, the title should have been “Why do Hawaiians hate the Democrats?”. I agree with Hawaii, how about we grant every state an exemption from the Obamacare nightmare? It’s sad that the Democrats can get so many people that don’t think to do their bidding for their massive power grab.
#43, I agree with Hawaii, how about we grant every state an exemption from the Obamacare nightmare?
There are States now passing laws exempting their citizens from any federal mandates concerning health care.
It will be interesting to see that run through the court systems.
“Why do Republicans hate Hawaii?”
Because like in Puerto Rico, it’s full of Asians and brown-skinned folk.
I think the reason this was passed in Hawaii was due to the number of people who work in the entertainment industry. I think it would be rather difficult to try and work a 40 hour week dancing or juggling fire.
The cost of living out there is atrocious. There are three classes of people living on that Island. The rich, the poor, and the military.