Hawaii Governor Signs Bill Creating Long-Term Care Program

Hawaii Gov. Ben Cayetano (D) on July 1 signed into law a bill (HB 2638) to establish a long-term care financing program and a state fund to cover the cost of long-term care for seniors, the Honolulu Advertiser reports. Under the law, the state must assemble a board of trustees to develop the program and conduct a study to determine the amount of long-term care tax revenue that the state should place in the fund (Arakawa, Honolulu Advertiser, 7/2). The board must report the results of the study to the Hawaii Legislature next year (CongressDaily, 7/8). Rep. Dennis Arakaki (D), chair of the state House Health Committee, said, "Now is the time to show the nation and the rest of the world what it is to have a society and a government that honors its elders with care and compassion in the truest sense." House Minority Leader Galen Fox (R) said that the law will hamper the efforts of a "growing number of states pushing for Congress and the Bush administration to have Medicare cover long-term care" for seniors (Dunford, Associated Press, 7/1).