Hawaii House Committees Approve Universal Health Care Bill

Two Hawaii House committees on Feb. 4 approved an amended version of a bill (HB 1617) that would establish a state health authority to provide universal health coverage for residents, the Honolulu Star-Bulletin reports. The bill, sponsored by state House Health Committee Chair Dennis Arakaki (D), would combine public and private health insurance expenditures into the authority. In addition, the legislation would establish a five-member state health authority commission to determine the costs of the authority and to establish a plan to finance the authority. The bill also would establish a separate committee to determine which health benefits the authority should provide to state residents. The state House Health and Human Services committees approved the bill, but it "appears to be in critical condition" in the state Legislature, the Star-Bulletin reports. Republican lawmakers and some unions, health care organizations and insurers expressed opposition to the bill at a joint hearing on the committees on Feb. 4. Some insurers said that the legislation would establish an "unbridled and unfettered monopoly of a state agency" in the state's health care system, and state Rep. Lynn Finnegan (R) said that the bill could lead to waiting lists for health care in the state. However, supporters said that that the bill would "pool the vast resources being committed to a very disparate care system and turn it into a rational efficient service delivery system" to provide universal health coverage for residents. Hawaii spends about $5 billion per year on health care, and 10% of state residents do not have health insurance. "The idea is not to be spending more. The idea is to spend wisely with what we have," Arakaki said (Omandam, Honolulu Star-Bulletin, 2/5).