Sunday, April 01, 2012
No joke—tomorrow may be the last chance to remove monopoly health insurers from the Hawaii Health Connector
by Larry Geller
Tomorrow at 5 p.m. will be the last hearing that SB2434 will have in the state legislature.
This is the bill that community groups have focused on in order to demand changes to the Hawaii Health Connector to remove the state’s largest health insurers, who clearly have a huge conflict of interest (because their income will depend on the decisions that they will vote on, if they stay on the board). It’s also a chance to change the organization of the board from a fully independent non-profit, unaccountable to either state government or to its citizens, to a governmental or quasi-governmental body the way all other states have done. Yes, Hawaii is unique in this respect, and it’s a bad deal.
If you can, review prior testimony (click on the bill number above) and decide if you would like to weigh in for yourself or for your own organization. It’s easy. While you are on that web page, just push the button at the top and speak your mind on the subject.
Once again, I have submitted testimony on behalf of Kokua Council.
Mo betta is if you can show up in person. The bill comes up early in the schedule, it shouldn’t delay dinner by much. I say this because a state senator once confirmed to me that he didn’t read testimony. It’s harder to be ignored, though, when you’re sitting in front of that microphone.
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