Governor Ige and Hawaii Healthcare

At last night’s meeting, Governor Ige was asked what his plan was to implement single-payer healthcare for Hawaii when the Republican’s in Washington repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA).  He said he is not concerned since he “assumes" that HMSA will just carry on as they did before the ACA providing insurance for “most” in Hawaii.  (All those who are satisfied with their HMSA policy under the ACA please raise your hand.)

Healthcare for “most” is not good enough.  Hawaii needs healthcare for all.  When the food service worker at your favorite restaurant gets a cold, he still has to come to work, exposing you to his illness.  Healthcare must be available for everyone and the best way to do this is through a single-payer system that is financed through taxes.  Yes, your taxes will go up, but if you no longer need to pay $1000/month in health insurance premiums for your family.

People seem to misunderstand what “single-payer” means.  In its simplest form, it is “Medicare for All”.  All as in everyone.  Employers will be relieved of the burden of having to provide health insurance.  Citizens will no longer have to worry about changing jobs and losing health insurance.  Doctors will no longer have to deal with the inconsistent administrative procedures of several different organizations.  Procedures which are set up to keep you, the patient, from getting the care you need.  (Remember Sarah Palin’s “death panels”?  Why do you think the CEOs of health insurance companies made an average of $5.4M in 2014.  They don’t get paid to “waste money” providing you with care.)

Medicare has overhead costs of a mere 3% (some studies say only 2%).  Insurance company overhead is 17%.  In other words, that insurance CEO's exorbitant salary is (as Tony Soprano would say) “the vig” skimmed off the top while his company provides you with an inferior product.  Republicans are lying when they say that allowing insurance polices to be sold across state lines will increase competition and drive down costs.  The credit card industry was deregulated in that way, are you familiar with the up to 25% interest rate on your monthly balance?

The United States is the only advance country in the world that does not employ a single-payer system.  The Republican claim that the “United States has the best healthcare in the world” is only true if you have so much money you can buy your own doctor.  A single-payer system does not prevent the extremely wealthy from continuing to do just that.  Nor does a single-payer system set up a National Health Service.  Rather it allows for true competition in the market place since the single-payer system will, as Medicare does (when Congress allows it to), be able to negotiate with multiple providers to get the best care at the least cost.

The Hawaii Health Authority (HHA) was set up to propose a way for Hawaii to move to a single-payer system.  Governor Ige was given several opportunities to explain his opposition to the HHA, he wiffed.

All in all, it was an extremely disappointing event.