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In The News

Hawaii weighs in on president’s healthcare reform plan

August 19, 2009

KHNL News8

 

By Leland Kim

HONOLULU (KHNL)  -   National healthcare reform has become a lightning rod of controversy.    Pres. Barack Obama is looking to overhaul the health insurance system, and provide coverage for every single American.  It’s a monumental task and he has many supporters, but some say it’s the wrong way to fix this problem.

It’s a huge task.  Right now there are 46 million Americans without health insurance, and they end up in places like The Queen’s ER, which was not meant for primary care.  Most agree we need to improve our healthcare system, but they disagree on the approach.

Throughout the country, this has been the scene at various town hall meetings on healthcare reform.     It’s a heated debate on who gets healthcare and who pays for it.

“Healthcare expenses are escalating, so people who can afford health insurance today, in the near future may not be able to afford it,” said Rev. Bob Nakata, a pastor at Kahaluu United Methodist Church and president of Faith Action for Community Equity.

Pres. Obama is making a push for nationalized healthcare.  He’s trying to rally support via nation-wide teleconference calls like this one in Chinatown.

“This debate over healthcare goes to the heart of who we are as a people,” Obama said. “I believe nobody in America should be denied basic healthcare because he or she lacks health insurance.”

Rep. Neil Abercrombie, D-Hawaii, who supports the president’s plan, says the current system is too expensive.

“We’re going to try and cover everybody,” said Abercrombie.  ”Right now those of us who have insurance are paying a hidden tax of about $700 a year just to take care of those who don’t have insurance.”

But some say the president’s plan is not the way to go.

“I think a lot of Americans are very worried we have government run healthcare,” said Honolulu City Council Member Charles Djou.  ”Our medical services will be provided with all the compassion of the IRS and delivered with the efficiency of the postal service and I think these are serious, legitimate concerns Americans have.”

Djou says there’s a way to reform the system without the government’s direct intervention.

“What we need is tort reform,” he said. “We need to put a quarter of a million dollar cap on non-economic damages for doctors to bring down the use of defense medicine.  That would be far more effective than any government program.”

Obama’s plan looks to reduce insurance cost, put a limit on insurance companies, and expand coverage to 46 million uninsured Americans.  He has a tough climb in pushing this through in Washington, but some here believe this is a better option than what we have now.

“Yes, very hopeful and the president needs the support in order to get it through,” said Nakata.

Djou is planning a town hall meeting on Tuesday to find out what people in Hawaii think about the president’s plan.

Go to original story.

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