Hawaii Insurance

Residents of Hawaii anise, more than 2400 km of the American continent has long complained that left major debates, ripples across the country.

But in at least one major problem - an appropriate medical care for all citizens - health policy analysts say Hawaiians are far ahead of the rest of the country, and their condition is currently in Congress and by other governments National as a potential model.

50 The State is the only one to boast, near universality of health care. After 17 years of a program requires employers to take charge fees for insurance premiums for all persons over 20 hours per week, most of Hawaii’s 1.1 million people have a sort of health insurance. The unemployed, seasonal workers and those whose offers do not be taken into account by medical insurance subsidies of State. Some circumstances

In total, 98 percent of Hawaiians have a kind of insurance. However, throughout the country, 14 per cent of the population or 34 million people, lack health insurance and do not receive government subsidies. Most beneficiaries are wages, work or low for small businesses to pay.

Perhaps the most surprised many experts, almost universal access to health care did not result in increased costs. For almost the peak of Hawaii series of USA in the cost of living, health through the insurance premium is located near the underside of the aircraft. For example, a family in Hawaii will pay a premium amount of $ 263 per month, almost half that of other countries.

To be sure to go to Hawaii differs from other 49 states, in many respects. The population is small, the climate is healthy and the state has a long tradition of providing generous benefits to workers, most of whom belong to unions.

Even during the last recession in the tourism sector in Hawaii has the lowest unemployment rate of each state, 2.8 percent of its insurance companies should pay little in comparison to other States to a hospital for unemployed. The insurance sector is marked by a few large companies that can exert strong bargaining position to keep doctors and hospitals to pay booking fees.

It is located in the middle of the ocean, so that businesses, subject perhaps to pay the costs of health care - up to $ 1000 per employee per year - can not simply in a state.

But while these features in the declaration of Hawaii success accordance with low prices, while caring for almost everyone, lawyers and experts here on terra firma to say that the state has much to contribute to what the current national debate.

“A critique of what I hear, that we are different, we all sipping May tais on the beach and dancing in coconut shell bra,” said Dr. John Lewin, Hawaii director of public health. “We have a lot of poor people in Hawaii. We all have health problems the rest of the country. But what differentiates us is that we decided to do something to be done.”

Mr. Lewin, energetic and open, has become a kind of evangelist universal health care, which he sees as a fundamental human right. He gave rise to many Congress leaders and officials in states like California and Washington, where there are similar plans are under discussion. The free kick toward his argument is that states can health insurance for all citizens and reduce costs, if preventive care, it should be noted, and if competition between large insurance companies, after the unversichert.

Dr. Karen Davis, professor of health policy at Johns Hopkins University, agrees with him. “What Hawaii has shown that many people surprised,” she says, lies in the fact that their entire population while minimizing economic disruption.

In contrast, Massachusetts plan of universal health insurance, as a pioneer of nature, has stalled amid concerns about the state of the economy soured. Small Business-owner, from January would be necessary for staff offer insurance or pay state, we must do is lobbying for a total of delay or cancellation of the plan.