<...>
Of course Rush would probably think any health system is “just dandy,” mainly because he is a multi-millionaire and can afford the best health care wherever he might be. But this is not the case for tens of millions of Americans who are unable to afford care or insurance due to the
rising costs of health care in the U.S.
But it’s also odd that Limbaugh would cite his experience in Hawaii as evidence that the U.S. health care system is “fine” seeing that Hawaii has already passed reform measures similar to those that Congress is currently considering as part of comprehensive reform — measures that Limbaugh has
constantly been attacking.
The state enacted a measure in the 1970s mandating that employers provide “
relatively generous health care benefits” to full-time employees (Congress is currently considering a similar provision is part of reform) and Hawaii now has one of the lowest rates of uninsured in the nation, and more access has provided space for innovation and
brought down costs:
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. <...>
With more people given access to care, hospital and insurance executives in Hawaii say they have been able to innovate efficiencies. For instance, the state’s top three medical providers are adopting electronic medical records — years ahead of most mainland counterparts.
The Hawaii Medical Service Association, the state’s largest insurer and a Blue Cross Blue Shield member, recently offered the nation’s only statewide system whereby anyone for a nominal fee can talk by phone or e-mail, day or night, to doctors of their choosing.
Yet just two weeks ago, Limbaugh said those supporting health care reform are “mentally disturbed” and that “
people are going to die” if reform ultimately passes.
Hawaii
Hawaii’s Prepaid Health Care Act of 1974 requires all employers to offer health care coverage (Haw. Rev. Stat. § 393-1, et seq. ). An employer must provide health care benefits for each employee who works 20 hours or more a week (excluding seasonal employees). The employer must pay for at least 50% of the premium, provided that an employee’s contribution is no more than 1. 5% of his salary. The mandatory health care benefits include hospital, surgical, medical, diagnostic laboratory, maternity, and substance abuse benefits.
The law is possible because of a statutory exemption from the federal Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA). ERISA regulates employee benefit plans, including life, health, disability, and pension plans. Employers are not required to provide employee benefits under ERISA, but if they do, they must meet ERISA requirements for plan participation, funding, and vesting, as well as plan administration standards for reporting, disclosure, and fiduciary duties. While ERISA was being debated in Congress, legislators successfully amended it to exempt the Hawaii Prepaid Health Care Act, thus allowing Hawaii to require employers to provide health care coverage to their employees (29 U. S. C. § 1144(b)(5)). Because no other state has this ERISA exemption, no other state can establish such a program.
link
Printer-friendly format
Email this thread to a friend
Bookmark this thread
(1000+ posts)
Send PM |
Profile |
Ignore
