Hawaii Lawmakers To Introduce Legislation Addressing Community Health Center Funding, Other Uninsured Initiatives

Hawaii lawmakers will introduce legislation during the current session to support the state's community health centers, which primarily care for the state's uninsured residents, the Honolulu Star-Bulletin reports. About 11% of Hawaii's population, or 135,000 people, is uninsured. At a recent forum on the state's health care safety net, Dennis Arakaki, chair of the state House Health Committee, said that new legislation will support the Hawaii Primary Care Association's 2002-2003 "Agenda for Health." The HPCA's goals include:

• Expanding services to care for 120,000 more uninsured people by 2006. Primary Care Association centers cared for about 72,000 people last year;
• Increasing state funding -- $2 million per year currently -- for community health centers;
• Removing the limit on the number of people who can enroll in the state's QUEST program (Altonn, Honolulu Star Bulletin, 1/17); Currently, no more than 125,000 people can be enrolled in QUEST, a managed care program for lower income residents. Eligible residents must be under age 65 and not be eligible for employer-sponsored insurance (Hawaii Health Department Web site).
• Changing QUEST income eligibility requirements from 200% to 300% of the federal poverty level;
• Providing Medicaid benefits for pregnant immigrants; and
• Restoring dental benefits for adult QUEST and Medicaid beneficiaries (Honolulu Star-Bulletin, 1/17).